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 * WELCOME**

This is an attempt to engage in collaborative planning, problem solving, behavior management techniques, activity ideas, and after-school pedagogy for Safe Haven / AACE at Mendota Elementary. There are still a couple of things to be worked out: to be accepted into the group, you will need an e-mail address, which I would imagine most everyone here has. I'll have to send an invite, and once you accept, I am under the assumption that you are free to collaborate, contribute, and guide the course of these discussions just as much as I am.

I think there is a lot of potential yet to be realized in the technological resources available to us (and our students, for that matter). It's going to take a while to get accustomed to all the nuances of the site, but some of the ideas I envision might include:

x Interacting with different after-school / youth work / academic / school-based organizations to promote both a more participatory and democratic means of information-exchanging. x Creating lists and resources for activities, both 'on-the-spot' ideas and more involved in-depth projects; also, providing feedback and engaging in discussion about these activities x Create a place for meaningful discussion, for asking questions, and generally engaging in discourses that are not feasible (for whatever reason) to have during program time: x Experiment with new technology, become more comfortable with collaborating with co-workers and others x For those who are interested, posting academic or research literature relating to after-school programs, to classroom management, and to policy

These are obviously just some ideas: the first one I think has some real promise, particularly with regards to Ms. Nye's wiki page (she has a huge list of resources for cultural activities/sites, science-type stuff, etc.)


 * Now, for a few general guidelines,**

x This is public domain (although limited to editing by members only); Even in the circumstance that it could be set to private, I do not think that this tool should be used to discuss personal matters relating to actual students' lives or our experiences with them. This is both an ethical and professional issue.

...well, I think that's probably the only big guideline, besides just being respectful if other opinions come up in the course of a discussion or with relevance to a particular article, etc. More to be elaborated by the powers that be.

Wikis reflect a participatory system of information exchange that can connect people in ways never possible before (well...maybe through snail mail. And telephone calls). It will be what you guys make of it.