[school-discuss] Please post this announcement on schoolforge

[Basha Krasnoff <krasnofb@nwrel.org>]

Colleagues,

If you are using open source software in K-12, please take ten minutes to
complete our online user survey at http://www.netc.org/surveys/oss. 

The Open Options Project at the Northwest Educational Technology Consortium
(NETC) is an independent research project serving K-12 educators. We conduct
extensive online survey research and phone interviews with current K-12
users of open source software to provide pragmatic information and
decision-making tools.

Our unique, research-based Web site, Open Options: Making Decisions about
Open Source Software for K-12, (http://www.netc.org/openoptions) draws on
survey responses to address such questions as, "What advantages does OSS
afford educators? Can it save money? Close digital divides? Support
effective learning communities?"

Open Options provides analysis of the issues faced when adopting open source
software in K-12 settings and offers suggestions about how to decide if it's
right for you. It suggests ways to talk with stakeholders and how to take
the next steps.

K-12 OSS users please complete our online survey at
http://www.netc.org/surveys/oss 

And if you are evaluating your investment in open source, please consider a
phone interview to share your insights into the true costs and outcomes of
adoption and implementation.  E-mail Basha Krasnoff at oss.survey@netc.org
or call her at 1.800.547.6339 to schedule an interview.

We look forward to hearing from you and meeting you at our sessions on open
source software at upcoming conferences like ACPE, NCCE, and NECC. Freely
share this invitation to participate with other educators, especially via
e-mail lists.

Thank you.

(NETC is not affiliated with any software vendor or open source software
project. It is a federally-funded center at the Northwest Regional
Educational Laboratory (NWREL), a private, nonprofit institution.)

Basha Krasnoff
Research and Evaluation Specialist
Technology in Education Center (NETC)
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
101 SW Main Street, Suite 500
Portland, Oregon 97204
Tel: 503.275.9643
Fax: 503.275.0449
E-mail: krasnofb@nwrel.org