Re: [seul-edu] New-and-different approach to OSS in Education

["paul" <psutton@uklinux.net>]

UK reader

On one of the discussion groups in the uk,  I remember someone posting a
message who was in the Sixth form, (this is Alevels 17 - 19 age range),  and
contributing to KDE,  he was also looking at doing school specific distro,

Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dirk Schouten" <schoutdi@knoware.nl>
To: <seul-edu@seul.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 26, 2002 12:21 PM
Subject: Re: [seul-edu] New-and-different approach to OSS in Education


> At 09:53 26-5-02 +0800, you wrote:
> >One aspect of OSS which I have not seen discussed here and think is a
> vitally
> >important difference the the access to source - actually the key
attribute
> of
> >OSS and part of the name - and how that impacts schools and education.
> >
> >    Have any of the schools on this list got their older children writing
> >    and modifying software for each other and the younger children?
> >
> >A simple question with far-reaching ramifications. If you are involved
> with a
> >school, I'd like you to read this whole email, and comment on the
> >applicability of each point, and propose ways of presenting the points or
> >adapting them to your own situation in order to make them more effective
for
> >you.
> >
> >As much as you have done any educating this way, please report here in
> detail
> >on what you tried and how well it worked.
> >
> >One of the things which Western society lost with the demise of the
one-room
> >schoolhouse was a continuous and synergistic spectrum of knowledge and
> >abilities. Older children would teach younger children, and in the
process
> >would discover whether they truly new their stuff or not. Younger
children
> >would be getting material from people only a little bit older than them,
who
> >still carry a lot more of their context and values than an adult teacher
> >would. Everyone in the school would be learning to relate well with
people
> of
> >different ages and experience.
> >
> >This is one of the factors which puts homeschool students ahead,
typically
> >well ahead, of their institutional counterparts, and I believe OSS has
the
> >potential to close that gap for at least some students.
> >
> >Another advantage touted - with good reason - for homeschooling is that
the
> >students are applying their learning to real problems in real-time and
real
> >life. Thoughtful use of OSS would also enable at least some students to
> >employ their talents in similar real-world real-time situations.
> >
> >In bulleted form:
> >
> > * The ability to start with a complete, working item of software to prod
> >   and poke is of enormous benefit.
> >
> > * The ability to contribute to a real, valuable project which will be
> >   used by others worldwide is of incalculable motivational benefit.
> >
> > * The potential for a student to enter the workforce with `coauthored
> >   Xxx program, now in use on at least 20,000 sites worldwide' or
> >   `designed artwork for Yyy system, now part of the official curriculum
> >   in country, country and country' in place of `drove LOGO turtles
> >   around' on their CV is worth...? (and: `the source is available for
> >   inspection at http://www.gabblegabble.edu/~myname/').
> >
> > * The ability to have software, artwork and systems designed by people
> >   who share significant context with the intended audience is priceless.
> >
> > * The ability of a school to generate their own real, useable software
> >   as part of the curriculum is a real, hard saving that will delight
> >   even the most unsympathetic cost accountant.
> >
> > * The ability of a school to gain world reknown by publishing something
> >   useful to all schools is unthinkably `cool' compared to the current
> >   situation.
> >
> > * The impact on students of knowing that they can influence the systems
> >   they use, rather than being a passive traveller through the process
> >   is profound.
> >
> > * The ability to direct the energies of at least some students into
> >   creative and worthwhile work instead of makework, fiction and
> >   pointless exercises should have a directly measurable effect on
> >   overall morale.
> >
> > * The lesson in sharing, making the whole pie bigger rather than working
> >   to enlarge your slice - at least in principle at the expense of
> >   others - is one not yet wholeheartedly taught and difficult to find a
> >   more widely applicable means of expression for. This should be
> >   singularly attractive to parochial schools.
> >
> > * The enormous range of already-working examples of software to start
> >   from will suit all temperaments and preferences, and can in principle
> >   be used with any student developed enough to understand the processes
> >   involved.
> >
> > * Through becoming involved in feedback, students can become useful
> >   contributors from Grade 1.
> >
> > * Through contact with students in other places and cultures in the
> >   natural course of collaboration, much real-life social studies will
> >   happen en passant (although I foresee difficulty in grading this;
> >   perhaps an RPL*-like process is appropriate).
> >
> > * Skills potentially required in the natural course of designing,
> >   building or modifying a software system include mathematics, logic,
> >   art, language, dexterity/motor-skills, typing, spatials, negotiation,
> >   scheduling, note-taking, trialling/scientific-method, name it.
> >
> > * What can you see that I've missed...?
> >
> >Cheers; Leon
> >
> >
> >*RPL: Recognition of Prior Learning - formal accreditation validated by
> simple
> >tests or working examples rather than through a formal course with
> >assignments, class attendance requirements et al.
> >
> >
>
> Esteemed Leon,
> First of all, thank you for your contribution.  My heart jumped when
> reading. I will use it in our school in Holland as pointer to 'where we
> want to go'.
> I cannot help you with practical examples, I'm sorry. I have lots of
> experience with your approach in a different field: 'Audiovisual media in
> education'. See the link below.  It's mainly oriented towards video, but
> maybe the theoretical articles can bring you something.
> What you describe in your mail has it's educational foundations in Freire,
> Freinet and Habermas. They have been a guiding line in my educational
> activities.
>
> At our primary school I am a newbie network administrator. Some time ago I
> asked in a Dutch newsgroup:  "What are real tasks a primary school pupil
> can do on our Linux server". What I got back were howls of derisision. How
> could I merely bring up the question! So I stopped asking (newbie, too
> little knowledge, etc)
> Your posting makes me bring up the question again.
> Now for an answer to your question: I have no software example, but a
> hardware one.
> When I have a little computer problem I fix it on a table that's empty in
> the hall on the first floor near our server closet. A 5 year old boy is
> looking to what I am doing. I remember him, asking me a question some time
> ago about computers. I ask him if he wants to help me by opening the case
> (six screws). I hand him the screwdriver. It takes him a lot of time, but
> he wants to complete the job. I do a little job nearby to keep an eye on
> him. Screws are loose now. "You want to do some more?" I ask him. "Yes".
> "Try to lift the hood if it's not too heavy for you". He carefully lifts
> the hood and puts it beside the computer.  He studies me when I doi a
> little job inside the computer. "I'm ready, do you want to close it?"
> (ofcourse he want to close it. He is very eager). He does his _real_ job
> and is proud on it. Then it's time for his next 'normal' lesson: writing.
> The next time I ask him to do some more (for example replacing a CD in a
> computer that's easy accessible).
> I hope that in a few years I will have my answer to what children can do
on
> servers and software
>
> To come back on your question:
> >    Have any of the schools on this list got their older children writing
> >    and modifying software for each other and the younger children?
>
> No, but we will get there.
> Kind regards,
> Dirk
>
>
> _________________________________________
> Dirk Schouten
>
> Media Action Projects
> http://utopia.knoware.nl/users/schoutdi
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