Sylvia -- Continue the story

Wiki: Sylvia

Wow, I could not believe all the wikis available! I knew about Wikipedia, but did not realize there were so many others. Being a practical type person, I began to wonder if there were wikis for kids that I could utilize in my classroom. Children’s wikis are little harder to come by, and, as I am learning, other countries are tapping into the newer technologies for children. Thus, I came across three well-known wikis that are written in foreign languages – therefore, not usable in my classroom. At last, I discovered a wiki that allows children to add to a story. It is called “Sylvia” and it is a “choose your own path” story. Children contribute to the story based on certain instructions provided that helps them write the story collaboratively with others. I really appreciate the “choose your own path” feature of this wiki as I can envision students enjoying the creative process of story writing. Further, I like the fictional aspect of this wiki for young children who tend to lack the “expertise” needed for non-fiction wikis like encyclopedias. (While young students could participate in non-fiction writing, I can envision them being hesitate to do so. Fictional story writing is often a natural skill for many young students.) The one concern I had about this particular site is that I did not see any posts or edits. I am not sure if you would have to “join” the site in order to see what others have written, or if the site is just not being utilized. I did test out editing without joining and no problems.
Wiki: Sylvia
Teacher: Sally Tippett (creator)
School: Staffordshire LEA (UK)

By the way, I found this wiki link at Educational Wikis
There are several other wikis that you may be interested in looking at.