Open Source Schools
Open Source Schools has evolved from among a community of educators and technologists who want to share their knowledge, experience and insights of using open source software in education. It is both a community of open source practitioners and a website.
The website provides a rich source of information about open source software contributed by members of the community. This includes insights and experiences about the benefits and challenges of using open source set out in case studies, articles and blog posts and through discussion in the forums. There is also a directory of open source applications.
Throughout the two year project a number of face to face events were held enabling the community to grow and members to share their experiences of using open source software.
Post-election and post-Becta, Open Source Schools began to make new plans to ensure that the community was able to respond to the changing educational landscape where the benefits offered by open source were becoming ever more important. An informal steering group, formed from among core community members, agreed to work together on a voluntary basis and a number of tasks were identified. For its part, AlphaPlus continues to host the website and is making funds available to support the work of the community in these early stages. Currently the steering group is planning a conference for senior leaders in April 2011.
