Easy Wikis: Jottit

http://jottit.com/

For those of you who really want to create your own blogs or wikis, but need an easy site to help you grow your expertise, I suggest both Blogger (http://blogger.com/) and Jottit (http://jottit.com/), create by Camtasia Studio 4. I tried the Jottit site out yesterday, and would think it easy enough for most beginners to master in a very short time. My sample wiki is at http://wccaelc.jottit.com/, and is just a practice site for me to try new techniques. I've used other wiki sites, such as Wetpaint (http://wetpaint.com/) and until recently, was concerned about the ads (it is free, after all). However, you can now apply as an education site which eliminates most of the ad content, solving that dilemma,
Jottit is a no nonsense site developed for educational uses. It isn't as robust as say the Wetpaint site, but you quickly learn how to adapt to a wiki format. A very useful tool in the edit mode, where you will be creating your content, is in the top right corner, and it is called 'formatting help', This gives you some simple coding tools to create things such as italics or links. You can create as many pages as you like, and you can edit them as you need to. Like most wikis, it also gives you a history of your edits. If you are new to the world of wikis, this is a great starter site. Check out the screencast on Demo Girl if you need more instruction: http://demogirl.com/2007/11/02/build-a-website-on-the-fly-with-jottit/.

Commentary: Sotir: The Problem with Widgets...

The problem I have with Web 2.0 apps like widgets is that I can't stop using them. Widgetbox.com (see next post) has over 1200 education widgets alone. There just isn't enough room for them all on this Blog (or the other dozen or so Blogs that I manage...). If you are asking 'what's a widget?' let me explain. Widgets are cute little html coded mini-websites that you can add to things like Blogs and Wikis, Facebook, My Space...and even your iPhone. They do things like check your English prowess, help you learn English (or Spanish or German or...), keep up on news, sports scores and politics, count calories, get green (or stay green), or learn to be a better parent. You can add a graphing or scientific calculator to your math or science Blog, or check out the solar system in 3D. You can while away the hours with games or access musings on intersections of literature and life. Are you interested in history, or perhaps want to immerse yourself in Jane Austen's world? There are widgets for that. The real problem with widgets is that there are too many that I just can't wait to add to my sites. I could always create more Blogs so that I would have plenty of places to widget my time away, but that only compounds the problem. Be warned...they are quite addictive. And word to the wise: check out the widget for a little while before you add them to your student Blogs. Some content may not be appropriate, and you have no control over the content that appears. Widget on!

Commentary: Sotir: Blogs and Wikis

I've read more than a few articles lately about the 'death' of Blogs and Wikis as communcative tools. New technologies and applications come out literally daily, and it certainly is hard to keep up with them all. I don't see the Blogs and Wikis leaving us anytime soon. Widgets and small apps such as Blogarithm or Site Meter make them easy to use and track. Adding a post is as easy as writing an email. I love to try out new apps...the Babel Fish Translator is interesting, and so are Cluster Maps. You can get feedback using tools like Survey Monkey or Poll Daddy. Most Blogs and Wikis have a defined purpose, and are easier to track updates with RSS feeds.

And as for use...this tiny little academic Blog has been read in over 1000 cities and educational institutions in the U. S., and all 50 states. It's also been read in 92 countries, and over 600 cities around the world. I started out using the Internet before the WWW, using BBS or Bulletin Board System to post pages. Sure, you needed to know things like FTP File Transfer, and it took a while before you got your words uploaded, but the promise of being able to quickly share information across town or around the world was there. It's just easier now. A LOT easier.

Are there more changes on the horizon? Of course, and I can't wait to try them out. I've talked about the iPhone (as have more than a few others), and noted its positives and negatives. Subsequent generations will be better, and easier. Most of the flaws will be corrected. But back when I used BBS, could I have ever imagined the ability to see pages on a 2" by 4" handheld device, without a cord or cable in sight? Could I have imagined podcasting lessons for students that can fit inside a shirt pocket? Could I have imagined Interactive White Boards, LCD projectors, or Portals? The world is spinning more rapidly, but those of us with imagination are holding on tightly. It's worth waiting for, and just as exciting as it is frustrating. I'm ready...are you?