Education/News/January 2022/Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom ToT Experience of a Filipina Wikimedian
Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom ToT Experience of a Filipina Wikimedian
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Joyce during the Philippine Climate Change Translate-a-thon -
The Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom synchronous session -
Joyce receiving a copy of Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom Modules
Wikimedia Education opened its call for application for the 2021 cohort of training of trainers for Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom last August 2021. From all the applications received, 24 individuals were selected and one of them is a Filipina Wikimedian, Joyce De Guzman. She has been actively participating in local events and campaigns the Wiki Advocates Philippines conducted in the past. In this brief interview, the newly certified trainer will be sharing about her struggles, excitements, and aspirations throughout the training and the Wiki projects in general.
Anthony: Tell us a little background about yourself, especially your experience in the education sector.
Joyce: I am a public secondary school teacher in English and I have been teaching high school students for more than 15 years now. As a teacher in the public school, I have always seen the need for my students to have reference materials that they can use both at home and in school. Besides this, I have also seen that they still have a long way to go when it comes to having that “culture of reading” which I think is lacking among many students whom I teach.
Anthony: Before immersing yourself in the local community of Wikimedians in the Philippines, what were your thoughts about the wiki projects (esp. Wikipedia)? What has changed after the meet-ups and training?
Joyce: More than five years ago, I had attended a training on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in education, and one of the speakers told us that it is not a good idea to let students use Wikipedia as a reference material because almost anyone can edit the information in it. As a result, I also reminded my students, especially those undertaking their research, not to refer to Wikipedia because of the reason stated above. When I got immersed in the local community of Wikimedians and took part in their training, I learned that it is perfectly safe for the students to use it as their reference because one cannot simply edit articles on this platform.
Anthony: Do you have prior experience in using the Wiki projects either as a user or an editor? If yes, tell us some of your initial experiences. If not, what were your doubts and fears about having to use the Wiki projects (Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikimedia Commons, etc.)?
Joyce: My prior experience with Wikipedia was when I got invited to be part of the Philippines’ Climate Change Translate-a-thon last 2021. This was when I helped translating the articles from English to Bicol and it was an eye-opener for me. Translating was not easy, despite the translation tool that we used. This made me realize that those who volunteer for Wikipedia are really passionate about the work that they do because they really put so much time and effort into it.
Anthony: What inspired you to join the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom Training of Trainers? Tell us more about your excitement, curiosities, or any feelings you had along with the application.
Joyce: I have always believed that teachers should never stop learning, so when I got invited to apply for the 2021 cohort, I was already initially excited. At the same time, I also worried as well, because I was enrolled in thesis writing at that time, and I was not sure about how I could insert it into my schedule. But since applying is different from getting accepted, I submitted my application. When I received the email that I have been included in the list of 24 accepted applicants, I had mixed feelings: would I be able to do it? But I did not want to waste the opportunity, so I gave it a go. I was mostly curious about how I can integrate the use of Wikipedia in the classroom, and this was one thing that prodded me to finish the course. In addition, I was also excited about having classmates from all over the globe. On top of that, I got to learn some other facilitation and teaching skills which are especially helpful in the time of pandemic (and perhaps even during the new normal).
Anthony: What were your struggles during the entirety of the training?
Joyce: Initially, my struggle was completing the course readings and assignments because, at that time, I was gathering data for my thesis which I was also doing online. To solve the issue, I set aside a few hours for reading and answering the tasks so that I wouldn’t have to cram when the deadlines approach. Then there was also the problem with my internet connectivity. I remember that one required a synchronous session and my connection was unstable. Good enough, Melissa (our facilitator) was kind enough to record the session so I was able to watch the parts when I had connectivity issues back home.
Anthony: What were the highlights of your experience? What part do you consider as the best portion of the training?
Joyce: The highlights of my experience was of course the three required synchronous sessions. I liked the way our facilitator handled the training, and I was able to gain so much in terms of facilitating (learning about the elevator pitch was great!), especially online. Also, I got to learn some other online platforms which I can use in my class such as Jamboard.
Anthony: What do you intend to do next? Share with us some of your thoughts.
Joyce: If given the opportunity, I would very much like to conduct a similar training to my colleagues so that they will also know more about Wikipedia and how they can maximize its use in the classroom.
Anthony: Lastly, please share a brief message for all the educators who may be willing to apply to the next cohort of the training or to those who wanted to join the local community of Wikimedians in the Philippines.
Joyce: Hello there! I am encouraging you to join the training for Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom Program and the community of Wikimedians here in the Philippines. Teachers have always been encouraged to participate in professional development activities so that they themselves will be capacitated to teach their learners, as well. By joining the learning community of Wikimedians, I can attest that this will open new opportunities for you on how to be more creative and innovative in your classrooms. The Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom Program, for instance, can help you figure out ways on how to develop Media and Information Literacy Skills among the students. This will also help you enrich yourself as a lifelong learner.