Wikis
"Wiki" is the word for "fast" in Hawaiian. A wiki is a page or collection of Web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses them to contribute or modify the content easily. Wikis are often used to create collaborative sites and to power online communities. Wikis are used in education to allow students to co-create documents and research topics collaboratively. Watch the video on wikis (4 min.)
The collaborative encyclopedia Wikipedia is the most popular example of a wiki today. Wikis have several key characteristics, which include:
• May invites all users to edit any page or to create new pages within the wiki Website, using only a simple Web browser.
• Promotes meaningful topic associations between different pages by making page link creation intuitively easy and showing whether an intended target page exists or not.
• Seeks to involve the visitor in an ongoing process of creation and collaboration that constantly changes the Website landscape. A wiki enables documents to be written collaboratively, iteratively, in a simple markup language using a Web browser. A single page in a wiki Website is referred to as a “wiki page”. The entire collection of pages, which are usually well interconnected by hyperlinks, is "the wiki". A defining characteristic of wiki technology is the ease with which pages can be created and updated. Many wikis are open to alteration by the general public. Many edits can be made in real-time and appear almost instantly online.
Taken from: http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=28813
Adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki and http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki
Watch these videos and create your own wiki workspace following the instructions below.
This video will help you to understand what wikis are.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY&feature=youtu.be
This video will give you a clue on how to create your own projects in wikis.
Directions:
1. Follow the link (pay attention to the number of the group in the URL)
541m
541s
543-544m
2. Press the button "Edit" (at the upper left corner). Ask for a permission to edit this posts by sending a request to the page administrator (that's me). You will have to enter your email address.
3. Enter your email box and wait for a confirmation to arrive.
4. Follow the link from your email box and create your own account on pbworks.com.
5. Edit the post (the task is set in the comment under the poem).
Your home assignments are:
1. Finish translating the poem.
2. Watch the video below and leave a comment on the usage of blogs versus wikis.
3. Create your own wiki page in PHILOLOGY2010.pbworks.com and add your ideas about usage of wikis in teachig
It is very interesting and useful video. The idea how author shows his views very unusual! The dialogue between well-known persons is really like debate. Blogs are personal site where author decite what to do and how to do all things in it. Wikis are the open source and I think are very useful for users. I must admit that both are very important. It will be better not to choose one of them, it will be better will be to use both.
ReplyDeleteWe can discuss pros and cons of both blogs and wikis, but in general they are useful. If unite them in pedagogical use they can be very productive and helpful, especially in long distance education.
ReplyDeleteFor teaching english or something else we use wikis and blogs.
ReplyDeleteIf you are a teacher, the only teacher and the other users are your students - it's better to use Wiki.
If there s some group task it is easier to create wiki: one or more.
But if you are a member of teaching team it is easier to create wiki, though i think it is not the best way for teaching online.
Very interesting video. It shows us the difference between blogs and wikis. Blog is a sort of online journal where you can express your own thoughts and ideas. Only the author can post and edit information, other people just can add comments. Wikis are created and then can be changed by a group of people. Wiki has many links to other Wiki pages, it's like a stock of information.
ReplyDeleteThe video is great. I really enjoyed it and watched it several times. The guy who is voicing Nixon is very talanted = )
ReplyDeleteIf I was asked what to choose I would choose a blog. I am intorverted and I like everything to be under control. The ability to restrict access is very important for me.
However for team work and group tasks wikis are more useful. It is a fast and convenient way to share the information.
So, why not keep both? = )
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ReplyDeleteAs for me, I think that Wikis and Blogs are the new type of studing for us. And as you know, students will do everything teacher asks,if it is interesting for him. That's why I think that this kind of work will help us in both cases, to improve our language and to know more about creating tasks in the internet system))
ReplyDeleteBoth wikis and blogs provide teachers with a great process for integrating new technology in their classes and they are very useful. But in this video we can see, that wikis are more important. They both offer benefits for teacher and students. They give motivation for students and can interested them in teaching. As for me only the one thing when they are different is that wikis are more team-based work, blogs-individual work.
ReplyDeleteI think that before saying what is better, you have to try using wiki and blog. For me, web-blog is associated as a personal journal on the Web. The main disadvantage of the blog is that the blogger is the only one who can make any alternations to the content. Another participants of, let it call project, can subscribe to the blog, receive the updates and leave their comments just above the post. If the teacher has any changes in the curriculum, he/she creates a new post and everyone who has entered a subscription to a post will receive the updates automatically. It is my firm belief that blogs can be greatly used for the individual projects only, wiki is much better for the team-based work, when the group can coordinate the project, making their own alternations to the content and make their own contribution to the development of the page.
ReplyDeleteA really funny video, but it reminds me the WIKI intself: almost everyone can take the information and change it as it was done with this video. If I desided to rule my classes of English in the Internet, I would rather choose a blog as a platform than a wiki because it would be easier for me to coordinate with information and I myself would be responsible for the materials studied. Wikis are preferable, I think, when the process is coordinated by a group of teachers - then it really makes sense.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThat's a funny and useful video. Both wikis and blogs provide a dynamic process for integrating web technology. These two types of online tools offer a more engaging process for learning and do not require teachers or students to learn any special program tools or computer skills. Wikis and blogs are not the same. A wiki typically results in a product created and used by many. While a blog is a process, which results in a product created by one and used by many. In any case both offer benefits for teachers and students and include diverse perspectives and support thinking skills
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that needs to be said is that the video is informative and absorbing by itself. Doubtless there are differences between wikis and blogs and they both have their own positive and negative features. It`s up to everybody to decide wheather wiki or blog is better for him/her but in general I think that such collaboratibe software tools are very useful for students and it will help them in many spheres.
ReplyDeleteThis video has the main information about blogs and wikis, so it;s very useful to watch it, it helps you to understand the different between these two technologies. All the time we will see discussions - what is better to use, but all people are different, so everyone will choose what is closer to him or her. Wikis and blogs can be useful not only in teaching, but in politics and other spheres too, as we saw in video. Nowadays many people use them for shearing the information.
ReplyDeleteKateryna Prysiazhniuk
Well, as for me, in case of teaching language online it's better to use blog. I mean, if I were a teacher, I would publish all the lessons in my blog, so then noone could change it. But for some group assignments or projects wikis are more useful. So it would be better to use both wikis and blogs, but for different aims.
ReplyDeleteI liked the video. Moreover, it has a lot of amusing moments and useful information about blogs and wikis. As it was mentioned they both enable communication of information by a personal group of people and provide a platform for a feedback. Blogs do it by comments and wikis by letters. Thats what they exactly used for and are very useful nowadays in teaching and studying. Nowadays it is widely used, I think it is a good way of sharing and perceiving information between people.
ReplyDelete1) As for me, it is hard to say that one tool is superiour in attitude to another. I just want to tell you that blogs are more personal, every person can read it, basically, but no one can edit it except you. Wiki is irreplaceable in group works, projects. Two or more people can't work simultaneously here, but still it is only a plus - no one prevents the person who works from self-expression, expressing the thoughts in a free form.
ReplyDelete2) I will leave answer on the question #3 here because I can't create my page in philology2010 due to some reasons. So, wikis can be used in creating reports of any type, for example, presentations. Students don't have to create their own part and then sending, collecting the parts of all mates at one PC and compiling them into one file. They will work by turn but in one surface at once.
Ivan Zhosan
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ReplyDeleteThe video is great! The "representations" of blog and wiki are very suitable. Wiki is more "democratic", which means that a group of people can comfortably work together on some tasks. For example some links can be put there and one can update the information, add something new or substitute something. Blogs, on the other hand, are better when some information shouldn't be changed and is controlled by a teacher, for example. Teacher can put there some tasks, plans. But both these technologies can be realised successfully during the process of studying. Wiki and blog simply must be used in different situations.
ReplyDeleteJulia Karabay
It seems like we are trying to compare uncomperable things. Both wikis and blogs may be used in our educational process, and both of them are really useful as they help us to do different tasks. As example, I may mention such tasks as to express your thoughts freely in our blogs, while wikis are meant to be used by a group of people who are determined to complete one particular task (e.g. research).
ReplyDeleteThere is one major difference: blogs can be something personal, a place where a person can post his own ideas and thoughts, which are not appropriate for using in our studying, because very often in the process of studying we address to Wikis as to the more or less trustworthy source.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main differences I got from the description and video materials, is that Wiki creates a result of of co-woking and collaboration while blogs can be only an individual source to express thoughts and feelings, or can share personal experience with community. Both of them, depending on the aims, can be used for theaching languages and literature.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I would like to say that it is very unusual, creative and interesting representation of advantages and disadvantages of blog and wikie. My respect for this video! It's really exciting and catching. Both blog and wikie are very useful. I cant't say that blog is better than wikie or vice versa. It depends on your aims. For example, creating a lesson I use blog, and for work in group wikie is more useful.
ReplyDeleteI found this video rather interesting. The difference between blog and wiki is represented in creative original way. There are pros and cons of blogs and wiki. I think both of them are useful for English teaching, but one differs from other. The main difference that blog is owned by an individual and wiki is a great opportunity to work in groups. I can’t compare blogs and wiki because they are different, intended for different aims. I think both of them must be used.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe video is creative and made with a good sense of humor. The information about blogs and wikis is displayed in a quite unusual way.
ReplyDeleteAs for the content, we cannot say what is better and what is worse, because we cannot compare two things which have different functions. The main goal of the blog is to show and discuss something and it is under control of one person. The main function of the wiki is to collect information, to work on a project with a group of people.
Both tools are good, depending on how you are going to use them.
We have created blogs for ourselves with a post which can be edited only by one person - owner of a blog. Information is safe and can not be changed by other people/teachers/students/users. The blogger himself can provide/update changes.
ReplyDeleteUnlike blog, wiki is a platform that is meant for anyone to update in real time. It may have multiple authors and editors; can be worked in a team; contains links to other wiki pages.
What to choose depends on the aim of the task itself. If it is reading the task/commenting - it should be blog. If it is a group project, definitely it should be wiki so everyone has access and authority.
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ReplyDeleteI think this video is very informative. First of all, there regarded the difference between wikis and blogs and also their positive and negative aspects. Secondly,we can see that their competition is not stopped to this day. So a blog is basically a journal that is available on the web, which is designed for one person.And a wiki is a web site that lets any visitor become a participant: you can create or edit the actual site contents without any special technical knowledge or tools. Using a blog or wiki is everyone's business, but I think that in today's world they facilitate our life.
DeleteThis video made me laugh. I see all the importance of wikis advantages. Makers of the video have a good sense of humour. Take no notice of that, wiki is definitely has some advantages-as projects can be created and edited by the group of users. Information can be edited much more easily. For a project, where several or group of people take part, blog is inconvenient.
ReplyDeleteBoth wikis and blogs can be successfully used for teaching languages and literature. The main difference is that blogs are suitable for individual tasks (reading texts, watching videos, writing down new words or some information to your copy-book etc.), while wikis are just perfect for creating group projects and other tasks that require collaboration.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteVideo is cool!!
ReplyDeleteI agree that both, Wikis and Blogs, are very useful for English teaching. It depends how you are using them. They are different. Selection depends on purpose. Definitely, for a group project or group presentation it's best to use wiki where all students can collaborate together on the same page. Blogs can be used for individual work, where each student put in own blog thoughts, ideas, videos, presentations, other projects.
In my opinion having blog, same as your own wiki, is really effective and helpful in different spheres of our life, including studying, hobbies, making useful acquaintances etc. But as for me,I prefer blogs. Probably, it is because wikis is not that popular in our city or country in general or I'm just not that well-informed about this site. But in the near future I surely will get acquainted with this service,because I believe that it contains a lot of information needed in our studying.
ReplyDeleteVideo is great. Good sense of humor in education is really very important. But. Concerning personal opinion “what is the best”… I like either blog or Wikis. Definitely both of them could be used for the educational purpose. Nevertheless, my voice is for the blogging. Firstly, I used to use the blog for my personal needs. Secondly, I find it easy-to-use and better in the web-design anyway. Thirdly, I prefer individual task to the group work.
ReplyDeleteDespite all these FORs there is one disadvantage – for the group work (if there is such urgent necessity to use the group work) it would not be as good as Wikis. The last one is actually created for the purposes of the cooperative learning. The biggest disappointment of using Wikis is the access. The administrator should always be on-line to approve the students. Also that only one person could edit, create, post the information, tasks etc. If someone else enters the whole work of the previous student simply would sink into oblivion. That is really inconvenient. So, I consider Wikis good only during the class, when all the students could normally plan their work.
I really like this video. It shows advantages both of wikis and blogs in an interesting and funny way. In my opinion it is difficult to say what is better wikis or blogs. For me personally blogs are more easy to make and more interesting to read. However it depends on what you want to do with students. For group work wikis are better. But if you want to see a student's work as an individual it is better to use blogs.
ReplyDeleteBoth blogs and wikis can be useful in any sphere of our life. I can't say what is better and what is worse. They have different functions. Blog is created for presenting some information and wiki is created for gathering information. In my opinion wiki shouldn't be an official source of information. If any person can edit what is written there, how can we trust this source? Wiki is better to use for some class or group activity. Blog is better to use for individual work.
ReplyDeleteI think that both, blogs and wikis, can be used effectively in ESL and literature teaching. Though their goals and methods are different. While blogs aim at individuality and freedom of expression, wikis are just perfect for group work and collaborations. It’s impossible to say with certainty which one is better, because the answer will be “both”. During the classes both of them can be used. Blogs and wikis can encourage students to use their imagination, creativity and, at the same time, express themselves both in a group and individually.
ReplyDeleteVery intresting video!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed it!)
It shows the difference btw blogs and wikis. The dialogue btw famouse persons is really like debate. As far as I understood: wiki is the open source and I think very usefull for users. Blogs are sort of online journal where you can express your thoughts and ideas. Only the author can post and edit information, other people just can add comments. I must admit that both are very important. They both offer benefits for teacher and students. They give motivation to students. But....
If I desided to rule my classes of English in the Internet, I would rather choose a blog as a platform than a wiki because it would be easier for me to coordinate with information and I myself would be responsible for the materials studied.
I think the main idea is described very clearly - we can use both, wikis and blogs. It is undeniable that both of them have their pros and cons, but it makes the process of teaching even more interesting - you can combine different techniques for different purposes, and your students will never fall asleep at your lessons! :) Both, wiki and blog, challenge students to think creatively, and it is the main positive feature of these techniques.
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