Education/News/March 2021/Using Wikipedia and Bridging the Gender Gap: In-Service training for Teachers in Philippines

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Using Wikipedia and Bridging the Gender Gap: In-Service training for Teachers in Philippines

Author: Anthony B. Diaz



Summary: Teachers from the Philippines were taught how to use Wikipedia and engage in bridging the gender gap during the In-service training.

The Department of Education of the Philippines have held its week-long In-service training for the teachers. Tinago National High School, a secondary school located in Naga City has shown its interest in incorporating the Wikimedia Projects in their teaching, specifically the Wikipedia. Through the efforts of Rick M. Ruizo, the school principal, and Madam Chona D. Peralta, the proponent of this year’s school-based INSET, the short training has been held at the school on March 17, 2021.

The overall aims of the In-service training are as follows, to state concepts about wellness that will contribute to one’s personal and professional well-being; discuss ways on how to contribute to the school’s development through knowledge about School-based Management, Wikipedia, Grade management system, and positive discipline and lastly, to design a personal plan to maintain and enhance a holistic self.

Two volunteer Wikimedians have been present during the event to share the concepts of Wikipedia, the anatomy of an article, the use of a content translation tool, and the aim of the Wikimedia community to bridge the gender gap through adding articles related to women, especially that this month celebrates the International Women’s month.

Anthony B. Diaz, the project organizer of the Art+Feminism in the Philippines has invited the teachers to join the month-long edit-a-thon and have also answered queries with regards Wikipedia. Common questions were how secure that the information found on Wikipedia is accurate, if articles are being verified before it gets published, and how to engage the students in using the project in accomplishing their assignments. Teachers were also informed that the entirety of the project is being monitored by devoted administrators that are always on check for vandalism, false information, and susceptibility to the bias of some editors.

Imelda R. Brazal, who administers the EduWiki Community PH, has also shared how the teachers could effectively use Wikipedia in their lessons. Being part of the Reading Wikipedia in the classroom project, she has initially explained what benefits it would have if teachers could maximize the contents of Wikipedia. A card containing the link to the EduWiki Community PH was distributed among the teachers for them to gain access to the resources in connection with using Wikipedia as a reference tool.

The event was attended by a total of 50 teachers where 11 of them have created user accounts during the training. In the end, the attendees were able to educate themselves on the content translation tool, its interface, how to write and publish articles translated, and some common errors in using it. They have also promised to join the Art+Feminism campaign and accomplish the target articles.

At the end of the program, active participants were able to receive Wikipedia souvenirs including notebooks, stickers, pouch bags, and t-shirts. The Wikipedia projects were well-received by the teachers and some have committed to participate in the upcoming events of the community.


Social Media channels or hashtags: Art+Feminism in the Philippines FB Page EduWiki Community PH FB Page