Open source software

Title of the Article: Transforming high school classrooms with Free / Open Source Software: it's time for an open source software revolution

Author: Jay Pfaffman 

Name of Journal: The High School Journal, Volume 91, Number 3, February-March 2008, pp. 25-31 (article)

URL: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/high_school_journal/v091/91.3pfaffman.pdf

Abstract:

Free/Open Source Software (FOSS) applications meet many of the software needs of high school science classrooms. In spite of the availability and quality of FOSS tools, they remain unknown to many teachers and utilized by fewer still. In a world where most software has restrictions on copying and use, FOSS is an anomaly, free to use and to redistribute without restrictions. 

This article discusses similarities between the development of FOSS and the development of scientific knowledge. Moreover, it provides examples of FOSS for high school science classrooms. Thus, it is just perfect to use FOSS for science classroom dealing with subject matter like molecules, periodic table, and astronomy such as stars, galaxies, and a realistic 3-D sky.

Three Things I learned:

 1.    I learned the practical applications of FOSS in teaching students in the classroom particularly for science subjects.

2.     I became aware of the uses and applications of FOSS tools that can support education in high schools in general science education in particular continue to grow. Using FOSS offers a particular means to give teachers and students the tools they need in the classroom.

3.      Finally, I learned that FOSS itself models the way that science is developed and propagated. Because there is much similarity between FOSS and science thus giving students a better understanding for how science works.

Implications/Applications:

As a science teacher, this article is very helpful to me. I could apply the different things I learned in teaching science. And these applications are all for free. In this way, students will 100% understand and retain longer to their memories the different lessons that used FOSS applications. This is because they see objects that behave as exactly as the original objects behave like the realistic 3-D sky. Hence, it is essential and there is a need to integrate FOSS into science classroom.