Through this I introduce two more Wikieducators and believers of FOSS <smile>. Jitendra and Ashima Deshmukh. They would love to be part of our google group as well as all discussions. Wayne/Patricia you'll take care of this?
Savithri On Sun, May 9, 2010 at 3:44 PM, jitendra <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Dr Savithri Singh > Thanks for the prompt response. > My phone number is 9892288943 > I wish to be part of the googlegroup. Pl send the link. > I have registered myself on the wikieducator site and also for an online > course announced therein. > I am sure we can synergize. > I will also try and call you. > I am enclosing herewith my intervention in a email discussion maintained by > UNESCO as 'Solution Exchange _Education' and 'Solution Exchange on ICT for > development' , just for info. > > > warm regards > jitendra > > Dear Members, > > > > The RTE has strived to break the centuries old system of caste which the > state was unable to address for 60 years after independence in this unique > country. However better late than never. In that sense RTE is welcome. > > > > There is no doubt that the present recommendation is based on a much better > study and debate than many such attempts earlier, in no small measure due to > the SSA , with all its limitations. But apart from many other things, the > focus of this thread of discussion is ICT as a potential leveler. Like most > progressive tools, this is also amenable to be cornered by vested interests > and thus be a medicine that could be worse than the disease. But maybe there > is a silver lining. Given the disruptive power of ICT, the unique > possibility of it causing the leveling and that even before the elite wakes > up to it, is what I believe is a hope, a silver lining. > > > > There is unmistakable trend of commercialized approach to education. > Worse, the trend is towards corporatization of the education system. The > output of the existing system of factory made degrees is well received (with > due murmur of grudges for the record) by the corporate world. And this has > been spurred by the IT sector of the corporate world which needs more and > more 'techno-coolies'. > > However, the RTE and use of ICT together posit an opportunity to deliver > and counteract this very trend – towards a generation of innovative creative > learners and developers of innovations rather than passive users. > > This can be achieved not by proprietary systems in corporate way, as many > stalwarts in the field advocate and/or practice, but in an opposite way, > i.e. as Free, Open source and in a collaborative way. > > In the absence of adequate infrastructure, trained teachers and in the > midst of bureaucratized institutional structures, the redeeming > characteristic of directly reaching the learner is provided by the ICT. The > only major obstacle is: no clarity on what constitutes good learning. The > Point is: unless the norms and standards of what is learning are restored to > development of multiple intelligences and counter posed to the coaching > class culture, we shall produce the stuff that can only be a generation of > non thinking submissive users and slaves to the new global economy rather > than what would be feasible and desirable i.e. masters of it. Herein lies > the danger and opportunity of the RTE. > > Hence we need an: > > - OER based( Open Education Resources, for a good definition see UNESCO > website, better still follow FOSS ) , > - FOSS (Free and Open Source) supported , > - Localized, > - Repositories on > > 1. Local area network (LAN), > > 2. Intranets (of every college and school) > > 3. Internet > > - Of learning environments (not dead 'content') with constructionist > (which emphasizes with good theoretical basis, importance of computer > media) > approach > - To collaboratively transform the learning environment with access > (inclusiveness), expansion (scalability) and excellence (quality). In the > context of school education, duly modified National Curricular > Framework-2005 (by NCERT) should guide. > - Government institutions are hamstrung but have the scale. NGOs have > limited resources but have agility and updated, balanced view. The two have > to synergies. The whole exercise has to become a viable enterprise with > appropriate, inclusive business models. Corporations (particularly > education > vendors) should not be allowed to hijack the education but instead should > be > given space to support the inclusive affordable education by appropriate > business models. Here the non-corporate and non-government, sensitive Sudha > Murthy and Rohini Nilekani's may be best examples to emulate. > > > > More concretely - Can we take an initiative to create a sustainable model > for the following? > > - Localizing In Indian languages content that includes: (through a > participatory web-based collaboration among teachers, parents, voluntary , > NRI Volunteers) > > (a) Interface of and resources selected from www.curriki.org(Initially > 1000 resources from among 32000 posted there) > > (b) Learning resources on Maths and Science from www.amser.org(Wisconsin > University) > > (c) Information pages from > > (i) Netlogo (the Centre for Connected Learning at Northwester University, > Chicago ccl.northwestern.edu <http://www.ccl.northwestern.edu/>) > > (ii) Scratch (scratch.mit.edu <http://www.scratch.mit.edu/> ) > > (d) Internet Scout Report ( > scout.wisc.edu<http://www.scout.wisc.edu/>) (again Wisconsin University > initiative) > > (e) Educational Stories (many Russian origins) as available on > www.arvindguptatoys.com > > (f) Build tutorials around the 1 minute films for toy making on > www.arvindguptatoys.com that bring out the science > > (g) Sound tracks of Videos of toy making in languages other than > already available > > (h) Create ICT enabled versions of books from MIR publications (erstwhile > Russian) on science > > > > - A repository of FOSS software for school managements including a > cloud based service. > - Free collaborative learning platforms with private initiatives ( > www.classle.net also pw collaborative (free) product from > www.directi.com ) > - Repository of all such resources with free access combined with some > resources on subscription basis (to recover cost and to make the system > self > sustaining. > - Setup an LMS for online certification courses, through recognised > educational institutions ,on ICT based learning ( if classle.net or > something similar is not sufficient) example: > > (a) Technology: Moodle, Drupal,(or Sakai/Kuali) > > (b) Educational Software: Netlogo (Modelling) > Sage (Mathematics), Geogebra (Algebra+Gemometry), Blender3d (Animation file > making), FOSS GIS (Geoserver/Mapserver, Open layers, Ggis etc), STEP > (Physics), VigyaanCD.org (Bioinformatics), Blender3D ( animation) > > (c) Set up a LMS+CMS for all schools/students/teachers to create their > own profiles, submit projects, peer review of the same, (checking > plagiarism): subscribed service with concessions to target audience. > > > > And Last but not the least: > > - With upcoming thrust in Open Schools ( at school level), Community > College (at +2+2 level) and Open university( at degree levels) support > IGNOU ( or alternative ) in creating the ODTEL , an open source framework > for open and distributed Technology Enhanced learning . i.e not allow the > resources to be divided in bureaucratic splitting and vendor grabbing. > - Creating an incentive scheme for teachers/students who contribute to > resources like the above. > - Use various means of delivery from internet, EDUSAT,VSATS,CSCs, etc > riding on thousands of miles of fiber already on the ground and the > wireless > coming up. > - Create a mobile-based micropayment model for easy revenue gathering. > > > > It will help compare the two contrasting approached of the same MHRD > ministry in this context. The National Mission on Education through ICT > (NMEICT) for higher education that advocates freedoms open source and the > ICT Policy for school education that relies on corporate and proprietary > solutions. > > > > Regards, > > Jitendra Shah > > Indictrans > > Mumbai > > -- Savithri Singh Principal Acharya Narendra Dev College (University of Delhi) Govindpuri, Kalkaji New Delhi 110019 Ph: 011 26294542, 011 29293224 Res: 25848151, 25843496 Fax: 011 26294540, Res: 25848151 http://beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/article397395.ece http://eduframe.net/andc http://andcollege.du.ac.in http://andc.info http://wikieducator.org/Acharya_Narendra_Dev_College http://wikieducator.org/User:Savi.odl http://wikieducator.org/India http://wikieducator.org/India/wikieducator_launch Please do not print this email unless it is absolutely necessary. Spread environmental awareness. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. 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