FAQ
From LiteracyTentWiki
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Wiki?
Wiki-wiki is a Hawaiian word that means very very quickly. Wiki alone means quick. A wiki is a web page where anyone (or in this case, anyone who registers) can add or change text. Wikis are used for a variety of purposes where people come together to think and write and add to knowledge. The best known wiki application is a worldwide encyclopedia called the Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/
What is the Adult Literacy Education Wiki?
This wiki was created in November, 2004 for practitioners, researchers and learners to pose and answer important questions in adult literacy education practice. We hope it will help teachers, tutors, administrators and other practitioners to easily find professional wisdom and research regarding specific practice questions. We also hope researchers will share and discuss their findings here and learn about key questions, experience and knowledge from the field. Adult literacy education as we use the term, includes basic reading and writing for adults, adult basic education, adult secondary education and English language learning. Discussions here are organized around questions from practitioners or researchers. These are listed in topic areas. In some topic areas, in addition to discussion, you will find a summary, glossary (definitions of terms), and a list of further resources. These resources are often links to research.
Some of the discussions have begun on adult literacy-related electronic lists (listservs) with those messages re-posted here. Sometimes participants add to or refine these posts later. Most discussion areas have a leader. For a list of these go to WhosHere
The Adult Literacy Education(ALE) Wiki is a free, online environment for practitioners, researchers, adult learners and others who are interested in the connections between research, professional knowledge, and practice in adult basic education, adult secondary education, and English language learning. Like other wikis*, this is a text environment where one can read what others have written, but also easily contribute one's own knowledge, opinions, findings, and observations. The ALE Wiki includes discussions and resources on a number of topics ranging from adult basic literacy, to assessment, workforce and workplace education, and public policy. In the topic areas are selected discussions which have taken place on electronic lists, summaries of these discussions, links to relevant research, research citations, bibliographies, glossaries of terms, and other resources.
The ALE Wiki is a complement to electronic discussion lists, a handy electronic reference shelf of definitions, research findings, theory, and other resources for selected discussion topics which take place on adult literacy electronic lists. Because a wiki is an easily edited document environent, current or past electronic list discussions can be copied to it, continued at any time, and referenced (and linked) in future electronic list discussions. It is also an environment where researchers can describe their completed and ongoing work, see how practitioners are reacting to or using their research, and see what questions and issues practitioners and adult learner leaders think are important to study.
By design, a wiki is a participatory environment. Practitioners, researchers, learners and others are invited to voluntarily add to and improve the ALE Wiki.
To visit the Adult Literacy Education Wiki Main page, go to: http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Main_Page
To set up a log-in account, in order to add to the ALE Wiki, go to: http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Special:Userlogin
- wiki wiki is a Hawaiian word meaning "very very quickly" - wiki alone means "quick."
What can I do here?
Even without registering, you can read everything on the Adult Literacy Education Wiki, so look around. Find a topic area or a question which interests you.
- If there is one, read a summary of the discussion.
- Read any research briefs which may be listed.
- Find definitions of specialized words related to your area of interest.
- Read, and contribute to, the discussion.
- Find and add new resources.
- Add a new topic area or question.
If you want to add something or change what you have written, you will need to register. It’s free and easy to do. To register go to http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Special:Userlogin
Perhaps, for example, you want to add a new research or practice question. To do so, add it to the bottom of the ALE Main page at http://wiki.literacytent.org
Or perhaps you want to comment on something someone has written. If so, here are two ways to do that:
- Go to the bottom of the page, and after adding a horizontal bar separating what you write from what has already been written, add your post. End it with your name, date, (if you wish) your email address, and a horizontal bar. To learn how to do this go to AleDirections.
- Perhaps you want to add a comment about something particular which has been written, and you want to do that within the existing posting. You can do this by entering your text, indented and in italics, in the existing message. Be sure to end your addition with your name and the date, and (if you wish) your email address. Check to be sure that your text is in italics, signed and dated. If you are responding to text which is already in italics, please make your newly added text bold and italicized. This is to be sure your text is easily seen as new, and by a different writer. Otherwise readers may be confused. To learn how to make text bold and italicized go to AleDirections.
After you get the feel of the wiki, you might like to be a leader in a new Adult Literacy Education Wiki area. If so, e-mail djrosen1&comcast.net (substitute @ for & leaving no spaces.) Describe yourself -- your interest and your role(s) in adult literacy education -- and explain what you would like to do on the ALE Wiki.
How do I add my own ideas, experience, resources, research?
Go to AleDirections
What are the rules about copying material into the ALE Wiki?
Go to ALEcopying
Who sponsors this? Who developed it?
The Literacy Tent hosts the ALE Wiki as a public service primarily to the adult literacy education community in North America. It was created by David J. Rosen, an adult literacy practitioner, advocate and researcher. http://home.comcast.net/~djrosen/resume.html . It has been developed by many people, including those who have chosen to list themselves at WhosHere. It is supported by the New Jersey Association for Adult and Lifelong Learning (NJALL). The opinions and information here are not reviewed or endorsed by NJALL. They are, however, read and reviewed by ALE Wiki Topic leaders.
What is the ALE Wiki netiquette?
Netiquette is a term used in online discussions to refer to the rules or guidelines of conversation in that discussion. In this case ALE Wiki netiquette refers to expectations of those who post or change text here. This is an evolving set of mutual expectations, but here are a few to get started:
- Write plainly. When you use a technical or special term, define it. Avoid acronyms and abbreviations, or be sure, in the first instance, to write out the words they stand. For example: Adult Basic Education (ABE) or certificate of General Education Development (GED). Another option is to link the term to a definition in the discussion area glossary page.
- Indicate the source of your knowledge: your own experience as a practitioner or learner, or specific research. (Provide a citation, ideally to a full, online document, summary or brief.)
- Use courteous language. If you disagree, do so politely. Disagree with the content and avoid disparaging the writer or others. Avoid irony or sarcasm.
- Keep the focus: adult literacy education discussion and resources which add to knowledge from professional wisdom, direct experience and research.
Please note that (because someone has to) the ALE Wiki founder, David J. Rosen, has the authority to remove text, or in extreme cases to unregister someone, when in his view what is written violates the posted rules of ALE Wiki netiquette, generally recognized expectations of civil dialogue, or the law.
How do I find out what's new or what's been changed recently?
There are several ways:
- Select AleNews
- Select Special:Recentchanges under navigation from the left sidebar menu
- If you have registered, select the watch tab at the top of any page you want to track; then each time you log in, select the my watchlist tab (from any page) to see recent changes on pages you are watching.
I forgot my password. What do I do now?
Go to the log in page and select mail me a new password. Within seconds you will be e-mailed a new password. Log on with that. Then go to Special pages, then Preferences. Choose a new password (that you will be sure to remember.)
How do you know if the information is correct?
Anyone can edit any article, so it is possible for wrong, biased or out of date information to be posted. However, because other people, at least the Area Discussion Leaders, read and monitor everything that is written here, using the Recent Changes page and watch tabs, incorrect information is usually corrected quickly. You are encouraged to help by correcting text when you see errors, and passing on your own knowledge.
For a lengthy discussion on this question in the wiki environemnt, See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Replies_to_common_objections
What is a User Page?
Everyone who registers on the ALE Wiki automatically gets one. It's a blank page where you can put information about yourself, and where people here can send you comments and replies.
Three ways to find your User page
First Way
At the top right, your ID may appear with a little person icon - select your ID, and you'll be at your User page.
Second Way
- Select "Special pages" the last choice under "Toolbox" on the left-hand sidebar of any wiki page.
- Select "User list," the 7th item down
- Select "View [500] "
- Select your sign-in ID -- and voila! Your User page!
Third Way
Go to: http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/User:yourusername
But first change "yourusername" to whatever your ALE Wiki user name is. If you don't know what it is, try the first way.
If you add a paragraph describing yourself on your User page, please also add it to the WhosHere page.
How do I find out who else comes here?
Go to WhosHere . While you are there, add a paragraph describing yourself. You might also want to add the same paragraph to your user page. To find your user page go to Special:Listusers
How do I restore a page if someone has accidentally messed it up, or vandalized it?
For a quick, easy set of steps to restore wiki pages, go to to http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Reverting
What is an ALE Wiki Area Leader? What does this person do?
Go to AleAreaLeader
Add your own question right here, and someone will try to answer it. To learn how, go to AleDirections.
I want to add a new Topic Area. How do I do that
Go to AleNewTopic
How do I archive a discussion on the ALE Wiki that was held on a discussion list (that has an archive that is not as reader-friendly as it would be on a wiki)?
Go to Archiving Discussions
I want to make an email address into a hotlink. How to I do that?
Put the email address in single brackets, preceded by 'mailto'. e.g.
[mailto:somebody@gmail.com]
In the Wiki it will look like this: mailto:somebody@gmail.com and when one clicks on the hotlink it will open an email window addressed to "somebody@gmail.com"
