Hi everyone, I've been thinking more about open source/free software in education and educational technology and I wanted to share an idea. I'm the kind of person who likes to think big. Please read this and give your feedback. I'm a strong believer in open source and I want to see open source software used in schools. And not just on the Web server. I've actively promoted Open Office, for example, and our head tech guy is now running it on his workstation and is considering it instead of paying $50k to upgrade all our MS Office licenses. The challenge we're facing is much larger than just open source vs. proprietary software. I want to stress that the question is not whether technology has a place in education, there's too much momentum to stop it at this point even if you wanted to and I believe there are some key advantages despite the huge cost to schools. The key question is how to use technology to actually improve learning in schools. This is a very different question, and if you recall my previous post I suggested that training of staff and students was a key part. I serve on our district's technology committee and I've been struck by how little the technology folks and curriculum folks understand each other. They are speaking different languages. This is my key point: the technologists don't know what the educators need and the educators don't know what to ask the technologists for. It seems to me that if we're going to make a real difference, then we have to have some communication. So imagine this: An Open Source In Education Summit. We organize a meeting of technologists and educators to see what can be done to bridge the gap. We invite open source companies like Codeweavers, Real Time, RedHat (they've got a new education initiative, see http://www.redhat.com/about/presscenter/2002/press_education2.html), Sistina, and who ever else that would like to participate. We also invite open source advocates who are willing to volunteer to support open source in schools. Then we invite school principals, school board members, technology directors, school librarians, and teachers to come and let them know what open source has to offer. You could easily have a day-long event. I'm envisioning some panel discussions talking about educational technology issues and open source. We could offer some tutorial-like sessions presented by open source experts and attended by the school folks to give them an idea of open source can do. The companies in attendance would benefit from the feedback of educators. I'm just getting started here... I've just started back to graduate school this year as a Ph.D. student in education. My major is Instructional Systems and Technology. (http://www.coled.umn.edu/fields/IST_FMD.htm) Perhaps the U. of MN would be interested in being a sponsor? Maybe they would be able to provide space to hold the event? A lot can be accomplished by individuals working with one school at a time. But there's also a big place for attention-getting, awareness-raising events that let people know that open source is for real and has every right to be in schools. So who's with me? :-) Let's talk about whether we should do this and, if so, how we should do this. I hereby volunteer do whatever I can to make this happen. Talk amongst yourselves. :-) -Tim -- Tim Wilson | Visit Sibley online: | Check out: Henry Sibley HS | http://www.isd197.org | http://www.zope.com W. St. Paul, MN | | http://slashdot.org wilson at visi.com | <dtml-var pithy_quote> | http://linux.com