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| Open source text books; From Bill Joyner | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 20 2010, 09:35 PM (344 Views) | |
| LPS Reformer | Aug 20 2010, 09:35 PM Post #1 |
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The schools exist to educate, not employ.
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Open Source Textbooks -- is this a way to save money and introduce more of our students to the new world of technology? Brother Dr. Bob of San Antonio fame was relaxing on the sofa holding up what looked like a board. His response to my question about what he was doing was that he was reading. My first introduction to the world of electronic books. Not long after my introduction to the ultimate hard-copy book Mary Jane Schilberg, former Garden City Councilwoman stopped by to show off her new Kindle -- another electronic book. Then I get an e-mail from a Livonia resident living in Old Rosedale who works in California -- I guess we are a global village. He passed along some information on open source textbooks. Text books to be downloaded and used for -- are you ready -- free. I remembered back to a Livonia school board meeting where a discussion was underway on a suggestion that our schools might consider open source books as a way to save money. I'm not sure discussion is the right term -- it was an idea by Trustee Steve King during an agenda item on purchasing new text books. With revenue and student declines the demands for new textbooks and other curriculum materials disproportionately increase. The advantage of open sourced content might allow our schools to significantly reduce our cost of purchasing textbooks. There is a movement that is furthering a belief that educational materials can be made available free or at a reduced cost to students across the nation. With internet access opening up increased needs for students equpied with technology skills we have an opportunity to create quality materials for our students at a reduced cost while providing them with a real world application of learned technology. With our schools in Livonia looking to establish an paradigm of excellence -- we can create an image that will draw and attract parents looking to move into a community making an educational difference in a world rapidly moving toward sameness. Livonia can take advantage of the growing number of open source resources and provide technology training and creative thinking at the same time. I can picture a day when there is a complete removal of the current line item for textbooks from the school budget. With the cost of K-12 books rising each year because of the lack of competition and the ever increasing demand for updated versions we could force the publishing companies to reduce costs while introducing multiple options for schools, teachers, students and taxpayers. I have no idea of the total cost of textbooks but this typewriter could envision a time when our schools in Livonia provide a Kindle or similar electronic reader to every student. Our district could negotiate the purchase of 10,000 electronic readers or even netbooks and make them available. Students would have the added benefit, if the district provided a netbook, of learning more about technology, the use of computers, accessibility of research -- not to mention the benefit teachers would have in developing their individualized curriculum by having available hundreds or thousands of alternative textbooks available at the push of a button. The headlines across the nation would bring students, parents and the curious as people are drawn to an innovative school district seeking to blend learning with real world application of technology while saving dollars. A new paradigm that defines excellence in education as breaking from the mainstream and away from the rush to uniformity and by extension the desire for mediocrity. The headlines across the nation: "Livonia eliminates textbooks -- sees enrollment increase 20%." "Livonia Michigan schools first to provide students with Kindle" "School district in Livonia Michigan eliminates textbooks and sees student reading skills increase dramatically." "Livonia Michigan leads nation in real world application of technology -- gives every student a netbook." This typewriter, on the verge of becoming a Luddite and eliminating my own computer, cell phone and answering machine is the first to admit that I am a dinosaur and that students today need to learn not just how to text message but how to creatively think while using the tools of technology. I think it would be great if Dr. Randy Liepa would appoint a blue ribbon community study group to explore the feasibility of moving away from a hard copy text book and toward open source free material, developed, written and downloaded to a students school provided netbook or Kindle. He could create a partnership with Mayor Jack Kirksey, who ran on a platform of opening up Livonia to the internet with expanded wi-fi and could have an opportunity to bring a technology expansion to Livonia that would attract young people and young families. That's enough. I have to go pick up my latest Stuart Woods book and finish it while sitting beside the pool with my glass of iced tea. |
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“Child Abuse” means different things to different people.... ----Randy Liepa 8/9/12 | |
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| Otis B. | Aug 23 2010, 07:54 AM Post #2 |
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Veteran
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Who authors the content for open source textbooks? That would be my main concern. "Open source" is just another term for free. |
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