Create a New Page
This causes a bit of confusion. You must request to join the wiki. The key here is for you to click "Join This Wiki." Once you click this, it will ask you to make a comment. You neednt write anything, but submit your request to be a member of the wiki. Once this is done, I will approve you being a part of the Wiki... because I have the power (Cue Dramatic Music.)
Once you are in, you should see this:
See where it says "New Page"? (Look on your left.)
Click on that and it will take you to a domain where you can create a new page. Your new page should be the word you have to explore.
Dictionary
Keep it simple and head over to http://dictionary.reference.com/
Finding Copyright Free Images on the Web
Creative Commons- This is a site that I use for the images you see on the blog. I like the ability to use pictures that others have taken via Flickr that can be used to represent some of the ideas. I took the picture of "bipartisanship" from here.
http://creativecommons.org/
Free Digital Photos.net- The 8th Graders used this a great deal when they had to use copyright free images in assembling their Wiki on the Constitution. It is pretty good, but I have become more used to Creative Commons. Perhaps on your Wiki page, you could discuss which site is better between the two for you.
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/
U.S. History Images- This is a site I got from Wikipedia (If Wikipedia has it, nothing's wrong with it... right???) I think that it has some nice images of Jefferson's Presidency. If you have a word that is straight down the historical road, this might be a good site. It has images from many Presidencies, but some of the images from Jefferson's era are quite good.
http://ushistoryimages.com/
When the 8th graders composed their Wiki on the Constitution, there was some challenge about uploading the pictures. I would suggest dragging the picture you want to the Desktop and then uploading from there. On the toolbar of the Wiki should be an icon that reads "File" which will allow you to upload pictures and files from the desktop.
Remember to include all copyright release information, any rights reserved, and any other site information that is needed in order to allow you to use the image for public viewing.
Film, Book, Current Event, Song
This one is going to be tough on two levels. The first is that you have to find something that can relate. A kid said to me yesterday, "I wanted to use 'Fight Club." On first glance, Jefferson and "Fight Club" have nothing to do with one another. (Tyler and Marla have nothing on Thomas and Martha.) Yet, we were able to kick around several ways of linking the film and Jefferson. ("Rule number one: We do not talk about Federalists. Rule number two: We do not talk about Federalists!!") This helps to bring out how you can really have fun with this and force the links between the two that others might not see. The second challenge is that others need to know what you are talking about or your comments will be, "Your page was cool, but I didn't understand your film connection" or something like that. It's fine to be different and aloof, but after like ten comments, it's going to get old really quick. This is where YouTube can really help. Including a video link or some site that has the song or clip of a film could be really helpful to you.
For this one, thinking about the connection and finding where the connection is on the web is where the challenge is going to be for you.
Hyperlink
This is one of the most useful tricks you will learn on this. Hyperlinking is the modern citation. Get used to it. Live it, love it, and deal with it because it won't be going anywhere.
* On the wiki, click "Edit" and you should see a toolbar and find the button that says "Link." It has the picture of the chain link on it (Get it?)
* Highlight the text you want hyperlinked. (What do you want readers to click on in order to take them where you want them to go?)
* Once you have highlighted the text, click on the chain link.
* Click on the box that says "External Link" (You want to take the reader somewhere outside- external- to the wiki)
You should have something that looks like this:
What you have highlighted will appear in the "Link Text" box. Inside the box below it, insert the URL of the site you want to take the reader. Click on "New Window" as well so that there are two windows up and click "Add Link" and you should be set.
This will take time, but like everything involving technology and the web, the more you play around with it and give time to it, the better your work will be. Trust me- this cannot be done unless you devote time to it. I have been doing this for a while and still must devote time outside of class to it.... Like this very blog entry.
Wiki on!
Mr. Kannan
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