Thing 22

http://23thingsartsboy.wikispaces.com/Home+Page

Wikispaces, PBWorks, or any of the collaborative spaces that are available through the Web 2.0 are powerful options for those who do not have the ability or resources to create a full-blown web-site with all of the bells and whistles. I have a great sense of the potential of their use, but also a realistic understanding of the reality - their strength lies in the level of participation of their members. For a wiki to be truly valuable as a learning or instructional tool, all of the participants must be vested in the topic or discussions that take place therein. The ramifications of this are that students must be required to participate, and teachers must somehow be compelled to "try it." I continue to be frustrated by those teachers with whom I work who aren't even willing to try. They don't even respond to e-mail - how can I expect a positive result when I spend the time creating a wikispace for their professional use? That being said, I enjoy creating and using this particular tool, and hope to see greater use in the future - maybe before I retire.

The difference between a blog and a wiki? Blog is designed to be more one-sided - author to reader, with comments. This is a simplified explanation, but I think it is accurate. Wikispaces is designed for many people to contribute content, edit, comment, revise, and move forward with whatever project they are planning.