Comments on: “Is Open Source too difficult?” and how do we avoid being just a fringe movement? http://www.k12opened.com/blog/archives/123 A blog for reflecting on the opportunities and challenges in open education Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:43:39 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: karen http://www.k12opened.com/blog/archives/123/comment-page-1#comment-390 karen Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:15:13 +0000 http://www.k12opened.com/blog/archives/123#comment-390 Very good points you make, Algot. I agree that creating high quality curriculum resources is hard work. (I used to work in textbook publishing....somewhat to my embarrassment now. :) However, in today's world of collaborative user-published content, I think this is more feasible than ever. I am often gratified by how many teachers are actively creating their own curriculum -- part mashup and part original. If more of this could be harnessed (as Wikibooks does) and perhaps refined by a team of professional editors/curators/publishers, we'd really have something. I am currently <a href="http://www.k12opened.com/blog/archives/125" rel="nofollow">thinking a lot about this for a project in writing.</a> I'm imagining this as being strongly led by a core team of developers (otherwise, I worry it would lack cohesiveness but also possibly never get "done"), but also open for a wider group of collaborators to contribute to. I'd appreciate any input you'd have on this, and/or help as we get going. You've proven yourself a worthy contributor on the <a href="http://dictionary.k12opened.com" rel="nofollow">dictionary</a>! We appreciate all your contributions. Very good points you make, Algot.

I agree that creating high quality curriculum resources is hard work. (I used to work in textbook publishing….somewhat to my embarrassment now. :)

However, in today’s world of collaborative user-published content, I think this is more feasible than ever. I am often gratified by how many teachers are actively creating their own curriculum — part mashup and part original. If more of this could be harnessed (as Wikibooks does) and perhaps refined by a team of professional editors/curators/publishers, we’d really have something.

I am currently thinking a lot about this for a project in writing. I’m imagining this as being strongly led by a core team of developers (otherwise, I worry it would lack cohesiveness but also possibly never get “done”), but also open for a wider group of collaborators to contribute to.

I’d appreciate any input you’d have on this, and/or help as we get going. You’ve proven yourself a worthy contributor on the dictionary! We appreciate all your contributions.

]]> By: Algot Runeman http://www.k12opened.com/blog/archives/123/comment-page-1#comment-389 Algot Runeman Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:45:50 +0000 http://www.k12opened.com/blog/archives/123#comment-389 Open Content...well, during the 36 years I was working in a school, I believe I was the only one who wrote my own teaching materials, not completely relying on textbooks. Teachers are not generally authors. Teachers understand the value of well drawn illustrations and good photographs to combine with the text. Writing a good worksheet takes effort. Writing a good unit with text and illustrations needs more effort. Writing a full curriculum (textbook) is a daunting task. Getting the raw material takes significant effort, especially when needing to verify the copyright of the chosen illustrations. Doing the job for local "distribution" is one thing, but going outside the classroom walls? My district tried to get teachers to develop a cohesive set of evaluation instruments for classes taught by more than one teacher. It took massive effort and time, and wasn't even close to the work of developing common teaching materials or a text for a course. Mash-up authorship by a wide-spread team of compatible contributors using their own skills to combine words with open content might turn out to be something else, though. Perhaps you already know about the COSTP World History Project. It sounds much like what you have in mind. As for me, it won't work. I am not a history buff, nor was I a former social studies teacher. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/COSTP_World_History_Project Please contact me. This sounds like a project worth being part of. My own background is science and computer courses. Open Content…well, during the 36 years I was working in a school, I believe I was the only one who wrote my own teaching materials, not completely relying on textbooks. Teachers are not generally authors. Teachers understand the value of well drawn illustrations and good photographs to combine with the text. Writing a good worksheet takes effort. Writing a good unit with text and illustrations needs more effort. Writing a full curriculum (textbook) is a daunting task. Getting the raw material takes significant effort, especially when needing to verify the copyright of the chosen illustrations. Doing the job for local “distribution” is one thing, but going outside the classroom walls? My district tried to get teachers to develop a cohesive set of evaluation instruments for classes taught by more than one teacher. It took massive effort and time, and wasn’t even close to the work of developing common teaching materials or a text for a course.

Mash-up authorship by a wide-spread team of compatible contributors using their own skills to combine words with open content might turn out to be something else, though.

Perhaps you already know about the COSTP World History Project. It sounds much like what you have in mind. As for me, it won’t work. I am not a history buff, nor was I a former social studies teacher.
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/COSTP_World_History_Project

Please contact me. This sounds like a project worth being part of. My own background is science and computer courses.

]]> By: Steve http://www.k12opened.com/blog/archives/123/comment-page-1#comment-341 Steve Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:43:57 +0000 http://www.k12opened.com/blog/archives/123#comment-341 Karen-- My reactions to the latter part of this post--open content can be found in my blog post: http://openedweb.com/blog/2008/12/03/open-content-and-tie-dye/ Karen–

My reactions to the latter part of this post–open content can be found in my blog post:
http://openedweb.com/blog/2008/12/03/open-content-and-tie-dye/

]]> By: Open content and tie-dye | openedweb.com http://www.k12opened.com/blog/archives/123/comment-page-1#comment-340 Open content and tie-dye | openedweb.com Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:36:24 +0000 http://www.k12opened.com/blog/archives/123#comment-340 [...] read Karen Kasimpaur’s blog post responding to my admittedly provocative post Is open source too difficult? I focused on the second [...] [...] read Karen Kasimpaur’s blog post responding to my admittedly provocative post Is open source too difficult? I focused on the second [...]

]]>