Wikis

This video is an excellent visual presentation in explaining what a “wiki” is and how it can be used. It also gives basic instructions on how to add/edit a wiki. This is an excellent source for an introduction to wiki’s for anyone but will be especially helpful for students. This video could be shown at the inception of creating a wiki project. Not only will the student hear a step by step expalnation but they will be able to see a wiki being created. The video is available from Commoncraft who produce educational videos. - Yvette Olvera-Rose
 * Video: Wikis in Plain English** []

Wikis: Basics Tools and Strategies [] This presentation presents the basics of Wikis, what they are good for, and what they're not, as well as links to several sites that show uses of Wikis within libraries and other organizations. Meredith Farkas is the author of this presentation and her site has many more library related presentations and links. Susan Pratt

Barton Creek Elementary School Book Blog - [] Even though the site title contains the work "blog", this is a wiki created to allow students to post their book recommendations, reviews, and podcasts. Students must sign in with a school password, their first name and email address. This is a great example of using Web 2.0 technology to support student learning, reading, writing, and creativity by giving them a voice on the web. -- Cindy Dinneen

Children's Books Wiki:Websites - [|http://childrensbooks.wikia.com/wiki/Children's_Books_Wiki:Websites] This site is dedicated to children's book lists for ages 0-16 with lists by genre, recommendation, reading lists, etc. Anyone can edit and anyone can post after creating an account. There is a policy page that was helpful for new wiki users' understanding of posting rules, policies, and content. The age 13-16 reading list contains mostly classic YA titles. - Cindy Dinneen

Wikibooks--__http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page__ Wikibooks is dedicated to the creation of online educational textbooks. Wikijunior is the part of Wikibooks specifically for the development of textbooks for students up to 12 years of age. Anyone can edit. A teacher could make a research project more interesting and significant by having a class work on one of these online textbooks and then have the class members contribute their work.--Laurel Curtis--

Turning Wikipedia into an Asset for Schools--__http://www.andycarvin.com/archives/2005/07/turning_wikiped.html__ The use of Wikipedia as a research tool is controversial, but it can be an effective educational tool to teach students about how to do research and what good research sources should be. A group of students can find a topic that they are interested in (e.g. seals, volcanoes, etc.) Chances are they are likely to find an article about it on Wikipedia. Their task is to then check the facts in the article to see how reliable the article is. As they do this, they keep a list of these sources that have either proved or disproved the facts in the article. When they are done fact-checking the article, they can edit the original Wikipedia article citing their sources to back-up their corrections.--Laurel Curtis--

Wikispaces--www.wikispaces.com Teachers of the same grade level or content area in a district, or even the same school, could share what they are doing in their classes (units, discipline management, rewards, motivators). Then when other teachers use these posted ideas, they can add their thoughts or how the ideas worked for them. Also, librarians can see what units the teachers are working on and add book titles and web links to the page to aid the teachers. This is a great way for teachers and librarians to work together. --Emily Wilson--

Wikipedia-- [|www.wikipedia.com] A good way for teachers and librarians to teach students to verify information they find on the internet is through Wikipedia. Have students choose 3 topics to research using Wikipedia. Then have them verify the information found on Wikipedia with scholarly sources. If the Wikipedia entry is correct, leave it alone. But if the entry is incorrect, have the students correct the wiki with the information they found. --Emily Wilson--

Wikis This website shows a good example of how a wiki is implemented in a school library. In lieu of, or in addition to the traditional book talks, students can contribute to a wiki by writing about the books that they have read. ---Cynthia Ramos
 * Booktalking with You Wiki- []

Here is another example of the incorporation of wikis in a school library setting. Joyce Valenza, the creator, invites teacher-librarians to use this wiki as a professional tool, where best practices and best instruction are shared by the members including contributions of handouts, lessons and presentations. ---Cynthia Ramos
 * Teacherlibrarianwiki - []

This wiki offers spaces where members can post author web sites, YA author blogs, trailers and videos, reading promotion, book blogs, book-related podcasts and reading resources. ---Cynthia Ramos
 * Bookleads- http://bookleads.wikispaces.com/


 * The "hunt" for web sites for this project provided me with a number of ideas on how to incorporate the use of wikis in my school library. A couple of ideas that I would like to implement next school year include setting up a wiki for student booktalks and presenting to teachers how a wiki can be utilized for student group projects. (Cynthia)

This is a relatively new application that takes wikis and collaberation into the visual realm. Students are given the opportunity to discuss visual images, which could include pictures, videos, documents, cartoons, ect, that they see on the screen. They have the option of commenting through audio or text; by telephone, webcam, microphone, or through the computer keyboard. They can also use a doodling tool to highlight the part of the image they are referring to. This is an education only site and is very private and secure. There are many ways this program could be used in a school library. The librarian could use it to give virtual tours of the library and its resources. Students or teachers could then comment on the different areas of the library or the resources that have been the most helpful to them. Book discussions or book talks could be opened up for discussion and accessed by more students. Students who may not participate orally in class may participate in a program like this where people aren't "staring" at them. One thing that makes this program different from a traditional Wiki is that there is potential to hear a voice. This to me makes the interaction more personal and one I think the students will enjoy. (Erin Figert)
 * Voice Thread- [|http://ed.voicethread.com]


 * Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki--[|www.libsuccess.org]

This is an established wiki that helps promote the sharing of ideas amongst librarians. It deals with topics for all different types of libraries from academic, to public, to school. This site is a good example of how a wiki could be use in a professional way by school librarians. The district librarians could establish a wiki where they too share their best practices. I think this type of wiki would be a great reference to have. It would allow for better organization than say a blog and could be updated with the most current issues and concerns. It would allow the librarians to virtually step out of their 4 walls and see what was happening in the libraries around them. (Erin Figert)


 * PBWorks--[]

This is a free site for educators to set up and establish their own wikis. PB stands for peanut butter which according to the owners of the site means that setting up a wiki through their site is as easy as making a peanut butter sandwich!! There are several examples of teacher generated as well as librarian generated wikis to give you ideas on how to get started on your own. Once established the wikis are private and secure to protect the students. The possibilities are endless for using this site to create a wiki for your school library. The librarian can encourage collaberation in research and writing projects. They can have a best books or book review section that all can contribute to. It provides a central place to advertise and promote upcoming events as well as celebrating the events that have already happened by posting pictures. It is a way to stay connected to the students all year by providing a place to come find activities for the summer or book lists for summer reading. You could even host an online summer book club through a wiki. It provides a place for all students to have a voice, even the ones who would never participate in a normal classroom setting. Finally, it provides a place for teachers to collaberate and share ideas and upcoming projects with the librarian. Conference periods may be different and other committments may prevent them from always meeting in person. The wiki is always available for idea sharing. (Erin Figert)

This is a wiki for school library media specialists including results of a 2008 survey of these specialists use of web based tools. It shows wikis being used by school library media specialists for teaching and learning about wikis and web design, teaching students about authority in web and reference material, teaching about copyright and/or Creative Common Licensing, Comparing and contrasting Wikipedia with other information sources, and helping students understand how reference material are created. This is a good reference to show credible uses of wikis for those looking for ways to incorporate them in their libraries or seeking to convince district or campus administrators of their validity in the school library setting, (Jane Redfearn)
 * WebTools4u2use--http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com

This school library wiki for Decatur High School in Georgia provides research tools for students and teachers. Including on the wiki are connections to magazine, journal, and encyclopedia articles from the state, county, and school libraries; access to the school's library catalog from school or home; test practices for state and national tests; and teacher resource links to everything from teacher training videos to databases. Also included are pathfinder links to information on assignments given by teachers, research help for senior project, and a Facebook link. This provides a good model for creating a research guide wiki at the secondary level. It could be adapted at the elementary level with relevant database links, online catalog, and teacher and student training and tutorial links, (Jane Redfearn)
 * Decatur High School Library--http://dhs.wikispaces.com/,

Virtual space of Kowloon Junior School Library in Hong Kong in which students learn about wikis and use them in collaborative research projects, writing stories, exchanging ideas, and creating information resources. Currently featured sites include Research Skills Tutorial with information on how to do research, choosing resources, internet search tools, website evaluation, taking notes, and creating presentations. The 3 featured collaborative projects were Exploring Space, Weather Project, and All About Dinosaurs. Each of these had links to resources and featured student work. This is a good example of using a wiki in an elementary library. (Jane Redfearn)
 * LibraryZone--http://libraryzone.wikispaces.com/

http://aaimlibrarywiki.wikispaces.com/ LIBRARY DECOR! This is a great link with photos and ideas on how to decorate bulletin boards, sitting areas, book displays and several other suggestions for making your library a great place to go for students! The librarian creates school events located in her library that involve fun! The librarian is new to the school district and she was trying to come up with ideas to bring attention to the library -- to create interest in it by the school administration, the teachers in the school and the students! This site gives ideas for special events like Parent/Teacher Meetings, School roundups, etc. The librarian went into detail as to how much she spent on the items she used for decorating for different events, how to do things in an inexpensive way, what works and what does not when it comes to ideas for decorating the library and how to get the administration, staff, teachers and students all involved in their library! -- Kathryn Ermish --

Personal Book Cataloging. [|http://www.librarything.com] A great site to introduce readers to at the middle school and high school levels. They could keep track of the books they read during their lifetime! (I wish I had known about this site when it first began). This is an awesome site for people that love to read. It is a site where you can catalog and keep track of what you've read, when you read it, write a review on the books you've read and connect with people that share the same love of reading -- and that read the same books that you do! You can share common ideas, see statistics on how many of each genre of books are read around the world, and there are alot of statistics regarding books that many people could care less about but some love the details on because that's what floats their boat. -- Kathryn Ermish --

Cheap Ideas for Library Decor -- http://blog.donnavancleve.com/2008/10/great-library-decorating-ideas-on.html Another great site with ideas on how to make your library interesting for the kids! Donna shares her experiences as she tries to come up with making her library look 'cool' on a budget! This area of the piece of the 'librarian' puzzle is of particular interest to me as my philosophy is 'If you build it and make it fun, they will come!'. The author of this site shares how she got a loft bed at a garage sale (made out of metal) and transformed it into a reading nook called 'The Pit Stop!' and encouraged kids to read about racing, Nascar, etc. -- Kathryn Ermish --

__ [] __ I did my editing within the wikis page, focusing on locating sources or ideas that would be beneficial within my school library. At the children's books wiki, I added a suggestion that Texas teachers band together to create a wiki page focused on the Bluebonnet nominees (grades 3-6) from the Texas Library Association and another on the nominees for the 2 x 2 list, which is geared for 2 year olds through second grade. Both lists focus on new releases. Students read at least 5 BB titles in order to participate in a state wide vote to choose the annual winner. On my campus students who read at least 10 of the 20 BB titles also participate in a special spring celebration of the titles. Statewide there is no vote for the 2 x 2 books, but at my campus we hold a vote and make a poster of the winning title to display. There are 20 titles on this list also, and again I have a spring celebration of these nominees for students who have read at least 10. As I searched sites I found __wikisineducation.wetpaint.com__ and went to their cookbook site first. My little friends love to check out cookbooks. Sometimes they even surprise me with a homemade treat afterwards. I looked up a smoothie recipe, tried it and added a comment with an alternative suggestion. Also on this site was information about ways to use wikis in the classroom, for group work, and even as a student generated activity. - Glynda Welch Another site I liked was __wikisandeducationshambles.net__ which led me to the __teacherlibrarian.wiki__ Unfortunately I was unable to get access to edit this page, but did see many valuable ideas. I will definitely continue to try to access this site. As a classroom teacher I found it extremely valuable to plan and share with other members of my grade level team. As a new librarian this year, I have often felt quite alone. Other librarians in my district have been helpful, as has my mentor, but I can see myself doing a lot of give and take on this site. In the __writingwiki.org/default__ site there is a section dedicated to teachers new to wikis. The three pages of this section outline what a wiki is, how it can be used, and what the obstacles may be. I printed this out for future reference.

Wikis---Evelyn Gavin 1. Blogging Libraries: [] To quote Amanda Etches-Johnson, who started this wiki--- "The purpose of this wiki is to collect links to library blogs. This wiki is open to anyone to edit (for now) so feel free to add and edit the links you see on these pages." She has the blog links divided by category---academic, public, school, special libraries, blogs for internal communication, library associations, and library director blogs. In just the school section alone, there are almost 100 blogs for schools both public and private, national and international. I will look at these blogs in hopes to get ideas for my library and get help from those with more experience than I have. Sharing ideas and experiences with others is always helpful. I will probably start my own library blog about my library. Also, having a blog for a library system is an easy way to communicate without tying up email space and you can always have the information shared on hand. 2. Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki: [] Meredith Farkas, this wiki's creator, says, "This wiki was created to be a one-stop shop for great ideas and information for all types of librarians. All over the world, librarians are developing successful programs and doing innovative things with technology that no one outside of their library knows about. There are lots of great blogs out there sharing information about the profession, but there is no one place where all of this information is collected and organized. That's what we're trying to do." She encouurages those who have done something they consider successful to add to the wiki by telling about it. She wants the wiki to be a place where librarians can share ideas and copy other libraries' successes. There are 16 categories in the wiki, with many subtopics in each. This wiki is full of ideas that can be helpful to both new and experienced librarians. I am anxious to see what other librarians have done and get ideas from them. I hope after a few years of experience, I can then share my own successes. I would like to see my own school library system develop a "share the success" wiki for us. 3. Weblogs: [] This is a wiki of weblogs. There are five sections: individual weblogs, arranged by numerical/alphabetical order (17 printed pages for the list, so it would not be easy to find a specific topic); organizational weblogs, 4 pages by type of organization and then by alphabet; non-english weblogs; references; and other directories, the last three about a page and by alphabet. This seems to be the place to find a blog about/for a library. The titles are interesting and invite reading and participation. my first listing above is listed in the references and other directories sections. Again, I would read the blogs, mining them for ideas I could use in my library. I would add my own blog and encourage my librarian friends to add theirs, too.**
 * These three wikis encourage librarians to share their ideas with each other. When put together, this is a vast amount of information and experience to share with others in the profession. I will be looking at the sites I have chosen and also at the others chosen bby my classmates to get ideas and learn about new ways to tell about my library.
 * Be sure to scroll to the end of the Weblogs listings and listen to "The Blogga Song" or go to [] to hear a song about blogs. Evelyn Gavin