The Open Source Field Guide for K12

I like to fiddle, experiment, get lost, wander, break things, figure out why the thing broke, identify the real problem, find fun in the stupid problems, and generally get lost in wonder.

I like legos.

Not the actual plastic bricks. As a father, those bring a degree of PTSD. There was a season of life punctuated by the sheer pain of stepping, barefoot, on their jagged edges as I swept into a room to comfort a crying child from their nightmares. I have lego imprints permanently tattooed to the bottom of my feet.

I like the heuristic of legos.

Take components at their base level. Build a car. Build a house. Build a rocketship. Build a world. Legos are pure constructivist pedagogy mixed with creativity. Loosely defined rules that tumble and roll into works of art, or garbage, or something (usually) in between.

Why I like Open Source

Open source works like legos. You play, learn, and build. Also, you're the one doing the creating and building. Sure, you may be doing it with friends, a larger community, or other geeks. But you're building in an open context where everyone gets access to the tools.

I have opinions and views of open source (really, opinions about the importance of creating an open society). But that's not the point of this introduction post. My purpose is to kick off an exploration. I have a hobby of testing out (and sometimes embracing) all sorts of open source software. I'd like to share my hobby.

The Goals of this Series

Broadly, the goal is to explore various opens source tools and identify how they could (or do) support K12 education.

Why K12 education? Partially to narrow the scope of discovery. Also, I'd like to present ideas that could have positive impacts on students and the people who support students. While not only am I an educator with a good bit of insight into the workings of school, I'm also a cofounder of an education software company. I'm sitting in the middle of an interesting venn diagram where many passions overlap. This series is an expression of that passion.

In short, I want to create a field guide for others who are seeking tools to support their work in K12 education.

An Assumption of Audience

Who are you writing for? Always a good question to ask when starting a series. The short answer is the person who finds themself between educator and hobby nerd. I'm not assuming my readers have a complete understanding of all things tech. Indeed, part of this series is to educate (hopefully in a humorous way)!