User:Privatemusings/Schools/Info Pack

in development March 2010

enthusiasm waned April 2010

A guide to Wikimedia projects in education

This page is currently more of a sketchpad than an information pack, but will (hopefully!) be worked up in due course to represent some useful materials to help schools' (and teachers' and pupils') understanding of the various wikimedia projects.

Thoughts from 'Privatemusings'

Just some initial thoughts;

• Wikimedia projects are 'uncensored', which in practice means there is unrestricted, and largely unrestrictable, access to explicit media such as rather extreme violence and explicit sexual activity.
• I believe on that basis, the use of wikimedia projects within schools (ie. use by minors, sanctioned or enabled by school equipment etc.) to be problematic, and inappropriate. It is not clear to me that this is resolvable in a way which allows free access to wikimedia projects within the classroom.
• I believe that many stakeholders are unaware of the nature of extreme media currently on wmf projects, and I believe it's behoven on those considering outreach to communicate clearly, openly, and honestly about this issue - which it is reasonable to believe will be seen as important to many (teachers, pupils, parents etc.)

Feedback, thoughts, ideas etc. most welcome :-) Privatemusings 11:16, 25 March 2010 (EST)