Thursday, February 24, 2011

Open Source Goes to High School

What an innovative approach to education in the 21st century!  I think it is an excellent idea. 

Using an open source approach to schooling not only prepared students for global workforce readiness, it takes a holistic view of the student.  It helps students to think critically, boundary span, enhance cross-cultural collaboration,  promotes creativity, and helps students increase learning agility.  These skills will help students be more adept with dealing with personal, social, economic, and political issues on a global scale.

Some of the aspects the video highlighted that make this such a positive experience is the flexibility that it provides students to take part in other learning opportunities that they may not otherwise have in a traditional educatioonal enviornment.  In addition, it allows educators to make changes in the curriculum on the fly.  They can engage in a real time assessment and evaluation process, and improve the curriculum and learning for the class and the individual students. 

The open source approach may not be for everyone.  I think it is more geared for the self-directed learner.  That is why there should continue to be options available in the school system to allow greater choice by the parents, students, and administrators.

Overall, I fully support this model because it helps us to look at learners in a completely different way; individuals in which we have to find ways to maintain interest and excitement, we must be flexible in how we teach, and most important, we must promote lifelong learning.

1 comment:

  1. Our educational system is slowly moving toward this form of instruction. I don't think we have all of the kinks out of it, but it is going to happen.

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