Thanks Asaf,

It the moment the only training resources I use is a very short Power Point (about 2 slides but might expand it to 3 although I decided to ditch it at the last workshop) detailing the small size of Xhosa Wikipedia to other Wikipedias and a short list of editing dos and don's.  The first slide is to illustrate how badly Xhosa and other African language Wikipedias need more editors such as the people I am talking to.  Having said that I don't think the Power Point is all that important and at the last workshop I ditched it.  The most important things I need is a computer lab so everyone has a computer and a projector for me to show everyone how to go about editing instead of having to visit everyone individually.

The most important part is just a series of very simple exercises I go through with them.  I start by showing them how to find the Xhosa language Wikipedia easily and we then start the first exercise which is setting up their user profile on Wikipedia.  Once their user profiles are all up and running I just get them to write a few sentences about them selves on their profile.  This is done to show them how easy it is to edit a page on Wikipedia as well as get the registered (although that goes without saying).  I it surprising how many people are afraid to edit Wikipedia because they think it is some how beyond their abilities.  I then get then to edit their now already existing user page and add one more sentence or change a word.  This is done so as to show them that they can go back and edit or update a page/article on Wikipedia when ever and where ever they like.

Once that is done I then get everyone to visit English language Wikipedia in a different browser window so that Xhosa Wikipedia and English Wikipedia can be viewed along side each other at the same time.  They then select a topic of their liking and search for it on Xhosa Wikipedia to see if it has been created yet.  Because Xhosa Wikipedia is so small, only about 125 articles when I first looked at it a few weeks ago, that page almost always does not yet exist.  They then look up the equivalent page on English Wikipedia and translate the first paragraph into the article page on Xhosa Wikipedia.  This can take a while because although these people are professional linguists and Xhosa/English translators they often have to translate some very technical terms.  After that is done and they have previewed the page a couple times before it is published they create a new page on Xhosa Wikipedia.  This is followed by a short exercise in showing them how to add a few links to other relevant articles on Xhosa Wikipedia. The exercise is finished off with a short reminder that they can and are encouraged to go back and edit their newly created pages when ever they like and add more information to it.

Then if we have time I will show them how to add a picture to their newly created page.  People really seem to respond very well when they see their newly created pages with a picture that effectively illustrates the article.  They seem to get a much greater feeling of pride and joy once they see it.

I don't deal with teaching them how to add links to other language equivalent pages or add table because we just don't have the time to do it in one 2 hour workshop.  That's some thing for a follow up workshop.

About the only other resource I use is a lazer pointer for the projector.  Other then that I often bring my laptop with a mobile dongle so people can access the internet and log onto Wikipedia in case there are no computers or only one computer available.  This was the case at UWC a few weeks back.

 I hope that answers your question?

Best,

Douglas.

On 13 February 2012 22:17, Asaf Bartov <abartov@wikimedia.org> wrote:
Hi, Douglas.

This is fantastic news!  Congratulations on pulling this off.  

Did you use any existing training resources (if so, which?), or your own design (if so, is it written up?)

I would also like to remind all reading that the WMF would be happy to support WMZA in outreach activities, with funds, merchandise, advice, guest posts on the Wikimedia Blog, and any other resources we may be able to offer.  

Thanks,

   Asaf


On Mon, Feb 13, 2012 at 10:16 AM, Douglas Scott <douglas.i.scott@gmail.com> wrote:
The workshop is almost entirely about editing.  Well that and increasing awareness of how easy it is to edit and how much new editors are needed on African language Wikipedia.  Looks like we will be having a follow up workshop on the 26th Feb but I will need to confirm that.

Thanks for the good wishes,

Douglas.


On 13 February 2012 17:28, Heather Ford <hfordsa@gmail.com> wrote:

On Feb 13, 2012, at 6:10 AM, David Richfield wrote:

Congrats to you, Ian and everyone!  Looks like great work is going on!

+1 Looking forward to hearing about their progress! Will editing be part of a class?


On Sun, Feb 12, 2012 at 11:43 PM, Douglas Scott
<douglas.i.scott@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello everyone,

Here are some of the previously promised pictures from Saturday's Wikipedia
workshop that I promised to send out.  I think the event went well and I am
looking forward to doing a follow up workshop in about two weeks time.
Many thanks to Ian and Ana for helping out and to Prof Nyamende from UCT's
African languages department for organising the computer labs and inviting
everyone.

Cheers,

--
Douglas Ian Scott
司道格
Skype:  douglas0scott
UK mobile number: +44 (0)755 452 5277
Chinese mobile number: +86  1 364 330 7351
South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727




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--
David Richfield
[[:en:User:Slashme]]
+27718539985

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Heather Ford 
@hfordsa on Twitter




--
Douglas Ian Scott
司道格
Skype:  douglas0scott
UK mobile number: +44 (0)755 452 5277
Chinese mobile number: +86  1 364 330 7351
South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727




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--
    Asaf Bartov
    Wikimedia Foundation




--
Douglas Ian Scott
司道格
Skype:  douglas0scott
UK mobile number: +44 (0)755 452 5277
Chinese mobile number: +86  1 364 330 7351
South African mobile number: +27 (0)79 515 8727