[school-discuss] To give freedom to learn, share, and create is a goal driven philosophy

[Knut Yrvin <knuty@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

fredag 04 mars 2005, 22:15, skrev Michael Dean:

> We must, instead look at open source as a collection of tools 
> to be selected from the perspective of the teachers and admins.  
> We must produce an Educational System which is based on 
> a minimalist, goal driven philosophy.   

Why do you believe that the education is based on a minimalist, and
goal driven philosophy? There are different philosophies that driving
the schools today. And this is more true when you widen the
perspective to include different regions, countries or schools based
on a religious values.

> FreeBSD would work equally well in schools, and it has a more 
> rational license.  I am collecting papers for an edited books 
> on Transforming Schools Through Goal Driven Open Source 
> Software.  Any educator, or professional who can produce 
> any contribution to this title would be welcome to submit.  
> Thanks you. 

This can be said of every platform with thousands available
programs. Usually this kind of discussion technique is characterised as
trolling (The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 Sep 2003)):

   An electronic mail message, Usenet posting or other (electronic)
   communication which is intentionally incorrect, but not overtly
   controversial (compare flame bait), or the act of sending such a
   message.  Trolling aims to elicit an emotional reaction from those
   with a hair-trigger on the reply key.  A really subtle troll makes
   some people lose their minds.

You will not loose your mind if you asking the right question. So I'll
reformulate the questions.  "Which programs gives a learning effect in
the classroom, and how should the programs be used in the learning
process to accomplish learning?" Then we need some general principles
as a guideline. 

If some of the curriculum in the schools is about sharing knowledge
and skills trough the generations, there should be "a freedom to reuse
and share knowledge" clause in the software. The pupils should be
granted a freedom to learn from others, and the generations before
them. They should be able to build on what they have learned, to
create new things, and to share their knowledge with others. If the
idea is to deliver a minimalist, goal driven philosophy, and this is
about about freedom to share knowledge and to speak about it in the
information society, then free software has incorporated this
values. Thats one of the main reasons for making the Debian-based 
Skolelinux. 

The Open Source Observatory in the EU-commission have revised and 
updated the report from use of Open-Source Software in For Norwegian 
Schools:

  Evaluations and Conclusions

  Skolelinux is a good product for the schools, satisfying all of the
  main needs. It is inexpensive, stable and can be used together with
  various learning platforms and learning portals. Using thin clients,
  Skolelinux in a school environment is less expensive to acquire and
  operate than different Windows versions. The schools having picked
  Skolelinux are satisfied with the choice, and would do it again.

http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/3373

- Knut Yrvin
-- 
Project manager (cel: +47 908 95 765) Skolelinux Norway and OpenOffice
translation to Norwegian. Office 1: IT-Staff Akershus County Council,
Schweigaards gate 4, 0185 OSLO, NORWAY.  Office 2: SLX Debian Labs
Forskningsparken, Gaustadalle 21, 0349 OSLO, NORWAY.