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Wikis are a web-based, digital tool that would be a great addition to the drama classroom as they allow students and teachers to share information with each other easily.

They are a great way for students to be creative and collaborate as it allows them to easily accumulate and share resources such as photos, links to videos, and written excerpts such as from play scripts.

Because it is a web-based tool, Wikis are quite accessible to all the students as long as they have an electronic device and access to the Internet.

Wikis / SAMR framework:

·Substitution: Students use the Wiki as a way to read articles, watch videos, see images etc. that their teacher could otherwise show them through Google Classroom, on the projector/whiteboard or by printing them out.

·Augmentation: Students collaborate on group assignments using Wiki pages rather than on paper – this is an improvement as students who are away can easily access the group assignment, and the work is saved digitally so they don’t need to worry about losing handwritten notes etc. Plus, the teacher can check in on their device and easily leave feedback.

·Modification: When working on a play as a class, students can share materials about characters, the setting, the style of theatre etc. to easily show the teacher how well they understand what they are creating, and the Wiki can continually be edited and responded to by their classmates.

·Redefinition: Students have a more collaborative mindset towards the content covered in class as they can easily share resources they find on their own and become excited and active learners, rather than idly looking at the resources their teacher picks out. This will build their confidence and expertise on the topic as they actively collect and share media themselves.

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How fast and easy is it for your employees to collaborate and share knowledge? Whether working in-office or remotely (or a mix of both), working together is vital to problem-solving, generating better outcomes, personal growth and motivation, improved job satisfaction, and less stress. The question is how to make that work efficiently when most teams are separated by distance in some way.

The solution could be a wiki- but what is a wiki? Whether an external or internal wiki, the online tool is a quick and easy way for teams to work together and share information on projects without the limitations of meeting in person.

Wikis offer many of the same benefits of a knowledge base by allowing you to take charge and nurture your organization's collective insight and skill. However, there may be some limitations around wikis, especially when it comes to keeping information accurate and up to date. Here's everything you need to know, including the pros and cons.

What Is a Wiki?

The term 'wiki' originated from the Hawaiian language, referring to something that is 'fast' or 'quick.' The concept behind a wiki database is similar-it helps your staff and business quickly create, add, edit, and share information on a website. This content can come in a variety of formats, including videos, files, links to other news, images, text, audio, etc.

And thanks to its ease of use and open-editing system, wiki web pages are excellent for easy collaboration in your organization. Team members can hop into the tool and start editing anytime they want to. However they want to.

This can be vital in business, particularly because team collaboration is so important to fostering innovation and creativity. According to recent studies, collaboration is cited as 'very important' by 75% of employees, with 86% reporting 'lack of collaboration' as the leading cause of most workplace failures.

Examples of Wikis

Wikis aren't a new concept in the industry. The very first wiki software was developed back in 1994/95 by Ward Cunningham under the name Wiki Wiki Web. According to some academic publications, the inspiration behind the name came from it being "the simplest online database that could possibly work." Every wiki since is a descendant of this software, with some popular examples being:

Wikipedia - a free online encyclopedia that is open for users to add and edit online content. It is currently the largest and most-read wiki in history.

Wikivoyage - as a sister site to Wikipedia, Wikivoyage is another free web-based platform. However, its content is more geared toward global traveling, including destinations, travel updates, itineraries, etc.

WikiHow -for how-to topics and content, users turn to wikiHow. The platform's goal is to encourage worldwide collaboration on every possible topic in a how-to manual.

Wiktionary - the goal here is for every word in every language to be found on Wiktionary with a definition. Since its founding, however, it has gone beyond basic definitions and started including rhyme guides, phrasebooks, a thesaurus, and more.

Wikispecies - whether you have a passion for learning about animals or have made a career in zoology or biology, Wikispecies offers an array of information on classifications and other unique details.

Wikibooks - when you need free annotated and digital texts, Wikibooks is the platform. It's an online collaborative book authoring site that allows anyone to edit and link to a page for resources.

As a side note, although many do, not all wikis have the name in their title. For instance, Fandom is a collection of wikis for entertainment-related content, and Baseball Reference is a wiki for baseball content related to current teams and players, as well as historical stats and scores.

How Can Wikis Benefit Your Business?

Implementing a wiki into your business can offer your employees several benefits, especially as a platform everyone can access in one place and manage the same content. The biggest advantages for your business are the following.
Makes company knowledge accessible and easier to find
Your company's collective knowledge is its biggest strategic advantage. Your company has brought together all the creative and talented minds of its employees, and only you can ensure that those unique insights and knowledge stay with the company. With a wiki, every user can search through your database for information they need to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.
Lowers business costs over time
As productivity increases with quick access to information and innovative ideas are added to your wiki, business costs will begin to decrease over time. This is because fewer employees are wasting time searching for information-which research suggests can account for almost 20% of their workweek -and more employees are sharing better approaches to work.
Allows both in-office and remote employees to access the same resources
In 2022, 26% of employees in the United States report working remotely, with 16% of companies fully remote. Another study reports that 74% of companies have already, or plan to, implement a hybrid work model into their company permanently. To ensure you're embracing the same collaborative and knowledge-sharing environment within the organization, a wiki creates one source for everyone to come together and contribute to, no matter where they are.

Common Use Cases for Wikis

There are many ways businesses and organizations can use wikis. A few examples include:

Blogs and articles

Onboarding materials

Handbooks and manuals

Answers to technical issues and questions

Knowledge-sharing with FAQs, how-tos, etc.

Company news and announcements

Process documents

Disadvantages of Wikis

There are some notable disadvantages of a corporate wiki that are worth keeping in mind as you decide what kind of knowledge management solution is best for your business.
Open to all for editing
While being open for all to edit can create a very innovative and creative space for users to collaborate, it can also cause problems if important information is deleted and/or replaced with incorrect edits. As the saying goes, there are too many cooks in the kitchen. And when too many editors dig into a piece, it can disrupt the flow of content and risk the loss of valuable information. It also threatens the spread of misinformation across teams and departments.
Extensive user rights management
Another advantage of wikis that also happens to be a disadvantage is that there's no real management of users and their content distribution. Anyone can add anything, anywhere. In the workplace, this can get dangerous if you're not extensively managing user rights because erroneous information can be shared. If this happens in a scenario related to customers, for instance, you may see team members approaching a customer problem or question inappropriately and possibly harm your business reputation-or even lose that customer.
Maintaining information authenticity
The authenticity of the information in your wiki is crucial to its success and your company's growth. The whole point of a knowledge base is to accumulate all the knowledge coming into your organization and share it with your employees so they can make improvements and work more efficiently. If that knowledge is not authentic and accurate, it can do the opposite. After all, if the knowledge being shared isn't correct, what's the point of sharing it?

Is a Wiki the Right Choice for Your Business?

Overall, wikis are helpful and even a step in the right direction, but the challenges may outweigh the benefits. How easy it is to lose the collective knowledge you capture makes it more of a risk than a reward.

A knowledge base like Bloomfire is a modern alternative to using wikis that has a better user experience, makes it easier to update content, has moderation tools to make sure information is approved and has better engagement analytics.

This means you can still get the same collaborative space for team members to complete projects and share their knowledge without the risk of information being distorted or misrepresented in your database. It also means you can enjoy all the benefits wikis offer while eliminating the disadvantages that might be keeping you from implementing it into your business. It's the best of both worlds.

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What Is a Wiki? Definition, Examples, and Use Cases

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Learn what a wiki is, how internal and external wikis differ, how you can use them, and if they're right for your business.

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Podcasts are a type of media where a person or a group of people can record audio and share it for an audience to listen to.

If used in the drama classroom students could speak as a character from the play they’re analysing or pretend to be an archetypal character while discussing a style or convention of theatre (such as a reporter or a detective).

Students can even add music and audio to their podcasts to enhance their creative vision. Students can work in groups, pairs or individually to create a podcast in various formats such as an interview, an infomercial, an audio-documentary and anything else they come up with.

Podcasts / SAMR framework:

·Substitution: Teachers play podcasts to students during class time as a way to share information, replacing reading information out loud or providing articles etc. for students read.

·Augmentation: Students record scenes from a play script they are working on in class in groups and share with their classmates, then everyone has an audio copy of the play being acted out verbally (they can add SFX or music to enhance the storytelling also).

·Modification: Students create their own original podcasts on a topic rather than presenting in person. This can benefit students who have trouble with public speaking as they can record in private and edit mistakes from their audio. The class can access each other’s podcasts and give feedback. Students can use SFX and music to enhance the listeners experience also. The podcast could even be an interview between characters in a play to show a deeper understanding for the world of the play and it’s characters.

·Redefinition: Students share their podcasts with the broader community online or access other people’s podcasts and have discussions on drama topics or plays with experts, theatre enthusiasts or other students. They can also access expertise delivered by professionals in audio documentaries or interviews.

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With the number of podcasts out there, you may be starting to think you could create your own. But how much work is really involved in being a master of the mic?

If there's ever been the time to start a podcast, now is it. People are chewing through audio content with insatiable hunger-listening to podcasts on their walks, in the car, at the gym, and just about anywhere else you can take wireless headphones.

The audience is there. And, thanks to modern technology, the host of the next big hit could be you.

Sure, I want to host a podcast. But how to start?
Before you invest in podcast equipment, before you set up a social media page, before you come up with podcast name ideas, there's one money-can't-buy asset you'll need to start your own podcast.
You need to have something to say. Your own unique podcast idea.

Think about the podcasts you listen to and ask yourself: what do you get out of listening to them? You can likely categorise them by what they offer you as the listener.

Chances are, they fall under one of the following categories: entertainment, information or education.

Will the topic you want to talk about entertain, inform, or educate? If so, you may just be onto something.

How podcast stuff works

Once you've got a winning idea, it's time to think about the practical side of things. Essentially, creating a podcast involves planning, recording, uploading and-if you're lucky, monetising. Making money from a podcast, that is.

Planning your topics

A topic or general direction for your podcast is a great place to start. But you'll need to ensure that your idea has legs. Meaning, it'll need to have enough complexity to create episode after episode. After all, podcasts are serial in nature.

Sit down with a notepad and pen-there's no need for audio equipment just yet. Now, map out every topic you can think of that's somewhat related to your initial idea. You might want to set yourself a timer for your brainstorm. Go crazy for five to ten minutes.

How many ideas did you come up with? If you've got at least six, that's enough for a series. Anywhere up to 12 is even better.

For example, you may want to podcast on the body positivity movement. Your episodes could span such ideas as intuitive eating, how to practice self-care, the diet industry through the ages, and so on. Each episode covers one individual idea. This set of subtopics creates a podcast season.

Need inspiration? Look up what people are asking about your topic on Reddit, Quora or social media, ask ChatGPT for some thought-starters, or browse the questions people also ask on Google.

Recording episodes

Now that you have your plan for success in motion, you can confidently purchase podcast equipment knowing that you'll get some good use out of it. But what do you need to create a podcast?

Essential podcast equipment

A laptop or computer
The standard laptop you work or study on will likely suffice. Just make sure you can use it in a quiet space.
A microphone
Unfortunately, the inbuilt microphone on your existing computer won't cut it. You need a mic that will create crisp, clean audio. The good news is, there are plenty of affordable mics on the market.
Headphones
You'll want a good pair of headphones that allow you to listen to recorded audio with ultimate clarity.
Audio editing software
The right program will let you upload your audio files and chop them up so they sound even better than when you said it. There are a number of options to choose from, including Adobe Audition and Audacity.
Monetising your hard work

Even if you plan to get into the podcast game for the enjoyment of it, you might as well see whether you can make a pretty penny from the hours you spend recording.

"Wait, I can make money from people listening to me rattle on?"

Well, first things first, you won't be rattling on (that's where your topic planning comes in!). Secondly, yes, you can.

Podcasters make money in a variety of ways-from running paid commercials on their programs, to encouraging listeners to subscribe for a monthly fee using platforms such as Patreon.

Another avenue to consider is creating and selling merchandise featuring your podcast name or logo for listeners to wear, such as t-shirts and hoodies through sites like Redbubble.

It's worth noting though, that while you establish your podcast, it might be best to offer your program for free. Introducing advertising or a payment system down the line allows you to establish an audience first.

How many podcast listeners do I need to make money?

This depends on which of the above avenues you use to monetise your podcast. According to podcast hosting platform Castos, you probably won't start to see much money until you get at least 1,000 downloads per episode.

In the early days, you may not see anything coming in from your podcast. And that's okay. Building an audience is a long-term game. And for many, hosting a podcast is enjoyable above all else.

Depending on the topic you choose to discuss, podcasting also offers you the chance to network, meet new professionals, promote yourself and further your career. Some of the value you experience won't be monetary.

Podcast training courses

If you've read this far, chances are you're serious about making your own podcast. So why not invest in a podcast training course?

Podcast training courses are online programs that allow you to learn from the best of the best-taking you through everything you need to know, from coming up with a podcast idea through to uploading your podcast and making money from your newfound hobby.

The Podschool is a great place to start for podcast courses and it's run by Australian media superstar Rachel Corbett. You may have seen her on The Project, along with other news and radio shows.

If you want to gain the ultimate podcaster skillset, you can study a digital media course online through Open Universities Australia. You'll cover topics like audio writing, journalism, interviewing, entrepreneurship and social media. Everything a good podcaster needs in their arsenal!

Book a consultation

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So, you want to host a podcast. But how to start? And how many podcast listeners do you need to make money, anyway? Keep reading to find out.

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Kahoot allows teachers and students to create and take part in quizzes to help them revise content.

This tool is a great way for teachers to check for student understanding and for students to engage in their learning because there is a competitive aspect to the quizzes that keeps them motivated.

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Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

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Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

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Like PowerPoint, Prezi offers a way for teachers and students to create presentations. However, Prezi is more elevated than PowerPoint and allows users to create really dynamic presentations and can show how ideas flow and connect.

Using Prezi as a teacher could be more engaging than standard PowerPoint slides, and encouraging students to try it out as a way to present assessment could make them more excited to create slide presentations.

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For March's app review we would like to introduce a presentation and storytelling software called Prezi.

What is Prezi?

Prezi is a cloud-based service for presenting ideas from a virtual canvas. Cloud-based means that it lives on a server on the internet rather than on your computer.

Prezi allows individuals or groups to work online to create 'Prezis' using a mix of text, graphic and multimedia content 'framed' onto to a scalable 3D canvas.

The interface includes a zoom function which allows users to navigate through frames on the canvas which display using a variation of angles and levels of magnification.

See the following 'What is Prezi?' presentation to view an example of Prezi and learn more about how it works.

Is it free?

If you have an email address at an educational institution, for example yourname@sussex.ac.uk then you can upgrade to a second level ' Edu Enjoy ' account for free.

This will allow access to premium support services, 500mb of cloud storage space, the option to replace the Prezi logo with your own and to make your presentations private.

Will it work on my device?

As Prezi is a cloud-based service it will work online from any computer or mobile device using a modern web-browser. A mobile app version which works both online and offline is also available for Android, iPhone and iPad.

Presentations can be displayed onto a big screen by pairing your Android device with Chromecast or Apple device with Apple TV. You can also present remotely from your device to a presentation computer or a combination of 30 devices and computers at a time, as well as presenting in the normal way through your web browser.

Ideas for using Prezi in learning and teaching

Tutors and students can use it as a presentation tool to help visually explain theories and ideas with an abstract or concrete spatial relationship - for example, timelines, storyboards, mind-maps, data visualisation or geographic maps.

You could also use it in the classroom with your students or classmates to create a mind-map or storyboard.

Students could collaborate online in group activities to produce artefacts.

What are the alternatives?

Microsoft's Powerpoint and Apple's KeyNote are two of the most widely used and established bits of software for presentations. Here are a few more alternatives:

Conclusion

Prezi's approach to presenting content on a scalable canvas makes it an ideal tool for mind-mapping, visualising stories and ideas, however it can take time to learn to use efficiently and design Prezi's effectively.

If you would like help with using Prezi or to discuss how this or any other app could help you in your teaching or learning please get in touch with the TEL team. We run regular workshops too.

Prezi Inc. [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Tagged with: Prezi
Posted in App review

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Introducing Prezi: a virtual canvas for presenting ideas. - Educational Enhancement

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For March's app review we would like to introduce a presentation and storytelling software called Prezi. What is Prezi? Prezi is a cloud-based service for presenting ideas from a virtual canvas. Cloud-based means that it lives on a server on...Read more ›

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I've used Vivi at a previous school placement as that it what the other teachers used, and it was a really easy way to project what was on the teacher's laptop onto the whiteboard so students could see.

Beyond using it as a projector, Vivi also makes it very easy to include videos and other media as the teacher can add the links before class and click them when ready, rather than searching through tabs and waiting for media to load; This really streamlines the lesson.

Also, teachers are able to add visual timers, which is helpful to them and to students to help time manage activities. It is also easy to pause and play the projection so teachers can freeze the screen on what the students need while the teacher continues to use their device.

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Padlet works similar to Pinterest as students and teachers can create moodboards very easily with it. But Padlet also allows users to add text like a mini blog post, and other users can add comments.

Teachers can use them to present information, or even have students add to their own Padlet about a subject to curate their findings and ideas.

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SketchUp is a tool for users to create 3D models of buildings, rooms or anything they can think of. There is a free version available for schools with G Suite for Education.

Students can use this program in Drama to recreate the performance space digitally and use this to help them plan staging for their performing and directing pieces (stage, props, set pieces, actors, audience, lighting, etc.)

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Getting Started with SketchUp for Schools | SketchUp Help

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Ready to start creating, editing, and viewing models in SketchUp for Schools? This article explains what you need to start the browser-based SketchUp for Schools app, including instructions for first time access. You also find web-browser and device-support details, as well as a quick tour of the Sk…

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Blogger is an online tool students and teachers cna use to create and share blogs. It's a great tool for students to reflect on their own findings and work where teachers can access and give feedback by commenting. Students can also read and comment on the blogs of others.

Digital Safety: Students must be made aware not to share personal information or photographs etc. on their blog, especially if it is available to the public.

(Accounts can be made easily with a Google account)

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Blogger.com - Create a unique and beautiful blog easily.

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Publish your passions your way. Whether you'd like to share your knowledge, experiences or the latest news, create a unique and beautiful blog.

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YouTube can give access to recordings of theatre performances that students may never see otherwise. YouTube can also provide drama video resources such as videos explaining dramatic concepts and the characters/storylines of plays.

Digital Safety - As anyone can upload to YouTube, teachers and students must be aware of the possibility of coming across inappropriate and upsetting content/comments. There are privacy settings to limit comments and who can view certain videos, and there is also a child friendly version, but that also limits the possibly great content students and teachers can access. A good way to approach using this site is for teachers to screen content before they share it to the class.

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.