Waygook.org has undergone some changes. If you'd like to download the lesson plans posted you'll first need to log-in. This is to encourage more contributions and to discourage poaching from the hundreds of visitors who haven't registered and haven't shared. We are toying with the idea, upon my request, of instituting a policy that requires users to contribute a certain number of posts each year---whether lessons, feedback, local events, news---in order to retain their membership. This is, again, to discourage lurking and poaching, to make sure those who have contributed are getting feedback on their lessons, to allow users to see how these lessons work in a variety of settings, and to let those who have shared their lessons to get as much back as they've put in.
Waygook.org started as basically a messageboard for teachers in Jeollanam-do, but most of the original class of 2006 is gone. The site has grown to host hundreds of lesson plans made by public school teachers all over Korea. It has become a good resource, though I admit that we need to tinker with the layout and find ways to better organize everything.
The site, which I've helped moderate for the past three years, has been an albatros around my neck, but that's a rant I'm saving for another time. I'm glad the site has found broader appeal outside Jeollanam-do, and I hope these new changes will encourage more people to share their experiences and expertise.
3 comments:
Open the site and drop the 'registration required' to view content.
Having to register feels bad and you will have less fame than a site without registration.
Don't worry about leeching, just gather great content and you'll get more people using your website which will be beneficial for everyone.
You could add a 'copyleft' so that the lessons could be printed anywhere as long as the author and website is credited.
Thanks for the comment. The site's been up for nearly three years, and has been "open" for that long.
The first users were in Jeollanam-do, and a lot of the first content was from veteran teachers in the area. Word-of-mouth combined with flagging interest in Jeollanam-do opened the site up to people all across the country.
But I think the high number of downloads compared with the small number of contributors is disheartening. Granted, we're all sharing in the spirit of . . . well, sharing, but it's not really fair to those who do contribute, because they have few options for when they themselves need help. The site is free to use, and registration isn't a big hassle . . .
I don't think it's too much to ask for people to follow something like "need a penny take a penny, have a penny leave a penny." We're not only collecting lesson plans, but teaching tips, advice, accounts of how these lessons have worked in class, and anything else related to teaching EFL in Korea.
I'll admit I use some of the lesson plan ideas from waygook a lot without contributing anything.
I've been planning to get around to posting some thoughts and lesson plan ideas of my own, but just haven't got around to it.
That and I seem to be dramatically underutilized at my school and haven't had too much opportunities to try anything new and different from whats already available on the website. A lot of the lesson plan ideas are great, tried and true, and it goes without saying, are effective and well organized.
Why there are so many downloads and not much contributions is probably a good indication that the lessons are good and don't need much further input. Or, everyone is just being lazy...
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