Free Open Source Software

What is it?

Free Open Source Software (FOSS) can be used, studied, and modified without restriction (freely), and can be copied and redistributed freely.

Why use it in your school?

Free Open Source software can be useful for schools where teachers want to

give free software legally to students to use on their home computers to continue with their learning outside of the school situation.
ensure that students learn with and experience more than the expensive propriety software to reduce the risk of future vendor lock in

Tips:

It is useful to install and use the software on the school network as well as giving it to students. This allows for seamless working between school and home.

Don't refer to the brand name when engaging in a task. For example

We are not producing a Word document, we are word processing.
We are learning how to spreadsheet not just using Excel
It is not a Powerpoint, it is a presentation, etc

Give a CD/DVD of educationally relevant FOSS software to students when they enroll in your school.

Software Freedom Day

Generally speaking, our extended school communities are not aware of the opportunities that Free Open Source Software offers to them for education, work and play. Parents may be skeptical that the software, being free, is in some way sub standard. It is is useful to educate the school community via whatever means you have at your disposal (eg parent meetings, newsletter, local media, etc)

Software Freedom Day is an international event designed to do just that. Teams across the globe facilitate events on the second Saturday in September each year to celebrate free software and to educate their communities.

Resources

South Australian Schools – FOSS CD. A group of South Australian technical support and teachers are working on a customised free software CD

Software Freedom Day site provides the place to register teams, subscribe to the email list and wiki space to promote and organise your team.

The Open Education Disc is a CD image that is packed full of software that is particularly relevant to education. It can simply be downloaded and burnt to CD's. There is artwork for the label and cover that can be customised as you need (eg remove and add bits including your school logo) This CD provides an easy way for teachers and schools to use and distribute free software to their students and communities.

Last Modified 2/17/08 7:36 PM