Thinking about Wikis

Ok, perhaps I was being over cautious with my apprehension about the all-hands-in service that wikis provide. I'm reliably told that the head Wikimaster (what an awesome title that would be) is able to track all changes and anyway, provided all people involved understand the need to collaborate and not sabotage, the wiki should sail along swimmingly.

In fact, I've been thinking. If a wiki can't be most effectively used by a single class, then it's surely the best way to work collaboratively with other schools. It's not beyond possibility that children and teachers from a whole range of schools might decide to collaborate on a piece of work, or some kind of topic based project. Imagine a collaborative 'School Newspaper' which isn't just stories from one school, but the joint effort of many across a region, country or continent! Children can share their opinions on what they think are the most important things in education, what they would like to change, or even what are their favourite websites. And, if they really get organised, they might even make plans for a cross-establishment meeting! It all sounds quite hyperbolic, but a wiki would definately be the way to start such a venture!

While I remember, here's an educational(ish) wiki on the web - Wikiversity

Illustration: Andrew Wheldon