[seul-edu] New Web site: Open Options: Making Decisions about Open Source Software for K-12

[Kym Buchanan <buchanak@nwrel.org>]

PRESS RELEASE

NETC Announces Open Options Web site
Contact: Kym Buchanan (oss.survey@nwrel.org)

What is open source software and what advantages does it afford educators?
Can it save money? Close digital divides? Support effective learning
communities? These questions and many more are addressed at a new
research-based Web site: http://www.netc.org/openoptions.

The Northwest Educational Technology Consortium at NWREL is pleased to
announce the immediate launch of Open Options: Making Decisions about Open
Source Software for K-12 in support of K-12 decision-makers. Grounded in
extensive survey research and interviews with current users, the Open
Options Web site provides analysis of the arguments for and against the
adoption of open source software in K-12 settings and offers suggestions
about how to decide if it's right for you. Included is advice for talking
with stakeholders and taking the next steps. 


Whether or not you're currently using open source, we invite all K-12
educators to review this Web site and share your comments and insights on a
short survey: http://www.netc.org/surveys/review/

If you are using open source in K-12, we invite you to take our new, revised
user survey: http://www.netc.org/surveys/oss/oss.asp

Please share this announcement with other educators, especially via email
lists. We look forward to hearing from you and meeting you at our sessions
on open source software at upcoming conferences like NCCE, Linuxfest NW,
ACPE, and NECC. 

- Kym Buchanan, NETC, & the Open Options team (oss.survey@nwrel.org)

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