User:Kaybeesquared/sandbox2

This is a draft page for article for blogging on IWD

Women @ Wikipedia....Open Learning - and a hobby for life!
I am Karen, a member of the University of Edinburgh administrative staff. I spotted a new open learning experience for staff and students in Creative Learning Week 2018 with 'no experience needed' - Wikipedia edit-a-thon for Vote100 centenary anniversary of (some) women's right to vote.

To my amazement, I found that I could quickly:


 * create Wikipedia article s in a fun, educational and empowering afternoon,


 * learn from great teachers, with cakes and coffee on hand,


 * be part of a community of (mainly) women making a difference ,


 * access a range of research, references, materials to hand, discussions and sharing.

Wikimedians Ewan and Alice from Welcome Trust made it all so easy!

Now with a bit of an 'addiction' to editing Wikipedia (for women, especially for the amazingly brave suffragettes), I have been known to


 * wear 'We can edit' T-shirt, sport a 'Deeds not Words' sticker on the laptop,
 * meet, share ideas with wikimedian Roger, cofounder of 'Women In Red',
 * repeat the 'refresher' training, but never feel inadequate in my skills,
 * find constant support as a volunteer and aware of joining a global effort,


 * listen to a University archivist sharing the history of our University,
 * see an original letter to Christabel Pankhurst in prison, from one of University of Edinburgh's few female students,
 * read the handwritten register of the University womens' education group from an era when 'we' could study but couldn't graduate.

A joyful open learning community is truly collegial and uplifting, and even has cute messages of support. == A cupcake for you! ==

A hobby for life
Now I am proud to tell family and friends of my new (though limited) editing skills, made so easy in VisualEdit and with great wikimedians there to help!

So I re-joined the University Library and local City Library to track down secondary sources to cite on our suffragists and suffragettes, joined events on the topic and was part of the PROCESSIONS  2018 artwork with thousands of women acknowledging the success and the suffering and sheer persistence of notable (and less known) women who led the way and as a result


 * now have my own picture in Wikimedia Commons!
 * and a hobby for life!



Open the learning from history:
Open Learning has helped me enjoy learning from the past and creating materials again to acknowledge the women who made it possible for me to march, to have a political voice, complete graduate education, and have a long, varied and satisfying professional life.

Thanks to Open Learning and Ewan McAndrew,  University of Edinburgh wikimedian in residence  - Inspiring Women!