Wikipedia:Education Program/Structure proposals/Matt Senate proposal

Mattsenate (talk) 01:49, 10 May 2012 (UTC) I think this question needs to start with: what does the structure currently look like? How does our vision compare with what is actually happening (looking at first-hand results)? How can we learn from our successes and our failures? What options are available? Given an array of the circumstances and tools at our disposal (mapping our status and resources) we can then move forward by shaping the program not in a vacuum, but within existent structures, benefiting from knowledge, skills, and culture developed around DOING Wikipedia in Education thus far. That's where the structure begins, and the process needs to be open and participatory, identifying the paths to move forward and coupling them with the availability of limited, known resources. If plans are well-justified, folks will get behind them and provide their support. There are many, perhaps most important is misunderstanding what is happening with the program and what resources can be made available. That is critical and it will take due diligence. There is interest in using Wikipedia in education! It continues and grows, but it will be a long an arduous road, not just because this is Wikipedia, because it's also digital citizenship--and learning how to participate can be extremely difficult and costly for many, especially folks who are afraid to trust projects on the internet and those who are taught that their role online is to consume media not create it. The trick, which has already been discovered, is to start the process, provide opportunities to perform, establish a do-ocratic philosophy (focusing on facilitating folks to act), and develop a community of co-dependence that moves everyone forward.
 * Please list your name and/or Wikipedia username.
 * What idea(s) do you have for what the new structure for the U.S. and Canada Wikipedia Education Programs could look like?
 * How would you ensure this new structure involves all key stakeholders, including academics and the Wikipedia community?
 * What are potential pitfalls of this approach?
 * Any other comments about your proposal?