Set+Up+Your+Wiki

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Introduction

 * Video:** [|Wikis in Plain English]


 * Wiki "Farms"** (providers)
 * [|Wikispaces] (my favorite)
 * [|PBWiki]
 * [|Wetpaint]

All services offered are similar; comparison shop to see which one suits you best. Go to [|WikiMatrix.org] for a detailed point-by-point comparison of these and many other wiki services.

Getting Started
Wikispaces offers 100% advertisement-free wikis for educators. To get yours, [|go here] and input the following:
 * Your **username**
 * Your desired account **password**
 * Your **email address**
 * Select **Yes** for **"Make a Space?"**
 * Your desired space name ("___.wikispaces.com") - make it something **easy to remember** (e.g., MrSmith.wikispaces.com; APEuro.wikispaces.com)
 * Choose **space visibility**
 * Choose **PUBLIC** if you want your page viewable and editable by the world
 * Choose **PROTECTED** if you want your page viewable by the world, but only editable by authorized users (e.g., you and/or your students)
 * Choose **PRIVATE** if you only want authorized users to view & edit your page
 * Check the box indicating that you will use this wiki for educational purposes (if you want one for personal use, you either need to pay or see ads)

Your New Space
The default "theme" (layout) is a left-side menu with a grey background. **You can always return to the main page by clicking the blue space name in the far upper left corner of the page.** You can change how your wiki looks in a few different ways:

Changing the Theme

 * Click **Manage Space** in the upper left corner
 * Under **Space Settings**, click **Look and Feel**
 * Under **Theme**, select **Change or make a new theme**
 * Click **Preview** under each of the four pre-made themes to see how your site will look. Once you find one you like, click **Use Theme**

Changing the Background Color

 * Click **Manage Space** in the upper left corner
 * Under **Space Settings**, click **Look and Feel**
 * Under **Colors**, select **pick color** under the part of your space you'd like to change
 * A color wheel will appear - select the color you'd like and click **Save**

Adding Links to the Side Menu

 * Click **edit navigation** at the bottom of the side menu
 * Enter the text for the links you will create. Hit Enter after each word or phrase to create a vertical menu.
 * Make text link to sites:
 * Highlight the word or phrase to link
 * Click the gloIbe and chain link icon in the toolbar. A new window will pop up (make sure your web browser allows popups from Wikispaces.com).
 * The new window will have 3 sections
 * **Link Text:** This is the text that will act as a link. It should be what you just highlighted; correct it if it's not.
 * **Wiki Link:** Select this option if you wish to link to or create a new page **on your space.** Either select a pre-existing page from the drop-down menu, **OR** select "New Page" from the menu and type the name of your new page in the box below.
 * **External Link:** Select this option if you wish to link to a page **outside of your space** (e.g., CNN.com). You can also use this option to create a "send email" link. To do this, select "mailto:" from the drop-down menu, then put your email address in the box.
 * Click **OK** on the right if everything looks good; **Cancel** if you change your mind.
 * After you've created all your links, select **Save** from the editor. Your new menu will appear in the sidebar.
 * Links will remain a dark red color until you go to the new page and input text.

Editing Pages

 * Click **Edit this Page** on any page to create or edit text
 * The left side of the editor toolbar works just like Microsoft Word - Bold, Italic, Underline, bulletpoints, etc. You cannot change font size, but you can make section headings different sizes and add lines to separate sections.
 * The green tree icon allows you to insert a picture or file (see instructions below)
 * The TV screen icon allows you to embed video, polls, spreadsheets, and other multimedia "widgets"
 * ALWAYS REMEMBER TO HIT **SAVE** before leaving the editor; otherwise, you will lose all your work

Uploading Files (Documents & Pictures)

 * **Manage Space**
 * Under **Space Contents**, choose **List and Upload Files**
 * At the File Selection box, select **Browse...** and navigate to the file you want to upload
 * Choose your file, select **Open** in the popup dialog box, and press **Send** on the Wikispaces page

Displaying Picture/Offering Files for Download

 * From the Page Editor, select the green tree icon
 * The **Insert File** window will pop up.
 * Doubleclick the file you want to insert in the page
 * If it is a text document (Word, Excel, .pdf, etc.), the filename will appear in double brackets - "example.doc"
 * If it is a picture, you will be prompted to align it left, right, or center, and you will be able to add a caption

Inviting Students/Teachers to Edit Your Space
If your space is Protected or Private, you will need to authorize new users. This can be done two different ways.
 * **Individual Invitations**
 * **Manage Space**
 * **Space Settings -> Members and Permissions**
 * **Invite a New Member:** Type the person's email address in the box. They will be sent an invitation to join your space and be given editing privileges (they will also have to create a Wikispaces account if they don't have one already)
 * **Batch Invitations**
 * To invite a large group of people (e.g., department members, class members), send an email to [|help@wikispaces.com] with a list of usernames, email addresses (if you have them), and passwords. There's more detailed information on this process here.