TQ #10

From November 4, 2008

I don't think the current education system in place in most schools around the area have even remotely started to tap the full potential of open source technologies. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps open-source carries a stigma of sorts - most professionals have looked down upon what they view as "free" software coded by some guy in his basement with no support in the event of malfunction. I understand the skepticism, having been skeptical at first as well. How can a free program be better than one you pay for? But, then I tried Open Office. It is essentially Microsoft Office with support for many of the other big document file types out there today. You can read, write, and save in so many different formats. The interface is incredibly similar and easy to use. For starters in a school, why not implement software like Open Office in place of Microsoft Office. The learning curve is no more difficult than learning with Microsoft Office, and the support documentation is quite extensive.

Open source technology can also be found on the web. MIT for example has created Open Courseware which offers free, web-based instruction, created directly from actual curriculum used in their college classrooms. I think this is a great idea that is reasonable for schools to consider. The teacher could teach a new concept during class, and send the kids home with a link to complete an online course module about the same topic. Imagine the major impact that could have on students' ability to retain information. Students are more likely to be motivated to participate in an online module than paper-based homework since they will most likely already be on the computer for other reasons as well. Also, if a student was absent from class that day, he or she could simply log on to the module and learn all about it and be caught up for his or her return to school the next day.

I believe video-conferencing has the potential to create new learning environments not previously conceivable. For example, Skype is an open-source video conferencing tool that enables you to communicate with audio and video as well as add up to four locations to a phone call. As I see it, video conferencing could be used to do a presentation and have parties form any location watch and be involved. Perfect example was when Paige was out one week and we brought her into the class discussion using Skype. Not only was she able to hear but also see and contribute to the discussion. What incredible technology. And especially since it is free, I cannot believe more people are not taking advantage of it yet.