SherryComp1 wiki 1

Using the COMP 1 wiki

Step1:
Joining the wiki
If you type http://comp13a.wikispaces.com into the URL of your internet browser, you should arrive at a page that looks something like this. The first step is to JOIN our COMP1 wiki! Do this by clicking create an account or by clicking join at the top left (if youve already joined, move on to step 2). Dont worry: joining is free and requires only an email address.

Welcome to the main page of our COMP1 wiki! Here you can find general information about the course, including links to the home page agenda with each days activities and homework assignments. On the side is a navigation bar that allows you to quickly link to important pages of the wiki. Click Personal pages, find your name, and click on the link. Then click Edit. (Note: Some of the pictures that follow dont depict our wiki, but the general process is the same).

SherryComp1 wiki 2

Step 2:
Creating a link

Below is what you should see on the new page youve created. At the top of the page is an editing bar, with lots of buttons that should remind you of Microsoft Word, or other word processing programs. This bar is always there while you are editing a page. Below it, you should see some text highlighted. Type in back to personal pages.

Highlight the word back, and then click on the link button that looks like a chain link.

comp13a

In the dialog box that pops up, you have some options for linking text on this page to other pages on the wiki (just like on other webpages youve used). To link to a page on our wiki, click Choose an existing page (its in blue, just below page name).

When you clicked Choose an existing page a little arrow appeared next to the page name box. If you click on this arrow, you should see a dropdown menu with the names of pages on our wiki. Choose Personal pages. Now click OK. The word back on your page should now appear in blue, as a link, but you wont be able to use it till youve saved your page. Click save to do that now.

comp13a

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Step 3:
Inserting a file

This step will come in handy throughout the semester, as you upload drafts of your assignments or put things on the wiki for us to look at together. For now, well practice this step by inserting an image onto your personal page. Find a picture of yourself (Facebook? Or take a quick cellphone pic?) that will help me know you better as a student/teacher. Save it to your computer desktop for uploading.

On the wiki editing bar, click the button marked File. This opens a dialog box for uploading files.

Click the Upload files button to find a file on your computer youd like to upload to the wiki. In this case, browse to the desktop and find the image file you chose. Then click upload. You should see the image appear among the other files.

Double-clicking the file in the bank above inserts it into your wiki page. It should appear like the example to the right. Below the image, type something about yourself as a student: What helps you learn? What do you like/hate doing in the classroom? How about outside it? What would you want to know about your colleagues?

Your page now looks something like this. Click the Save button on the editing bar. If you want to change something later, you can always click Edit this page at the top of any page on our wiki.

SherryComp1 wiki 4

Step 4:
Making a discussion post

When you look at the top of the page youve just saved, you should see a tab with the icon . Find this tab on the top of someone elses personal page (Use the personal pages link on the navigation bar to find someones page). To begin making a discussion post, click this tab. If youve ever posted to BOLT at Bloom, or posted to a blog online, the discussion post for our wiki should look very similar: type a response to that persons page into the big box and click post.

Step 5:

Creating a new page

This step will come in handy each time you complete a homework assignment and link it to your personal page. In your personal page, type LastnameComp1Quest (so mine would be SherryComp1Quest). Name all pages and files you create with your name to avoid overwriting someone elses work! (if you named your page or file Comp1Quest and someone else did the same, your work would be replaced by theirs.)

Select the text you just typed and click Link. Then click Save. Youve just created a link to a page that doesnt exist yet. Click on that link, go to your new page, and copy/paste the answers to the Questionnaire I gave you.

Congratulations! By joining the wiki, adding a link, inserting a file, making a discussion post, and creating a new page, youve earned the title of wiki master for today!