A Random PBWiki Strategy - Sharing vs. Securing

In my work with wikis and the wonderful, wikitastic folks I work with, we have found a frequent need to have some areas of a wiki in development and some areas public. Let me first say that wikis are one of the most amazing tools you can use (for a long list of reasons I may someday blog about). Trust me, you'll love them. We love PBWiki.

In my experimentation (in several events using http://reta-otl.pbwiki.com) when I locked down a page for only administrative access, I would often have trouble making it readable to the whole user group again. Even if I would change the page settings, users would still have difficulty.

One strategy the most capable, Web 2.0 conscious persons I know, Tektrekker, taught me is to create an Administrative folder with custom security (so only the users you want will be able to access it). When pages are being drafted, they can easily be moved to the Admin folder, edited, and then moved back out for public consumption later.

So, to paraphrase...

When you PBWiki, let your folders do the security, then move your pages to open folders as you wish to make them available.

Moodle Webinars On Demand, Wikis in the Classroom Coming Up

Thank you to the fabulous educators who came out the past two Mondays. We had some great conversations and excellent ideas shared on how teachers can use Moodle in their classrooms. To access the recordings for Show me the Moodle and Introduction to Moodle on demand, visit the NMSU Webinars site. Don't forget the collection of resources for each event, where you can see the chat log and access other cool stuff.

Hope you can join the superbly talented presenter and model RETAzen, Bethany Bovard, for

Webinar Event: Wikis in the Classroom I

Date: Monday, October 6, 2008

Time: 6:00-7:00 pm MST

Description:
Wikis are extremely useful tools for doing everything from helping you easily create web sites to providing your students with an engaging collaborative workspace. Yet, choosing the right wiki from among all those available can be quite challenging and time-consuming. In this webinar, you will explore a few different wikis and learn how to choose a wiki that's appropriate to your class needs.

TO ATTEND:
Please use the following link to attend the webinar:
http://nmsu.na3.acrobat.com/wikis1fa08

Plan to join us 15-20 minutes prior to the start time to configure your computer. To participate, speakers are required. A simple computer microphone and/or a headset is ideal for interaction. A webcam is optional.

If you have never used Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional, please test your connection at: Adobe Acrobat Pro Support Center
https://admin.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

For complete information on this and all of our webinars visit us at:
http://webinars.nmsu.edu or contact us at webinars@nmsu.edu or call 575.646.6143.

Have a cup of coffee, invite a colleague and raise your eQ (eLearning
Quotient) with us!

The secret life of wikis in the classroom...

may just be revealed on Tuesday.

Wikis in the K12 Classroom - Just how do you do this?

Wikis are all the rage - with very good reason. Exactly how, however, do you do this, especially in the K12 classroom? What about guidelines, permissions, safety...?

Check out this post I made to Moodlebots Blog to find out how you can learn about wikis in the classroom today, tomorrow, and beyond.

http://moodlebots.blogspot.com/2008/03/using-wikis-with-your-students.html

Bon (Wiki) appetit!