Wikipedia talk:Workshop/Archive. February 25, 2012 Washington DC
Workshop report
[edit]We advertised the workshop through various Wikipedia DC outlets, DC Craigslist, and various personal and yahoogroup lists. We had three veteran editors and three new editors at the workshop. So each new editor had a veteran right next to them. Even the veteran editors learned a few new things as we shared information. We corrected a few faux pas in the written outline also. We managed to get to everything but the last two sections, so it was a success in that way.
What we learned about teaching workshops is:
- Probably helps to advertise to existing groups that also can mobilize their members; start calling people and groups and advertising at least 3 weeks in advance.
- Try to get all new editors to read and even do WP:tutorial just so they are familiar with concepts.
- Move up the first editing exercises even further; once they feel more confident on simple editing they'll be more open to listening to policy considerations.
- Have to stay flexible since some people will have pressing questions that are far down the lesson plan, but answering them at least quickly and promising more later will help them concentrate on the more immediate issues.
- It probably is best to try to get a projector linked into the facilitator's computer so the trainee's can follow the facilitator cursor around from section to section and link to link, lessening the confusion that can come from verbal and even written instructions.
- Try to have participants open multiple tabs, one permanent for the workshop guide, others to be opened to relevant pages, using "copy link location" feature and copying it to another tab.
- Keep on topic, as much fun as it can be to go exploring and tell stories about past Wiki-adventures.
Anything else?? CarolMooreDC 21:39, 27 February 2012 (UTC)