Live data from Hacker News

Open: A tool for teachers to create and share lessons with their students

opentheclassroom.com

1–10 of 41 posts

Re: Open: A tool for teachers to create and share lessons with their students

#2
Really like the idea - have been waiting for an application that will allow teachers to become masters of their own digital pedagogical content. However, I'm not a huge fan of the attack on classrooms - perhaps it's a personal opinion, but 'needing improvement' doesn't necessarily mean 'broken', and the statement makes me question the efficacy of a service purporting to be a panacea for all the flaws in a traditional classroom.

Re: Open: A tool for teachers to create and share lessons with their students

#5
Using a single very common word is horrible and will confuse people [0]. If they insist on using the word 'Open', I suggest capitalising it to 'OPEN' maybe?

I welcome cheaper education tools. However there doesn't seem to be anything 'open' about this. No open source code commitment, use is 'free' and students appear to need permission from the teacher to enroll. It seems that they should rename themselves to Online instead.

[0] https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Open

Re: Open: A tool for teachers to create and share lessons with their students

#6
post #2

Really like the idea - have been waiting for an application that will allow teachers to become masters of their own digital pedagogical content. However, I'm not a huge fan of the attack on classrooms - perhaps it's a personal opinion, but 'needing improvement' doesn't necessarily mean 'broken', and the statement makes me question the efficacy of a service purporting to be a panacea for all the flaws in a traditional…

Changed the copy to sound less polemical.

- David, Co-Founder

Re: Open: A tool for teachers to create and share lessons with their students

#7
post #2

Really like the idea - have been waiting for an application that will allow teachers to become masters of their own digital pedagogical content. However, I'm not a huge fan of the attack on classrooms - perhaps it's a personal opinion, but 'needing improvement' doesn't necessarily mean 'broken', and the statement makes me question the efficacy of a service purporting to be a panacea for all the flaws in a traditional…

You might be waiting a long time simply due to one corporation wanting a monopoly over online educational resources, Blackboard Inc [0].

[0] https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Blackboard_In...

Re: Open: A tool for teachers to create and share lessons with their students

#8
post #5

Using a single very common word is horrible and will confuse people [0]. If they insist on using the word 'Open', I suggest capitalising it to 'OPEN' maybe? I welcome cheaper education tools. However there doesn't seem to be anything 'open' about this. No open source code commitment, use is 'free' and students appear to need permission from the teacher to enroll. It seems that they should rename themselves to Online…

Our tool is Open in the sense that access to it for teachers and students is free. The reason teachers and students can't sign up right now is we're in closed beta.

- David, Co-Founder

Re: Open: A tool for teachers to create and share lessons with their students

#9
post #5

Using a single very common word is horrible and will confuse people [0]. If they insist on using the word 'Open', I suggest capitalising it to 'OPEN' maybe? I welcome cheaper education tools. However there doesn't seem to be anything 'open' about this. No open source code commitment, use is 'free' and students appear to need permission from the teacher to enroll. It seems that they should rename themselves to Online…

Our tool is Open in the sense that access to it for teachers and students is free. The reason teachers and students can't sign up right now is we're in closed beta. - David, Co-Founder

How free is free? Do they submit resources that only you can own the copyright to like IMDb does? Can anyone not an official student participate allowing public education?

How are you going to fund maintenance with no clear business model?

I hope it doesn't discourage you!

Post reply on HN