Wikispaces

www.wikispaces.com

Wikispaces offers individuals and organizations to create "wikis" with online payments.  "Wikis" are websites that contain various information categorized into separate pages.  Any user with appropriate permissions can edit the information inside a wiki, allowing users to collaborate on the published information contained in the wiki.  While there are many wiki websites online and even free wiki hosting services available on the internet, the most well-known example of a wiki currently is Wikipedia.  Also, wikis are a great example of a Web 2.0 tool.

In regards to education, Wikispaces offer a free program called Wikispaces Classroom to educators and students, providing a wiki hosting service that is more enhanced and catered to schools.  With the Wikispaces Classroom website, teachers can create a safe online social networking space among students, assign various homework, monitor student progress, and provide fast assessment and feedback.  Teachers can also create project groups on Wikispaces Classroom, being able to control the scale of social interactions on the website.  Among such a wide variety of micro tools, teachers are able to distribute online content to students as well, such as videos, images, polls, and documents.

Wikispaces Classroom could reduce barriers to learning for students with poor organization skills and reduced memory capabilities.  Since the teacher can post the homework right on the website, students would simply need to log in and follow the directions provided on the website.  Also, students that may have been away from school due to debilitating illnesses could stay on track by completing assignments online from home or the hospital.  

Since Wikispaces Classroom is intended for students, there are no age restrictions provided on the website's policies.  However, young students without appropriate knowledge of computers and the internet are not recommended for this tool, as with any other Web 2.0 service.  Therefore, Wikispaces Classroom would be more suited for students in grades 4 and above.