Open Source Software (OSS) is computer software that can be used, changed and distributed by users. It’s usually free of charge, and it’s becoming increasingly popular. So why should school leaders pay attention?  Mark Clarkson, ICT teacher explains:  “Open Source tools make it easy for students, parents and staff to access software without the need to buy expensive licenses or to illegally download programs. Microsoft Office ranges in price from £100 to over £500, whereas OpenOffice - which features a powerful word processor, spreadsheet, database and presentation tool equivalent to Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint; comes completely free of charge.”

What are the benefits of using OSS?

Using OSS is likely to reduce licensing costs for schools, and BECTA’s 2005 study shows that “for OSS schools, cost per PC at primary school was half that of non-OSS schools, and cost per PC at secondary school level was around 20% less that that of the non-OSS schools.” However, the benefits go far beyond cost reduction. Miles Berry, Headteacher and BECTA Open Source Schools Community Manager told me that there are four fundamental advantages of using OSS in schools, which allows the freedom to:

•    use the software however you choose
•    study and adapt the software so it fits more closely to a school’s own particular needs
•    improve on what’s there already, through participating in the project’s community
•    distribute programs to students and teachers, so they can use the same platform at home and school

Schools using open source have found other benefits too, such as improved reliability, the chance to use innovative, cutting edge technology, and a greener, more sustainable approach to computing. It all sounds pretty liberating!

OSS is more flexible and adaptable than proprietary software. Mark said “A commercial software developer aims to make money by charging for upgrades or extra functionality - sometimes deliberately limiting functionality so as to avoid competing with another product. With open-source software the opposite is true. Software developers want to meet the needs and requests of the end-users”. There also is a valuable educational message about the advantages of collaboration here too, as open-source software products are created by teams of people who choose to work together towards a common goal. Open-source software is frequently upgraded to take into account recent security issues, bug fixes and essential features.” Moodle, the open-source learning platform, is a great example. It is almost endlessly customisable and modular so that the user can make it their own, and there is a thriving community of committed Moodlers sharing ideas, support and good practice.

Are there any pitfalls my school should be aware of?

I asked Mark whether inertia was a bit problem in getting staff and students on board with using OSS. He said: “Fear, rather than inertia, is a significant factor. People feel comfortable with the names they know and are wary of upsetting the apple cart. There is also an image that ‘free’ software must be given away because it is rubbish and nobody would pay money for it.” Mark also suggested that it takes time to get to know new systems and senior leaders will need to factor training and support into their planning. Generally speaking, it would seem that in the UK we are slightly behind the curve on this. In Eastern Europe, the use of OSS in schools is standard practice.

Will my school get criticised during inspection for using OSS?

Miles said “Becta is increasingly supportive of open source software in schools, publishing some interesting case studies and a study of total cost of ownership savings a few years ago, highlighting concerns over certain proprietary operating systems and office suites, and now supporting the Open Source Schools community of practice for UK teachers and techies. New Cabinet Office guidance is that open source should be the preferred solution for publicly funded projects when all other factors are equal, and Becta is likely to have a key role in advising schools on this.”  Ofsted’s recent report on The Importance of ICT also does much to encourage schools to explore open source for themselves, citing examples of the way open source encourages the development of greater flexibility and transferable ICT capability, as well as helping schools obtain best value in procurement.

Miles added “As OFSTED’s report makes clear, too much ICT in too many schools has been concentrated on training children to use a particular suite of applications rather than in developing a broader ICT capability including the ability to critically reflect on software itself. Open source lets schools do far more with their limited ICT budgets, but the vision has to be there for this. Schools also worry about ongoing support of open source, but those who have tried it generally find the support from online open source project communities far better than that via tech. support helplines, and, of course, commercial support is readily available for the better known applications.”

I’d like to find out more. What do I do next?

Miles urges school leaders to find out more. First and foremost it is well worth encouraging ICT teachers and network managers to join the Open Source Schools community (http://opensourceschools.org.uk,) and to participate in the OSS ‘unconference’ at NCSL on 20th July 2009. Mark recommends: “Senior Leaders in school should try using OpenOffice instead of Microsoft Office, look for examples of Moodle learning platforms and calculate the budget savings in replacing some Windows computers with open-source platforms.”

There is no need to change everything at once. OSS can work well side-by-side with proprietary software. The key thing, particularly during this age of budget cuts, is to look at the ICT curriculum and resources and ask “could we be doing more?” and “could we be doing this for less?”.

Thanks to:

Mark Clarkson @mwclarkson on Twitter

Mark Clarkson is an ICT teacher and Assistant Head of Department in an Outstanding 11-18 school in the North East of England. He works in a school which uses Solaris, Linux, Mac OS X and Windows operating systems and is a firm believer in education and choice when it comes to making decisions about technology.

Miles Berry @mberry on Twitter

Miles Berry is head of Alton Convent Prep and community manager for the Becta supported Open Source Schools community. He is a fellow of Mirandanet, Naace, the RSA and the British Computer Society, and speaks and writes widely on education technology. In addition to open source, his professional interests include programming in schools, knowledge management, informal learning and learner voice.

Resources

http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/

http://milesberry.net

http://opensourceschools.org.uk

http://www.theopendisc.com/education/

http://portableapps.com/

http://php.opensourcecms.com/

http://publications.becta.org.uk/

http://opensourceschools.org.uk/unconference09

Looking for a vibrant new Wordpress.org theme? Look no further!

I have done a serious trawl for the most creative, interesting and appealing Wordpress themes I could find. My taste tends toward the bright, cheery and vibrant; so if lots of black is your thing, or you just love plain blue boxes you might want to move right along!

1. Rock-Kitty.net

This is a fantastic collection of themes. Whilst the organisation of themes is not as slick as some other sites, there is a varied collection of themes here that can easily be previewed and downloaded. The vast majority are free, but licensing does vary.

2. Wordpress themes

There is a really big collection of themes here. I think that a lot of them are pretty run-of-the-mill themes with blue boxes at the top and rounded corners. However, do a little digging and you will find some real gems!

3. Top WP Themes

This site was a great find. Themes are categorised really usefully (so you can search Adsense-ready themes, or designer) and there is some beautiful work.

4. BlogOh!Blog

This was my favourite site for really clean, simple designs. What’s more: the ‘Salient Features of this design’ detail really helps users find exactly what they are looking for.

5. Design Disease

These guys don’t have an enormous swathe of themes, but that doesn’t matter. There are eight themes here that are beautifully designed and deserve a look!

6. Six Revisions

This compilation list of 50 beautiful themes has been doing the rounds since last November, but it’s still tough to beat. It’s where I found my current theme, Notepad Chaos.

If you find a new theme that you love, or perhaps another great site for the list, why not post a link in the comments?

What’s the point of Twitter? Why should educators get involved? What difference does using Twitter make?

Here are some answers that you might like to share.

1. Together we’re better

Teaching can be a lonely business. In a school where lessons are long and lunchtimes are short, not enough conversations between teachers I work with are about learning. We simply don’t have time. Twitter can be like a virtual staffroom for me, which I can step into when it suits me: in the queue at the supermarket or waiting for for the kettle to boil. I know that within seconds I can access a stream of links, ideas, opinion and resources from a hand-picked selection of global professionals.

2. Global or local: you choose

Whilst some Twitter users will not tolerate many overtly egotistical self-publicisers (some celebrities have come under fire for using the service just to broadcast banalities to their flocks of fans), there is no doubt that Twitter users have the potential to reach very large international audiences. In educational terms this is a real eye-opener: before using Twitter I had only limited understanding of educational systems and practices in countries like Australia and the US. It’s now possible for me to actively compare what’s happening in schools in my county with others on different continents. GPS-enabled devices like iPhones and the advanced web search facility allow searches which tell you what people are tweeting within a certain distance of a location, so if the other side of the world isn’t your bag, you can stick with your own patch.

3. Self-awareness and reflective practice

Excellent teachers reflect on what they are doing in their schools and look at what is going well in order to maintain and develop it, and what needs improvement in order to make it better. Teachers on Twitter share these reflections and both support and challenge each other. Reading about other educators’ experiences has made me question my own practice on a number of occasions, and whilst the resulting changes may only be incremental they are nonetheless important steps in the journey to improvement.

4. Ideas workshop and sounding board

Twitter is a great medium for sharing ideas and getting instant feedback. Its speed and instanteity means you can gather a range of opinions and constructive criticism within minutes; which can help enormously whether you are planning a learning experience, writing a policy or putting a job application together. Just this week, Doug Belshaw (@dajbelshaw) shared the experience of preparing for a job interview and used Twitter during interview to demonstrate the intellectual and professional clout of his impressive network.

As a further example, I tweeted whilst writing this post:

Within minutes various kind followers had responded with suggestions, including:

Whilst Twitter users do not have to use it synchronously like instant messanging software, the tool does lend itself well to quick responses.

5. Newsroom and innovation showcase

Sitting down with a newspaper is not a luxury I have the time to enjoy every day. Twitter helps me stay up to date on news and current affairs, as well as on the latest developments in my areas of interest:  school leadership, technology and languages. By following leading individuals and organisations, Twitter users can stay right at the bleeding edge of innovation and creativity, and literally be among the first to know when a new product is launched, article is published or opinion is voiced.

Whilst very innovative folk, teachers equally spend far too much time reinventing the wheel. Twitter helps me to be smarter about my work by sharing resources, ideas, training materials and policies with other schools. Just this week I am putting together a policy recommendation for staff at my school about ensuring their personal details on Facebook are secure. Several colleagues (including Alex Blagona @blagona and Sacha Van Straten @svanstraten) have been kind enough to share work they had already done in this area. I no longer have to start from scratch and will share my finished policy with any educators who would like it. It’s a bit like the principle of  ‘paying it forward’ on a big scale.

6. Professional development and critical friends

One of the best things about training days is the break out time between sessions, when teachers can get together to talk about what they are working on or struggling with. Twitter enables me to have that kind of powerful networking capacity with me all the time. It’s just a matter of finding the right people to follow. As @melaniemcbride said:

“Following smart people on Twitter is like a mental shot of expresso”

Since cash for cover is not always readily available, days out on expensive courses can’t be a regular thing for most teachers. I love to have access to learning on tap through Twitter as it doesn’t require large chunks of my day, or any financial outlay in order to have an impact. Twitter is also a source of healthy debate, and I have learned that if I am going to make a point I can’t be halfhearted about it; as there will be people who disagree! I have grown in confidence when it comes to my own convictions, and now take that back with me into school.

7. Quality-assured searching

I trust the people I follow. I hone and develop the list of people whose insights I value. Drew Buddie (@digitalmaverick) has mentioned several times that he believes his network to be more powerful than Google, and I am beginning to see why. Once your Twitter network grows past a critical mass, you can ask them detailed questions and get higher quality information back than a bog-standard Google search would generally provide, with the inbuilt assurance that it is a respected member of your network providing the information. On a broader scale, Twitter searching provides information about time-linked trending topics that Google cannot.

8. Communicate, communicate, communicate

Expressing yourself in 140 characters is a great discipline. I have become better at saying what needs to be said in my professional communications with less waffle and padding, and I refuse as far as possible to use txtspk. I previously read somewhere that every professional email could in theory be written in just five sentences. That seems luxuriously long!

9. Getting with the times has never been so easy!

There is no good reason why teachers shouldn’t stick with the times, engage with the technology and keep up with the kids. We need to be able to speak the same language and inhabit the same communities (both real and virtual) as our students in order to motivate them and relate to them. Twitter is anything but complicated! You simply visit Twitter.com and create your account. A little light searching using key words for your areas of interest will soon yield a list of interesting people to follow. There are plenty of websites offering advice on getting started and how to avoid a few common beginners’ faux-pas.

Remember, your experience on Twitter is only as high quality as the people who you follow and the information you share.

Your biggest challenge is likely to be getting the twitter.com unblocked on your school network if your main usage will be at school. Personally I find that having Twitter on my iPhone is enough most of the time. I then forward interesting links to my email inbox to look at in detail from my desk.

I hope this piece helps get more teachers involved in using Twitter. Do send it to your teams at school and all those people who don’t quite understand what it’s all about yet. I’m increasingly passionnate about it: Twitter is a very simple tool that allows me to connect with an amazingly clever, resourceful and innovative bunch of people who never fail to inspire and motivate me. Thanks guys!

via Andy Budd - FOWD London 2008 on Vimeo.

YouTube - No Future Left Behind.

Swift Kick Central.

What an amazing collection of inspirational EdTech material!

Thanks to Christine Morris for sharing it.

Social Bookmarking for Educators.

This is a very helpful slideshare presentation with a YouTube video included in it that shows educators how to get started with social bookmarking using tools like Delicious.com. Thanks to Tony Searle for sharing it!

Mark Steed, Principal at Berkhamsted School wrote a very interesting post about schools needing to take responsibility for Digital Literacy, as it is key to pupils’ future success.

You can find the post here: Digital Literacy is a vital preparation for life.

Here is my response:

This is another very interesting post, thank you Mark. It led me to ask: how can school leaders ensure that digital wisdom becomes embedded in an academic curriculum? The use of digital tools in practical or vocational subjects is relatively straightforward. However, I think that the natives need both digital wisdom and digital dexterity to be able to go beyond understanding and manipulating the wealth of information and communication possibilities to generate original content in a more academic context. 

Unfortunately there is a mismatch here in educational goals. On the one hand there is an accepted understanding amongst digital natives that interdependent sharing in data-rich media environments is the best way to learn. However, the primary outcome of school education (organised and maintained by a generation for whom learning with technology may have involved, at best, an Acorn Archimedes) upon which students’ futures rest remains the centuries-old tradition of students sitting alone in an exam hall with a piece of paper and a pen. 

It matters little that coursework may represent a high proportion of the final grade in some practical subjects here. Let’s imagine that the academic subjects’ national assessments reflect a digital learning experience. Then, and only then, will reaching the top of the league tables and providing a modern digital education share the same methodology. Until then, we must expect that some teachers will resist completely embedding ICT into their subject teaching; the pupils have got exams to pass!

I want THIS in my classroom please! 

Whilst I think this is very lovely and the technological wizardry no doubt impressive; it does rather look like the iPhone UI on a grand scale with a good splash of Minority Report. Obviously they couldn’t get Tom Cruise so they put in lots of natural light and well-behaved children.  I am not sufficiently in the know about where Apple are at with all this stuff but I am willing to bet they are about 10 years ahead. Am I right?

via YouTube - Microsoft’s Future Vision Series: Microsoft’s 2019 Future Vision Montage: Envisioning the Future HD.