I found wikis to be very different from blogs. First of all, anyone can contribute on a wiki, and it goes beyond commenting on a post. Wikis are much more useful in a collaborative effort. One example of an assignment I thought of for a wiki is to have students compile a reading list for other students. Not only could a list of novels be created, but reviews and recommendations could be added as well. Blogs are more useful if a student is writing an opinion on a book and wants to get to their post without having to sift through others.
I feel that the biggest problem with a wiki would be students putting inappropriate material on them, and having to constantly be policing it. The only way I can see getting around it would be to make it accessible during school hours only. The only problem with that, is that it is still required for the teacher constantly policing it, and it also takes away from the experience.
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There have to be some policies and penalities in place before students do any type of Web 2.0 activity. Parents would also need to be informed.
The good news about a wiki is that because students have a unique username, it's very easy to apprehend the culprits... they've left their digital fingerprints behind. It's also easy to quickly delete the offensive or inappropriate material. You can also set up your wiki so that you are automatically emailed whenever a page has been edited. I think the concerns you have raised are valid, but manageable.
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