Thursday, February 17, 2011
Open Source Education
I believe there are good and bad things about using Open Source as a means of teaching. It is true that many jobs are becoming more technologically advanced and require much more knowledge about technology than before. However, it is my opinion that a student cannot recieve the same value of education by using Open Source and computers for every subject they learn. I believe that true human interaction is priceless in education and I feel that you cannot recieve this by being a "virtual student." I believe that the more you learn/teach just using computers and Open Source programs, the more socially inept you will become. Not everyone is going to have a job where they will be on a computer 40 hours a week. I believe it kills the creative minds of students and will handicap them in the long run. There are some very good things that can be brought about by using Open Source, but only as a resource for the students and teachers to use periodically.
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I agree that using open source will not allow young minds to be creative. I believe children need nuturing in the early years that only a teacher can give.
ReplyDeleteOf course there are many opportunities to be collaborative in a virtual world but it would be nice to know how they compensate for the lack of face-to face interaction. There is nothing like learning what having a great presence looks like and what it doesn't look like. They need to understand why having good eye contact and being able to communicate effectively is important.
ReplyDeleteI remember taking a public speaking class in high school and getting feedback from my teacher and peers. I still remember some of those key points today.
Today's generation is more comfortable hiding behind technology to communicate instead of interacting face-to-face but they really need to be able to do both effectively.
Sometimes I wonder why it is that administration pushes so much for online instruction? I do agree that students need to be exposed to the various forms of technology, but that doesn't mean we should do away with the basics.
ReplyDeleteThe use of open source education is a new concept for me. I did not view open source education as limiting interactions. I think you have an interesting view. I was so taken with the freedom that this use of technology offered that I saw few down sides. I would agree with there being benefits to face to face time between teacher and student. My question is “What impact will open source education have on our youth?” I would hope the concerns that you raised are taken into account during the planning and evaluation of open source education.
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