Agreed.
Two points that come to mind:
* We're all working in distant locations around the globe, and sometimes it's easy to feel like one is isolated or alone in trying to get something going - maybe even get disheartened and give it up. At events such as the Chapters meetings and Wikimania, however, there is a tremendous amount of goodwill and willingness to share and help each other, and an amazing variety of projects going meaning that one doesn't have to start from scratch or "re-invent the wheel", and this list is an opportunity to make sure that such momentum isn't limited to those 5 or 6 days of the year when we do all meet.
* Different people's and countries' circumstances will necessarily be different as we're working with different institutions, bureaucracies, curricula, mindsets, cultures - that's part of the fun of being part of a global enterprise. What works in one part of the world may not work in another, or may work only to some extent before significant "tweaking" is needed. It's a good argument for a decentralised, collaborative approach to these things and I think the more we can achieve this way, the more recognition we'll get as a movement from WMF that we are the best agents of change in our respective parts of the world with regard to their mission so far as it extends to education and educational institutions/projects.
I also like the idea of doing something special and having an informal get-together at Wikimania. :)
kindest regards
Andrew.On 14 April 2011 14:41, Jan-Bart de Vreede <janbart@wikimedia.org> wrote:
Hello Everyone,
Well, it took us four emails on this list in order to reach the moment where someone started being negative in tone.
The reason we started this list was to exchange ideas in a positive atmosphere. There are incredible examples (best practices) on how to use Wikimedia content en projects in an educational setting. We can share these and point out opportunities to one another. One of the people I talked to when discussing this list stated that for him it was important that the tone of the list be positive, but above all: constructive.
Therefore this list is not a place to:
1) Antagonize one another or show a lack of respect to individuals
2) Continue crusades which are already being fought on other platforms (however just they may be)
3) Be close-minded
If people can't abide by these guidelines, please feel free to unsubscribe and "take it elsewhere". If you have suggestions for other guidelines to make this a welcoming place, feel free to mail me.
In support of Frank's suggestion I think it would be great to get together in a larger setting of some kind at wikimania. When looking at
http://wikimania2011.wikimedia.org/wiki/Call_for_Papers (PS: your deadline for adding proposals is the 30th of april)
I see a lot of educational talks. Every year we have more and more of these at Wikimania, and every year we see more cool cases and theory. Can we come up with suggestions for doing something special at Wikimania this year where we can celebrate this and have an informal get together?
Jan-BartOn Apr 14, 2011, at 3:54 AM, Virgilio A. P. Machado wrote:Great idea. It will not be ready for Wikimania in Haifa, this year,
but I just added to my list of case studies: "The crusaders against
education in the Brazilian Wikipedia." Right now it is an unfinished
case because the crusade is still raging at full throttle in the
Brazilian Wikipedia, thanks to... YOU. That's right, YOU. It is all
happening under your very noses, using the resources that the
Wikimedia Foundation makes available to the gang that runs the
Brazilian Wikipedia. A word of warning, also, to all the donors to
the Wikimedia Foundation whose money is unwittingly being used to
support that big sham called Portuguese Wikipedia. Sounds dramatic,
exaggerated, overblown? I wouldn't believe it myself if I were not
there, right on top of the list of those blocked to infinite for
daring, for trying such foolish endeavor. My worst sin, I'm very
sorry to say: being a Portuguese university professor trying to run a
successful higher education project in a Wikipedia dominated by
Brazilian highschoolers. In the mean time, have fun in Haifa, patting
each other on the back for a job well done.
Sincerely,
Virgilio A. P. Machado
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