Shaping+the+Knowledge+Landscape-What+Wikis+Mean+to+Modern+Instruction

"Wikis" are taking center stage both in search engines and classrooms as information sources for just about any topic imaginable. Far beyond being an online repository of collective knowledge and experience, it is a social phenomena that has meaningful (and sometimes controversial) instructional implications. How do teachers learn to trust, use and measure the value of these communal knowledge spaces? How can students not only use Wikis in their own learning, but become active contributors to these lively and active knowledge communities? If you've never seen or used a Wiki before, this is a perfect opportunity to engage in a "live" Wiki experience. In this session, we will explore the development and proliferation of Wiki spaces to date, and participate in a hands on scenario to demonstrate the self-policing nature of information posted on these sites. Participants will be intrigued, inspired, and encouraged to embrace the "flatness" of the world in ways they never imagined.