Hi Gita, Great suggestion!
I agree entirely that the current method for submitting "Learning Contracts" is both cumbersome and discriminates against WikiNeighbour's who may not have access to the technologies for scanning or emailing a submission. We will be using the "WikiEducator Gives Back" workshop will implement a new approach to submit LearningContracts directly in the wiki. While I appreciate that many institutions dictate that users must use non-free software, thereby restricting the freedom of educators, as an open source project WE subscribe to free cultural works licensing which means all our content must be available in open and free file formats. This is an ethical commitment to ensure that no educator is forced to purchase a non-free software license or expected to give up their freedoms by using non-free software. Moreover, we have a more compelling responsibility to ensure that all our learners can exercise freedom of choice in the software they use. The OER Foundation is committed to finding creative ways to address these needs without compromising our commitment to free file formats. For example, with funding support from the New Zealand Ministry of Education, we have implemented a web-service on WikiEducator which will convert closed file formats into wiki text. WikiEducators who are logged in can use our OOoConvertor which will, for instance convert MS Word documents into the Mediawiki text -- an open file format. You will find this link under the toolbox on the left-hand side of your browser screen (http://wikieducator.org/Special:OOoConverter ). Watch this space --- WE are making OER futures happen while maintaining our values and commitment to the essential freedoms :-D . I attach a copy of our poster for the "WikiEducator Gives Back" workshop -- please circulate and help us to give the gift of knowledge. You will note that there is a free file format version of this poster available in scalable vector format (svg) to enable future facilitators around the world to customise their own posters. WikiEducators can download a copy of Inkscape (free software) to edit the poster file. Save the svg file to your machine: http://wikieducator.org/File:WE_Gives_Back_poster.svg Download a copy of Inkscape: http://www.inkscape.org/download/?lang=en And have the freedom to edit your own workshop poster! Cheers Wayne On 22 June 2010 17:59, Gita Mathur <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Wikifriends > I have a suggestion regarding the learning contract which our L4C > participants are requested to sign. > > I have just finished eL4C40 on June 18, 2010 & had received emails from > many participants saying they do not have printing & scanning facility > hence they can not send the contract. I fully understand this for my > country & am sure is true in many more countries. > > My suggestion is to have a contract page on WE which can be filled by > the participants & they can add their Wiki Signatures to it. This should > be added to the workshop home page. > > The 'download in open office' Contract is only for Ubuntu users. I > myself am a Ubuntu user & as much as I like to encourage users to use > Open Source Software, I have to understand that many of the workshop > participants use computers in common facilities etc. > > Let us go a step forward to make WE more user friendly when filling & > signing L4C contract can be on We itself. > > Your views on this please. > > Warm regards > Gita > -- > Dr. Gita Mathur > [email protected] > Associate Professor of Botany > Gargi College, University og Delhi, > New Delhi, INDIA > Skype: gitamathur > > http://wikieducator.org/User:Gita_Mathur > http://wikieducator.org/India > http://wikieducator.org/Featured_L4C_graduates > http://wikieducator.org/Learning4Content/Workshops/Online_schedule/eL4C26 > http://wikieducator.org/Learning4Content/Workshops/Online_schedule/eL4C27 > http://wikieducator.org/Learning4Content/Workshops/Online_schedule/eL4C37 > http://wikieducator.org/Learning4Content/Workshops/Online_schedule/eL4C40 > http://wikieducator.org/Learning4Content/Workshops/Online_schedule/eL4C41 > http://wikieducator.org/User:Gita_Mathur/Botany_Teaching_and_Research_Pages > http://www.wiziq.com/Gita > > > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "WikiEducator Teacher Collaboration Forum" group. > To post to this group, send email to > [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > wikieducator-teacher-collaboration-forum+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<wikieducator-teacher-collaboration-forum%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator-teacher-collaboration-forum?hl=en > . > > -- Wayne Mackintosh, Ph.D. Director, International Centre for Open Education, Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. Board of Directors, OER Foundation. Founder and Community Council Member, Wikieducator, www.wikieducator.org Mobile +64 21 2436 380 User Page: http://wikieducator.org/User:Mackiwg Skype: WGMNZ1 Twitter: OERFoundation, Mackiwg -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]
