Improvement of Elements of our Educational System using O.S. solutions

michael @ Mon, 10/02/2006 - 22:26

Project:	OSDDP Project
Component:	White Paper
Category:	revision
Priority:	normal
Assigned:	michael
Status:	needs review

Description

Our team has decided to investigate the potential positive effects of using open source technologies to improve our educational systems. This topic is important to our team as well as the development of communication and openness within our schools. Many different aspects of our educational system can be taken into consideration. Our team has uncovered only a few so far. Through further investigation and research, we hope to cover an even larger area to improve.

One problem that is evident in our schools systems is the overlapping of curriculum alignments between schools. Without open communication and a way to reach that level of openness, this problem may not go away. Our group will investigate the possible open source solutions that could fit the needs of these communication and collaboration channels that are not being met.

Our group had also been looking towards the improvement of our ESL or ENL, English as a second or new language, programs. We will investigate some of the troubles within these programs that could use improvement and we intend to suggest possible solutions using open source technologies.

Another aspect of our school systems that is having trouble is the teacher/staff capabilities of being able to identify children with mental or physical disabilities early in their educational careers. When these children are detected and assisted, the multiple services used overlap in their coverage as well. These children in need are being assisted by different individuals when consistency is most important. Our group will investigate the possibilities of open source technologies that could improve the communication between these services in order to provide adequate, consistent assistance to students in need. We will also examine the possibility of technologies that could assist in teacher/staff abilities to identify warning signs early in a child’s educational process.

Through further research, there may be a broader coverage of potential positive solutions to problem areas of our educational system using open source technologies

Updates

Attachment:

AnnotatedBib_Team3.pdf (124.96 KB)

Status:

active

» needs review

Our team has decided to investigate the potential positive effects of using open source technologies to improve our educational systems. This topic is important to our team as well as the development of communication and standardization within our schools. Many different aspects of our educational system can be taken into consideration. Our team has decided to focus on one important aspect that has a need for improvement.

Through further investigation and research, we hope to suggest a positive change in our ESL (English as a second language) programs through using open source technologies (programs and software) to aid in the change. This software suggestion will be focused on a nation-wide effort for improvement through flexible programs on an evolutionary track to success.

Our group will investigate the possible open source solutions that could fit the needs of these communication and collaboration channels that are not being met. We will investigate some of the difficulties within the current ESL or ENL programs that could use improvement, and we intend to suggest possible solutions using open source technologies. The open source software proposed is one that will be distributed on a wide scale to cash-strapped schools for a fraction of the price normal computer software. This advantage is the perfect reason for developing these sorts of open programs on a national scale.

Through further research, there may be a broader coverage of potential positive solutions to problem areas of our educational system using open source technologies.

Attachment:

Team1_DraftII_WhitePaper.doc (59.5 KB)

The following is Team 1's updated Draft II of our white paper on Using an Open Source Technology to Teach English to Hispanic Students.

Good Job

cmewing

Sat, 10/21/2006 - 21:55

Good job team. The layout of your paper was done very nice. The headings made it very simple to follow. In the very first two paragraphs you start out with the exact same sentence, I would try to reword one of those so that they are not exactly the same, but are still making the point. It seemed to flow well together even though you used the divide and conquer medthod. This method doesn't always seem the best way to go, but I have found that when in a group setting like ours it is the easiest way to get the job done. The information was very informative. It did not come across to me as though you were trying to sell something. Great use of resources.

revision suggestions

mcoduti

Fri, 10/20/2006 - 20:46

I read through your report keeping in mind the points you specified. Because most of the paper consists of individual sections put together, I don't see much of a "flow" issue. I liked how the paper outlined the issue very clearly but I also felt that there were a lot more problems brought up with teaching another language than incorporating an open sourced solution would fix.

I did think that the paper sounding kind of like a sales pitch. This is because the idea of using open source software is thrust into the open. Instead of saying - "The main goal of our software proposal is. . ."

perhaps using a more subtle introduction like

"an open-software that achieves. . ., helps the growth and development of. . . and prepares children to. . . would. . .(fix everything)"

would, without making the intro. sound so much like a "pitch," allow the solution to present itself instead of you presenting the solution.

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