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Re: [school-discuss] project idea: open source text books



Bill

I know some people at the OU are working on a similar project, so perhaps we can link up?
Also, an initiative to create a platform for creating, sharing and remixing open (e)books might fit under :
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/ka3/ict_multilateral_networks_en.php

But first - can you explain what your system does that openlearn or curriki doesn't ?

Yishay

On Friday, January 27, 2012, Bill Fitzgerald <bill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> We are in the midst of building an open source platform to allow for the authoring, remixing, and redistributing of open content. We are basing this on Drupal, the authoring environment will be web based, and the output formats will be extensible. The platform will be freely available, and will be built entirely from open source components.
>
> For those interested in some of our thoughts on open content to date, see http://funnymonkey.com/content/open-content
>
> RE Apple "reinventing" the textbook market: please. Apple is an old media company that sells new devices - they deliver their old media to these new devices over a closed distribution network.
>
> The thing is, there's this other distribution network that is more open (at least for now) that's called the internet. I thiink it might catch on :)
>
> Cheers,
>
> Bill
>
> On Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 9:22 AM, Justin Riddiough <jriddiough@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> Maybe there is something SchoolForge could do that could help unite or bring resources to each of these different groups that are working to deliver open text books.  Looking at options, could start a project of our own.. could volunteer to another project that we agree with on vision, or try to find an initiative that would benefit the various efforts. 
>>
>> On Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 9:08 AM, Bryant Patten <opensource@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>
>>> and we should probably add Flat World Knowledge to the expanding list:  http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/
>>> Bryant
>>> On Jan 27, 2012, at 12:03 PM, Justin Riddiough wrote:
>>>
>>> Have you seen the Global Text Project? http://globaltext.terry.uga.edu/home  Their website seems to be having some difficulty currently, but I have followed this project for a year or so now and they have produced a few open textbooks.
>>>
>>> On Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 8:57 AM, j. Tim Denny <johndenny@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> James
>>>> have you examined these texts?    http://www.oercommons.org/browse/keyword/mathematics 
>>>> Tim
>>>> __________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 22:33, Mr. Klock <math@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> I agree, Jeremy, and in fact am very enthusiastic about this idea.  I've been looking for open-content math texts for a while, and I haven't found anything I love on any of the existing text archives.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'd be happy to be involved in authoring math and science texts, and I could probably help wrangle up some other co-authors, but I'm not in a position right now to coordinate the effort.
>>>>>
>>>>>  James Klock
>>>>>  Chicago, IL
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Jan 27, 2012, at 8:19 AM, Jeremy C. Reed wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> > I propose the group advocates and works toward open source text books.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > These would be open content projects that result in free digital and
>>>>> > (optionally) very low-cost print textbooks and course work. This would
>>>>> > be a public endeavor using open collaborative methods. The text and its
>>>>> > related artwork and formatting and tools to create and re-generate will
>>>>> > be freely and publically accessible and redistributable.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Some side goals could be to save money for schools and better allocate
>>>>> > tax payers money, such as increasing school teacher's salaries, and
>>>>> > maybe better learning experience due to further media capabilities.
>>>>> > (Another minor goal is so kids, like mine, don't have to carry around
>>>>> > 20+ pounds of textbooks :)
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Maybe some ideas at:
>>>>> >
>>>>> > http://www.opencontent.org/
>>>>> >
>>>>> > http://archives.seul.org/schoolforge/discuss/May-2002/msg00194.html
>>>>> > (Hey David where is your document now?)
>>>>> >
>>>>> > http://www.jasonheppler.org/open-source-scholarship-and-why-history-should-be-open-source.html
>>>>> >
>>>>> > http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/ask-a-master-teacher/22276
>>>>> >
>>>>> > http://levine.sscnet.ucla.edu/general/intellectual/open.htm
>>>>> >
>>>>> > I know we talked a little about it before around May 2002, but sadly
>>>>> > nothing came out of it from me. But it is time to do this again because
>>>>> > I recently listed to an interview about Steve Jobs and their textbook
>>>>> > plans.  Here are some related links:
>>>>> >
>>>>> > http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/01/apples-textbook-partner-mcgraw-hill-reveals-ibooks-2-plans.php
>>>>> >
>>>>> > 350,000 downloads in 3 days
>>>>> > http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2140927/apple-s-textbook-initiative-350-downloads-days
>>>>> >
>>>>> > http://www.apple.com/education/ibooks-textbooks/
>>>>> >
>>>>> > They may be "reinventing the textbook" but I don't think they are open
>>>>> > source and may be, in fact, tied down to a proprietary platform.
>>>>> > ###
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>>>>>
>>>>> ###
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>

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