[Foundation-l] Fwd: wikiEducation: The Classroom Wikipedia

[Fred Bauder]

We should do this before some aggressive outfit like Wikinfo jumps in...
It wouldn't be an anyone can edit wiki. Only authorized student accounts
could edit. It would be a teaching tool.

Fred

> Forwarded to the list on behalf of a non-member.
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Jacob Franklin <jake.franklin2 at gmail.com>
> Date: Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 7:39 PM
> Subject: wikiEducation: The Classroom Wikipedia
> To: foundation-l-owner at lists.wikimedia.org
>
>
> Dear WikiMedia,
>     In recent weeks I have been reading about the work of your
> foundation and all of the wikipages you have created. The scope of
> your organization is vast, along with the amount of people who use its
> tools. I believe that this incredible reach gives you a wonderful
> opportunity to positively affect the lives of many people.
>
>     My name is Jake Franklin and I am an educator. I graduated from
> Colby College with a degree in Philosophy in 2008. Since then I have
> been teaching English in Shenyang, China and studying Chinese. Next
> year I am planning to return to the US to go to graduate school for a
> Masters in Educational Policy or International Education. I am
> extremely passionate about improving the educational opportunities,
> tools, and resources for all students. I believe that giving all
> students access to quality education both enriches their educational
> experience and provides them with a strong foundation to build towards
> a better future.
>
>    It is because of this dedication to the enrichment of education
> that I wish to develop a relationship with your foundation. I have an
> idea that I am passionate about and dedicated to and am writing this
> email to introduce it to you.
>
>      The basic idea is to create a version of wikipedia that is
> exclusively written and edited by students. It is called
> wikiEducation. There is one site for each grade level, and teachers
> can sign up their classes to be writers and editors. The site grows
> through students submitting their work as wikiEducation articles,
> which are then edited by other students. By pairing collective
> responsibility and a published presence, wikiEducation gives both
> writers and editors a sense of achievement, a feeling of
> responsibility and a relationship with each other that would be absent
> without this tool. Moreover giving students ownership of the
> information on the site motivates them to develop more intimate and
> long-lasting relationships with the material.
>
>      I think the idea would work best if implemented through the
> Wikimedia Foundation and therefore have come to you first. I think
> that you have the people and experience to build the site in the best
> possible way. I would like to work with you to bring this idea to
> fruition. I don’t have the technical know-how to build a website but I
> do have the desire, drive and experience to bridge the gap between the
> technical aspects of website building and the creation of an effective
> teaching tool. WikiEducation’s success depends on teacher use. I can
> work with the teachers and the builders to create a highly functional
> website that teachers will enjoy using.
>
>        The detailed business plan includes; a more detailed description
> of
> the site, information about the site’s special features, market
> analysis, and potential problems along with suggested solutions.
> Please let me know whom I should send the plan to, and how I can
> continue to play a role in its creation.
>
>        Sincerely,
>        Jake Franklin
>        Email: jake.franklin2 at gmail.com
>        Skype: jakefranklin2
>
>
>
>
> --
> [[User:Ral315]]
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