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Happy birthday Wikispaces! An ode to my pencil
Last week Wikispaces turned four!
It feels like I’ve been using this tool forever. In fact, I either created (mostly), or belong to, 188 Wikispaces.
Wikispaces is a pencil.
But it’s not just any pencil. It’s that pencil that really fits your hand. The one that makes your work look pretty. The one you love to share but would hate to lose.
I grab it when I want to create a pathfinder. (See my earlier ode.) Whenever I develop a lesson with a teacher. When I want to create a booklist with links and media. Whenever I gather student video or digital storytelling efforts in one convenient place. Whenever I want to collaborate on an important or not so important project. I can easily pull all my 2.0 pieces into a wikispace. I can add a Glog to make the front page look more inviting.
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Like a pencil, Wikispaces always seems to work. The folks behind it keep sharpening it for me.
Wikispaces is not only a flexible and powerful tool, it is one of the best bargains for K12 education. Back in January 2006, the Wikispaces team removed the ads for any K12 project by creating Wikispaces for Teachers.
. . . we decided to give away 100,000 free Plus wikis for K-12 education. We didn’t set out with a grand strategy, just an interest in helping teachers with our easy to use wiki technology.
In September 2008 we gave away our 100,000th K-12 wiki. We know a good thing when we see it so we’re giving away another 250,000 ad-free, private K-12 Plus wikis! All the features and benefits that normally cost $50/year – for free. No fine print, no usage limits, no advertising, no catches.
Last week the generous folks at Wikispaces reflected in a series of posts and described their plans for further sharpening.
Four years ago, Wikispaces opened its doors for the first time. Our mission was to build the world’s easiest to use wiki. That, along with a dedication to our members, has shaped us since.
In celebration of our birthday this week, we are doing a series of blog posts about where we have been and where we are going. Stay tuned this week to find out more about us and learn about exciting new features arriving on your wiki this week . . .
Monday: Servers
Tuesday: Recap
Wednesday: Site Statistics
Thursday: New Themes
Monday: Editor Redux
Thank you, Wikispaces friends, for giving us all a magical pencil.
Filed under: Uncategorized
About Joyce Valenza
Joyce is an Assistant Professor of Teaching at Rutgers University School of Information and Communication, a technology writer, speaker, blogger and learner. Follow her on Twitter: @joycevalenza
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