Understanding wikis and ethical responsible posting of information online.
Grade Level(s): 9-12
By: John Pawkowski

Students use online wiki to enter information about businesses or local attractions. Topics: Wikis, Business, Ethics, Copyright, Internet Responsibility.

Objectives:

The student will be able to enter information about businesses or local attractions and to understand the importance of ethics and personal responsibility when posting information on the Internet.

Materials:

Computer, Internet connection.

Plan:

Wiki's are web sites that allow anyone to collectively contribute content to a web site. Web sites like wikimmunity.org allow users to enter info related to various topics by creating an article or adding to a previously created article. Pages can be enhanced by uploading pictures of the attraction or business. Accuracy of information as well as not using copyrighted material without permission are important points to remember.

Anticipatory Set:

Have students log onto web site, www.wikimmunity.org

Modeling:

Show students home page on wikimmunity.org and explain the purpose of the web site, whose goal is to build an informational database on every community in the world that includes information about local attractions and local businesses.

Also show students how to create a page on a topic, by simply replacing the text on the home page, "Main_Page" with "Whatever_the_topic_is"

Guided Practice:

Write a few sentences describing the topic you have chosen to create a page about.

Check for understanding:

Ask students to view your newly created page on their computers and ask if there are any questions as to how you created the page.

Independent Practice:

Have students pick 5 attractions or businesses anywhere in the country or around the world that they are familiar with either from memory or by looking though the yellow pages directory (online or print). Have them create a page and write a short article about each business or attraction.

Closure:

Ask for volunteers to review several of the pages created and have the class go to the same pages to review page setup. Explain the importance of being ethical and responsbile when posting information on the internet.