[Yr11 Information Technology] Web 2.0 - How to Setup and Use Wall Wisher for Educational Outcomes

[mppascoe at bigpond.com]

Folks, 

 

Wall Wisher is very easy to use, and a great way to set up a quick and easy
set of weblinks and resources for yourself, or your students, on the net. 

 

Eg. This week at my school we are starting a new unit in Geometry in Y9
Maths, and so I have set up a resources wall for the students here: 

 

http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/geometry9  

 

We also used Wall Wisher at the end of last week for a Post Y9 Exam Group
Discussion in one of my classes: 

 

http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/mathsexam9  

 

(Next I need to figure out how the students can do a little assignment or
two using Wall Wisher). 

 

What is Wall Wisher ? 

 

"Wall Wisher" is a Web 2.0 free online tool where anyone can build a "wall".


Everybody else can then go onto the internet and stick post-it notes
electronically onto the wall, (and include linked Pictures, You Tube videos,
PowerPoints, PDF documents, Excel Spreadsheets, or web page links). It was
originally designed for birthday, anniversary or get well soon etc wishes. A
whole group of people could add their messages for someone; and that person
could then read them on the web. However, Wall Wisher can be used for
educational purposes as well. 

 

If the wall is set to "public", then online visitors can add a comment to
the wall by double clicking on it and typing text in. (Comments are limited
to 160 characters). 

 

If post-its are overlapping on the page, you can move them by grabbing their
title bar with the mouse. Mousing over notes highlights them, and brings the
note forward. You can delete notes in edit mode by clicking the top right
hand "X". 

The owner / creator of the wall can log on, and delete inappropriate
messages, and move the post-it notes to permanent positions, as well as
editing them. 

 

The owner can also change the color scheme at any time, and can also reset
the wall to private, (thereby "locking" or "closing" the wall). The owner
has to be logged into Wall Wisher to do this. 

 

Walls can also be used as a quick "one stop shop" for web links and
resources on a particular subject, and thus not opened for public comment. 

(See later for several weblinks to all sorts of good examples of wall wisher
walls that people have made on the internet). 

 

Personally I love the tool, because it is so quick and easy to use. 

It is a great place to put a whole lot of web items you have found while
researching a topic, either individually, or collaboratively. 

 

However, the big drawback is that young people could set up a wall for the
sole purpose of posting all sorts of horrible messages about someone they do
not like (eg. Cyber Bullying). Also "open" or "public" walls could be
"flamed" and "spammed" with inappropriate and unwanted post-its at any time,
so it is probably best to regularly monitor walls that you have created, and
close any wall down to the public, (by setting it to private), if it starts
getting "grafittied" or attacked.

 

 

Sample Wall Wishers for Teachers 

The following is a good example of Brainstorming: 

http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/slavery 

 

The following one is a History of the UK's involvement in Africa : 

http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/slchistoryscramble  

 

Causes of World War II : 

http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/isthistory 

 

Another one on causes of World War II: 

http://wallwisher.com/wall/matthewj 

 

And yet another one on the very popular World War II: 

http://wallwisher.com/wall/SvqmKEV00p 

 

This is a good example one for English teachers : 

http://wallwisher.com/embed/vocabulary 

 

A resources page of links to material that might be useful for English as
Second Language Teachers: 

http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/teachersweb20

 

So let the teachers in your school know about it, and get into using it
because it is 100% free ! 

 

 

If you would like to view and save a detailed PDF doc I have made for
teachers on how to use Wall Wisher, then click this link: 

 

http://www.passyworld.com/passyPDFs/WallWisher.pdf  

 

Just one slight glitch, the PDF says that Slideshare presentations do not
work in the Wall, well they didn't yesterday, but they do today... very
spooky. 

 

 

Enjoy, 

Paul Pascoe 

ICT / Maths Teacher 

St Francis Xavier College Berwick 

 

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