Agreed on all points. This list is _deep_ in experience not only using and promoting, but also developing free software. We all have stories like yours. We could and should, some time, have long chats and perhaps chronicle some of our experiences. Right now, I think your two suggestions get my attention. 2 is an excellent point for which I think you'll find excited advocates. 1 builds well on your point that the process is what matters. I believe that is the critical point for us teachers and students. Just one question. Why didn't you mention software? ;-)
Good start, Bryant.
Thank you,
David
----- Message from opensource@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---------
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:08:21 -0500
From: Bryant Patten <opensource@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [school-discuss] Resilient Education and Schoolforge. What's your take on this?
To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
...So here are my two suggestions for projects we could pursue:1) Create materials that help classroom teachers engage students in participating in and contributing to Open Source projects (literature, websites, project liaisons, etc)2) Create materials that help classroom teachers expose students to the emerging Open Hardware and Open Data movements. These seem to be where Open Source software was 5 years ago. I think these will come to be as powerful as FOSS and yet most educators seem unaware of their potential in the class room.Thanks for your patience and attention.Bryant*********
On Jan 27, 2012, at 1:33 AM, David Bucknell wrote:
Dear Schoolforge Members and Associates,
It's time to cook up a project we believe in and want to work on together. Here's a philosophical angle we need to know about and consider where we think the most effective place to stand is in this argument. It may be spoken by and for a limited percentage of humanity, but they are vocal and influential at the moment: http://www.resilientcommunities.com/should-you-get-an-education-or-a-degree/
For discussion: There has been something of a consensus that our goal (at least part of it) should be to produce teacher-training materials. Does "resilient education" change what we might mean by teacher-training? We are schoolforge, but these people see schools in a somewhat negative light. Still, in most places, for most people, schools serve as the primary means by which people become aware of the possibilities available in life, so schools are not going to go extinct yet.
My own comment: Interestingly, these people don't mention, and I'm not sure they are aware of, how they are standing on the shoulders of the free and open source movement. I suppose that we can be true to our roots and modern at the same time by following the free and open source way:
* Scatch an itch: People need to be made aware of good free/open source materials and tools AND given a relatively painless means of learning to use them.
* Users are developers: Engage teachers and students as co-developers. That's us for starters, but we need to build in an open door and invitation to others.
* Release early and often.
* Make what we produce available in the most free and open ways we can dream up.
Your comments?
What do you think?
Best wishes,
David
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http://intknowledge.com
91 Suthisan, Dindaeng, Bangkok 10400
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