Thing 9: Play with Wiki's

I've started to figure out how wiki's work, and the intimidation factor is decreasing.  I posted on the Technology Poppers Wiki about how I used easel.ly with my 8th graders the other day.  On a side note, this is a great wiki and particularly relevant/inspiring to me because I've been trying to integrate technology in my classroom for the last year--but I always get hung up on these loooooong projects that eat up so much time and make me feel as if I'm focusing too much on technology and sacrificing other important lessons/activities that aren't necessarily conducive to technology.  For example, last year my 6th grade students spent forever creating online storyboards with Little Bird Tales, and they were cute and all--but in years past, my students created amazing storyboards with good ol' fashioned paper and pens and enjoyed it--and the whole process took a fraction of the time.  My point being: I love discovering quick and easy ways to integrate technology into my classroom, and I will continue to return to the Technology Poppers Wiki to find out more ways to do so.  As for how I could use wiki's in my classroom--I think I could show them to my students as a way for them to communicate on group projects.  From what I gather, they're more of a communication tool, not necessarily something that a student or a group of students would submit for a grade or create as the finished product of a project.  As a communication tool, they're definitely better than email--but I'm still wondering how they are better than Google Docs.  Time/exploration will tell.