Blogs+&+Wikis

**BLOGS AND WIKIS**
[|A "blog," or weblog,] is a place for an individual to have a voice on the internet. Readers can post comments, and the owner of the blog has the option of allowing comments to be posted automatically or having them held for moderation. Blogs can be linked through an RSS feed (see below) and most blogs have a blogroll, a list of related blogs by other people. Blogging is carried out under a pseudonym, and students who don't want a public blog can easily be accommodated within the LMS. Students are free to delete their work when the course ends.

[|A wiki,]like this wiki, can be used to share information and collaborate on knowledge building. Permissions are granted by the person who began the blog. In some wikis, anyone can post information. In this wiki, members must sign up to contribute. You may also wish to specify different levels of administration to students.

Although many learning management systems are providing us with a way to allow our students to use a blog or wiki within the LMS, these systems are private. If students are to have their work published, they must sign up for their own blog, or subscribe to a public wiki that you have opened.


 * Why use a public blog or wiki when your learning management system already has a similar component?**

Do you want students to learn how to start a blog on their own? Do you want students to begin networking with other bloggers? Do you want them to have the experience of writing for a larger public? Do you want your students to continue blogging after they leave your course? Do you want students to have feedback from outside the class? Do you feel your students should connect with communities of practice?

Discuss: Are you using blogs or wikis? Would you?

USING BLOGS
BLOGGING SITES: Blogger, [] Wordpress []  many others RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

If you have a number of students with public blogs, you'll need an easy way to keep up with them. Instead of going to each individual blog to check for new postings, have each student enable an RSS feed on their page. These can be gathered with a blog aggregator, which allows you to read them all in one place.

Using rss feeds []

BLOG AGGREGATORS:

Web: Feedlooks [|http://feedlooks.com/] Mac OS X: NetNewsWire [] Windows: SharpReader []

USING WIKIS:
WIKIGENDER []

Students can use Wikigender as a resource; they can also contribute.

//**Wikigender** is a project initiated by the// [|//OECD Development Centre//] //to facilitate the exchange and improve the knowledge on gender equality-related issues around the world. A particular focus lies on gathering empirical evidence and identifying adequate statistics to measure// [|//gender equality//]//. In this respect, Wikigender serves as a pilot project for the OECD// [|//Global Project on Measuring the Progress of Societies//]//. Based on the work of the OECD// [|//Gender, Institutions and Development Data Base//]//, Wikigender aims to highlight the importance of// [|//social institutions//] //such as norms, traditions and cultural practices that impact on women's empowerment.//

WIKI programs: Wikispaces (this wiki) WetPaint, []  many others