1. Created By: Catherine Janson, Lyndsy Martin, Kelsey Lindauer, Jessica Young, Ashley Chin, Allison Korb, and Eric Lovell

2.  MediaWiki is a free downloadable software package that was first intended for use by Wikipedia. The primary language is English, but it is available in many other languages. MediaWiki Homepage

3.  As Wikipedia began to grow contributors implemented different phases of Wikipedia. As Phases I and II proved difficult to maneuver through the sites, Lee Daniel Crocker rewrote the Wikipedia software.  Shortly after Crocker's revamp, Brion Vibber took the position of lead developer and release manager.  The made final adjustments were made in April 2003 and the software was moved into the CVS module where it currently remains. Lee Daniel Crocker Brion Vibber

4.  The name, MediaWiki, was first coined in 2003 by Daniel Mayer, Wikipedia contributor.  The logo for MediaWiki was created by Erik Moeller.

5.  Today, the MediaWiki software is managed by a large group of about 85developers).  Among the Wikimedia projects which all use MediaWiki software, there are over740 different wikis including over 17.5 million articles with over 16 million users.  This does not include the countless other projects that use MediaWiki software- Just the Wikimedia portion.

6.  It is easy to get started on MediaWiki. Simply go to MediaWiki Homepage and select Download. Follow the quick and easy steps to open create an account and then you can begin developing your wiki.  Help videos and tutorials are available, and you can also contact support staff at MediaWiki if you have any troubles.tutorials

7.  MediaWiki is a powerful tool to incorporate into the classroom. Before students jump into creating their own wiki it is imperative that they understand the ethical responsibilities involved when posting information on the Internet. For this reason, the lesson plans provided focus on the high school level and beyond.  Exploring existing wikis like Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikispecies, and Wikiquote could be a beneficial way to introduce younger students what a wiki is.

8.  Your students' familiarity with wikis and the Internet will determine the extent to which you will need to introduce them to the software.  The following lesson plan can be adapted to reiterate the importance of copyright and ethics before students begin posting information on the Internet.

9. Objective: Using www.wikimmunity.org, powered by MediaWiki, students will be able to post information about businesses and unique attractions in their local city/town while, in the process, learning to value the importance of personal responsibility and ethics when publishing information on the Internet. Audience: Students preparing to use the Internet for publishing purposes. Plan: Introduce the students to the Wikimmunity website and explain its value to the common public. Next, instruct each student to research their favorite local restaurant, hang out spot, or other attraction unique to their city. After researching their specific location, students will create a wiki page about their attraction including: historical information, a description, contact information, and graphics (picture or map). During the research process, be sure to reiterate the importance that they find valid and current information, as this website serves to inform the public of what exists in their city/town. Evaluation: At the conclusion of the project hold a debriefing in which the class can discuss the ethics of the Internet and what they gained from the project regarding information publishing on the Internet.

10.  English ◦ Wiki Creative Writing ◦ Documentary/Class Discussions  History ◦ Cross-Cultural Investigation of World War II  Science : ◦ Comparing Lab Data  Math : ◦ Use wikis as review tools

11. MediaWiki can be utilized to enhance many projects at the Post-Secondary level: ◦ Group projects can be completed easier because group members do not necessarily have to meet together to work on the project; instead, members can contribute by posting to the group's page. ◦ Wikis make joint lab reports for science classes easier to compile. ◦ Foreign language students can have discussions with individuals fluent in the language they are studying and learn more about language and culture. ◦ MediaWiki does not need to be the center of a project, but can be used to significantly enhance a project assigned in any discipline of education.

12.  MediaWiki is web-based software. This fact alone means that people all over the world can use MediaWiki if they have internet access.  While MediaWiki is available to people across the planet, some applications of MediaWiki have taken extra steps to be applicable in non-English speaking countries. Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia and the most well-known application of MediaWiki, is available in 23 languages.

13. As more people continue to learn about and use MediaWiki, its possibilities will become nearly infinite. We hope this short presentation has taught you what you need to do get started and inspired you to incorporate MediaWiki into your classrooms!