Emerging Technologies

RE: Share your wiki success stories

alfredo — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 14:43:00 GMT

Thanks, sound's great. We're fishing around for a wiki that's as user friendly as media wiki and we'll give JSPWiki a look. We played with wikiespaces a bit but its look isn't that user friendly and requires users to know some HTML for basic collaboration. We just didn't think it looked like enough of a low barrier user friendly option. Thanks for your experience. Alfredo

RE: Share your wiki success stories

helpingstudents — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 06:15:00 GMT

Thank you for your question. We do use a Wiki. In fact, we use JSPWiki from JSPWiki.org. We have a very unique Wiki that allows school administrators, teachers and librarian editing and administration.

Using the Wiki, we have created blank Wiki pages available for every school district in the United States. We have several teachers using the Wiki and becoming more familiar with the features. We also have a few schools using the Wiki. We use a process for Wiki administration and control that mirrors our national education structure. For example, a State Administrator may change a State page or submit a change request. A school may change school pages. A Teacher may require a login for their class page and have other pages that are public. Each Wiki page owner may select which members are allowed to view, edit or upload files. Students may only receive a login from their teachers.

I hope this information was helpful. Thank you again for your question.

Helping Students Education Corp.
http://helpingstudents.org/JSPWiki/Wiki.jsp?page=K12
www.helpingstudents.org

-- Michael Misovec - Founder

RE: Share your wiki success stories

alfredo — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 17:13:00 GMT

I've seen some great stuff on wiki successes but most that I've seen:

**Involve larger investments (not free, or inexpensive online hosted wikis; rather more elaborate versions that require significant investment in software and IT support)

**Require installation and hosting. For example I love the look and feel of media wiki but there is no online version.

I'd really be curious to see some success stories on use of the "more accesible" online wiki technologies. Web 2.0 is supposed to reduce barriers to participation--and with many wikis it does (media wiki being the best engine i've seen). But improving access shouldn't just be on use, but also on availability of high quality, low barrier online technologies that are both easy to use and easy to access and maintain.

Does anyone have any success stories from use of these more accesible wiki engines? Thanks.

Alfredo

RE: Share your wiki success stories

helpingstudents — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 08:26:00 GMT

Helping Students Education Corp, a non profit 501(c)(3) hosted a "A K12 Teacher Wiki" group at www.tappedin.org

A teacher comments on the event
http://lostjohns.blogspot.com/

"A K12 Teacher Wiki" link:
http://helpingstudents.org/JSPWiki/Wiki.jsp?page=K12

Share your wiki success stories

wcook — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 00:24:00 GMT

Has your nonprofit used (or considered using) a wiki? How have you used a wiki -- or what is stopping you from trying out this new technology?

Unsure of how your nonprofit might really benefit from a wiki? Seek inspiration from other nonprofits! On the heels of TechSoup's online Wikis and Nonprofits event, two nonprofits describe how they have built active, vibrant wikis in TechSoup's article Nonprofits Share Their Wiki Success Stories