[Fwd: Re: [Fwd: Re: [seul-edu] Standards and Requirements]]

[Doug Loss <drloss@suscom.net>]

-------- Original Message --------

From: Michael Hall <olc@openlearningcommunity.org>
To: <seul-edu@seul.org>
Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: [seul-edu] Standards and Requirements]

Yes, maybe you're right Doug! I'm sitting here getting over a couple of 
late nights ... the screen looks fuzzy, but I think (or hope) it is
KDE's 
new anti-aliasing feature.

Anyway, I noticed a typo ... the message below should read "OSS should
NOT 
become a means of letting state/govt off the hook"

Mick

On Mon, 24 Dec 2001, Doug Loss wrote:

> Mick,
> 
>    What does it say about us that you're posting this on Christmas
> morning, and I'm forwarding it to the list on Christmas Eve?  We need to
> get out more, I think.
> 
> -------- Original Message --------
> 
> From: Michael Hall <olc@openlearningcommunity.org>
> To: <seul-edu@seul.org>
> Subject: Re: [seul-edu] Standards and Requirements
> 
> 
> As a teacher working at the chalkface, I have a couple of comments on 
> these basically good ideas:
> 
> 1. Open source software should become a means of letting
> state/government 
> education authorities avoid their responsibilities. We all pay taxes to 
> (apart from bomb the starving and dispossessed) ensure that we have a 
> decent education system. Volunteerism is a wonderful thing and has built 
> Linux, but I wouldn't want to see it go too far without considering what 
> the state should rightfully be contributing (we are looking long-term to 
> a time when Linux/OSS rules, no?).
> 
> 2. Most teachers are very very busy. Even with the technical/cultural 
> resources, asking them to find time to write the curriculum as well is
> not 
> an idea that will catch on immediately with the majority. Don't mean to
> be 
> negative, but that's the reality. All the same, it is a great idea and I 
> would dearly love to see some provision for teachers to make such 
> contributions in paid time as part of their professional development.
> 
> Come to think of it, maybe we could explore ways of getting Linux/OSS
> into 
> official professional development activities (don't know if you have PD 
> days in the US/Canada, but they are common in Australia). Hmm ....
> 
> Anyway,
> 
> Michael
> 
> 
> On Mon, 24 Dec 2001, William Abernathy wrote:
> 
> > When I was in schoolbook publishing, our major push was to gain textbook 
> > acceptance in certain key states, among them Texas, California, and Florida. The 
> > conventional wisdom was that if you were accepted in Texas, you'd locked up most 
> > of the South, and acceptance in California meant most of the Western states. The 
> > economic realities of publishing militate that smaller states often have to take 
> > what their richer neighbors require in terms of their books, materials, and 
> > curricula. As you search for information on the various states, keep this in 
> > mind. When looking for requirements across the country, you may want to ask if 
> > their curriculum and requirements are harmonized with, or otherwise similar to 
> > those of other states.
> > 
> > If we can provide the technical and cultural framework for teachers to develop 
> > their own curricula on an open-source basis, we could provide substantial 
> > financial savings and local tailoring of curricula. Schoolbook publishing is a 
> > spendy racket, and school districts, methinks, would love a method for acquiring 
> > educational materials that doesn't cost anything but the shared educational 
> > expertise of their teachers. If we survive, not as a two year goal, but maybe as 
> > a five year goal, we should work towards establish a collegial free-software 
> > style of curriculum design that works independently of the publishing houses. 
> > States would get more flexibility at less cost, with higher teacher involvement 
> > and respect.
> > 
> > Anyway, I hope to be able to find out more on the matter of state standards from 
> > former colleagues in schoolbook publishing after the holidays.
> > 
> > --WA
> > 
> > Chris Hornbaker wrote:
> > 
> > > Doug Loss wrote:
> > > 
> > >>You know, compiling a list of the US standards state by state might be
> > >>very useful for people developing courseware and curricula.  Outside the
> > >>US such things are generally more centralized, I think, and adding
> > >>non-US standards to such a list could be as easy as adding a new US
> > >>state's standards.  Anyone want to have a go at compiling such a list?
> > >>It doesn't need to be comprehensive from the outset, but as more
> > >>standards are added it would become more useful. 
> > >>
> > > 
> > > This is what I'm working on. I'm trying to make a "common base" so that 
> > > people can have something to follow. I just wanted to know if there was one 
> > > central site I could have gone to instead of going to each states site. 
> > > 
> > > 
> > >>Does the US Department
> > >>of Education keep information on the developmental standards used in the
> > >>various states in some centralized location?  If so, is it available
> > >>over the internet?
> > >>
> > > 
> > > Don't know. You'd think they would, but I haven't turned anything up yet.
> > > 
> > > 
> > > C. Hornbaker
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > 
> > 
> >
>