Open Source for Educators

Here a few of the Open Source links that I clicked on:

Edubuntu http://www.edubuntu.org/:

Edubuntu is derived from the African word Ubuntu. Ubuntu means humanity to others. The most amazing feature of this company is that everything is available free of charge. I think a pro for this software is the users capability to mold the software to fit whomever wishes to use it. This is definitely a pro for educators. As an educator, one will teach students off all different backgrounds and learning abilities. There is usually two versions of the software available: one that is a concrete version and the other a work in progress. Edubuntu alerts consumers of updates and releases. A new version is released every six months. Predictability can work in an educator's favor. The program seems diverse, applicable and accessible. I have not found any cons just yet. I am currently still looking. The software is very teacher friendly and encourages revisions. I guess the only con would be a lack computers in the classroom.

Okay, after a few more clicks I have found some cons. If you request to order by CD it will take ten weeks. If the computer is not able to download large images, you would have to buy a CD or DVD through Amazon.com. The price is $12.99. The cost may pose a problem if you have to purchase more than one for multiple computers. When I attempted to download the software, I encountered a small problem. I was asked to choose a location near me but none of the options were familiar. As an educator, I would have to do a little more work than expected.


OpenCourseWare Consortium http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/about/about/index.htm :

Although this site was a little confusing, I searched and found some really cool features. The software is open to the world but the institution must join. There is a list of requirements to join as a member. From what I read the site makes coursework, readings and etc. open to members. The students do not have to buy textbooks. The site offers free course material. OCW makes education accessible to all. There is a link to read about students in countries like Zambia. The student was thankful. He said before OCW was introduced to the college, it was hard to get an internet connection. Now, it is easy for professors to access educational resources without long waits. Students who do not have excellent resources or internet access benefit from this site the most. A student shared that he did not really understand a topic presented in class. He was in the library and found a CD about OCW but the library would not give him a copy. He copied the web address and accessed the site from home. The student was able to find review questions and a course outline. This site is amazing. The pro for this site is that education is available to a diverse population worldwide. The con is that the site seems to be catered towards a certain field. Another pro is that the site has course work on over 20 majors. The con is that the information is outdated. Some of the information was published in 2003. For example, there is a course titled Brain Laboratory. It was published in Spring 2002. I am quite sure the neurological field has advanced since 2002. I hope that some of the information the students are accessing is still useful. For instance, the readings that are assigned to some of the courses may be outdated. Another con is the sites audience is limited to college students and educators.