Dictionary
From K12 Open Ed Wiki
[edit] Kids Open Dictionary
The dictionary builder is now up! Please join us and help build the future of open education.
We are working on setting up a collaboration for an open kids simple dictionary. This will be aimed at primary and early secondary aged students and will be written in kid-friendly language.
If you are interested in being a part of this, let us know here.
Idea List
These are ideas for future features to incorporate:
- Output of final "frozen" dictionary to various formats including:
- Ebooks (Mobipocket, Microsoft Reader)
- Web-based
- Cell phones (??)
- Allow users to select a custom word list for output (This would allow people to put out mini-glossaries for various purposes.
- Include pictures and voice pronunciations
- Provide a way to do multilingual versions
Here is a brief analysis of some of the main open dictionaries available. The purpose of this analysis is to determine which might be the best to use as a base for the Kids Simple Dictionary.
[Note: We have decided not to use any of these for the various reasons listed, but we are starting with a public domain word list.
See sample entries from each of these here.
Dictionary: WordNet/Princeton
License: Custom, pretty open but probably not compatible with GFDL
Strengths:
- includes good examples of use
Weaknesses:
Other comments:
Dictionary: Webster's 1913 (also at Gutenberg)
License: public domain
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
- archaic language; would require LOTS of editing
Other comments:
Dictionary: The Online Plain Text English Dictionary
License: public domain; must remain free and open (yes, I know this doesn't make sense, but that's what it says)
Strengths:
- SIMPLE (much less to weed out)
Weaknesses:
- Some words are missing
- Some are picked up from Websters and need editing
Other comments:
Dictionary: Wiktionary
License: GFDL
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
- LOTS to weed out
Other comments:
- There is also the Simple English Wiktionary. I added this to the spreadsheet with sample entries. What is there is good, but there is not much there. Only 2 of the 10 sample words had entries here. Perhaps this could be a base to expand from but the goals of non-native English speakers are quite different from English speaking kids in an academic setting.
Dictionary: [1].gov glossaries
License:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Other comments: These are glossaries mostly in the public domain. (Thanks Randy.) They mostly cover specific sub-topics (space, weather, etc.) and could work as valuable additions to one of the above standard dictionaries.
Dictionary:
License:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Other comments:
