1. Wikis for Parent and
Student Communication
By Bhavi Patel

2. Workshop Purpose and Standards
The purpose of this workshop is to assist teacher in creating a
classroom wiki that can provide parents and students with information
or resources outside of class.
The standards address from this presentation are as follows:
NETS- A5d
NETS-T4d

3. Workshop Objectives
1. Participants will be able to identify the difference in a blog and a wiki.
2. Participants will be able to create their own wiki.
3. Participants will use the wiki to share what is happening in their
classroom.
4. Participants will create a wiki for parent and student use.

4. Digital Literacy
Norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use
(Ribble 10).

5. Blogs vs. Wikis
Blogs
Wikis
▪ More or less an online
interactive journal.
▪ More or less an editable
website.
▪ Great for posting topics for
discussion.
▪ Great for group collaboration.
▪ Allows for peer to peer
communication.
▪ Teachers and students (if
allowed) can edit the contents
of the wiki.
▪ Allows for teacher to student
communication.
▪ Great for posting links, videos,
topics for discussion.

6. Wiki Links for Educators
There are several excellent Wiki links for educators:
Wikispaces for Educators
Wetpaint
Pbworks for Educators.
http://www.edtechnetwork.com/wikis_blogs.html

7. Getting Started!
Go to www.Pbworks.com

8. Select your account

9. Account options
Recommended

10. Setting up your account information
This will be your URL that
parents and students will
use to go to your wiki.
Fill this
section out
with your
information

11. Setting up your account information
Once you have completed the initial set up Pbworks will send you an
email confirmation. Follow these directions carefully to complete the
set up.
You should see
your Wiki URL here
Decide who can
view your wiki
Agree

12. Developing your Wiki Space

13. Developing your Wiki Space: Settings
Choose your “skin”
▪ Click Settings
▪ In the left column find
COLOR and select.
▪ Pick your skin color and
click save color
scheme.
▪ Click the wiki tab to
return to the front
page.

14. Developing your Wiki Space: FRONT PAGE
To customize the front page select edit
Highlight the text in the box and delete. This is
your blank slate!

15. Developing your Wiki Space: FRONT PAGE
Using the font, sizes, and
colors option create a heading
and brief description of how
you would like this site to be
used.

16. Developing your Wiki Space: Uploading an Image
Find a picture from the internet
that you would like to have on
your homepage. Save it to your
computer.

17. Click on Images and
files.
This same process
can be used to
upload files.

18. Click on Upload files.
Find you image on
your desktop and
upload.

19. You should
see your
image file
here.

20. Place your cursor where you want your picture to go.
Then click on your image link.

21. Your picture will appear where your cursor was.

22. Uploading Documents
▪ Follow the same sets as before, but ▪ Find the file on your computer.
this time upload a document
(worksheet, study guide, notes, ect.). ▪ Place your cursor where you want
your file to be located.
▪ Click Images and file.
▪ Then click on your file.
▪ Select Upload.

23. Creating a New Page and uploading a video
▪ Click on tab that says Pages and Files.
▪ Click New and select Create a page.
▪ Name your page and click create page.
▪ Your page will appear in the list of other
pages. Click on your new page.
▪ Once your new page has loaded click the
edit tab.

24. Adding a Video Link (from You Tube)
▪ Find a video on You Tube to upload
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF
Gs3oT7nQg
▪ Copy the link for You Tube Video.
▪ Select Insert from the tool bar.
▪ Go down to video and select You Tube.

25. Paste your link into the
box and hit Next.
Your video will appear.
Select Insert Plugin.
Your video will appear on your page. Be sure to save your page.

26. Linking Pages
▪ To link a page to your home page (or any other page)
–
–
–
–
Go to Front Page and click Edit
Find Page Tools (right)
Place your cursor where you would like the page link to appear
Then click on the page name.

27. Comment Box
▪ Each page has comment boxes.
▪ This is an excellent way for
students/parents to communicate
▪ However, for users to comment they with each other or the teacher.
must request access to your page.

28. Resources
▪ Pbworks User’s Manual:
http://edumanual.pbworks.com/w/page/58006589/Home?utm_camp
aign=wiki-link
▪ Printable Handout: http://www.slideshare.net/bpatel86/wikis-forparent-and-student-communication-handout
▪ PbWorks Video (includes tips for creating student accounts):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY3kJKzhG8U&list=PL8TjiC2PV
UWqY_Rr2bnegrkNbS4dQJA9R