The American Education System is Like an Old Building

If there is one thing we can all agree on it is that the educational system is broken. There are plenty of solutions out there but they all feature one fatal flaw, they attempt to build on top of an already collapsing structure.

This type of thinking is pervasive in American politics. Is something not working? Stick some legislation on top of it, that oughta' take care of it! Imagine if a construction company were tasked with fixing a collapsing apartment building and they said "I know! Let's just put some penthouses on the top! That should straighten it right out!"

Our educational system is like a building. No matter how big and beautiful a structure may be it is never meant to last forever. There comes a time when you must stop attempting to prop up the crumbling structure and decide instead to bring the building down in a controlled way and use what was learned to build a better, stronger and ultimately longer lasting structure in it's place. That doesn't mean the original architects failed, it simply means that time has passed and new must eventually replace old.

The educational system has been treated like this since it's beginning. It has had reforms tacked on one after the other. We have never as a nation seen it a a good idea to simply say you know what, let's just scrap this and start again.

Understand that I am not a fan of having Congress create a new school system from scratch, I can't say I fully trust their judgement when it comes to what is best for our educational system. However I do trust our teachers. Why not let the teachers decide what our educational system needs.

Leaders rely on data to show what problems exist at the classroom level. The problem is that there is no way to reliably gather data about what the problems really are. It's like being in a war and the troops on the ground calling for a strike on approaching enemy troops and the people controlling the missiles say "No, we have data that says the problem is actually over this way. Let's shoot there." It's reckless and potentially has vast unintended consequences. Let the teachers have a say, they know where the problems are and can help guide the hand of the government to the right answers.

The teachers are with the students every day. In the trickle down of the system, they are where the proverbial 'sh*t' rolls. We have the power to devise a system by which leaders can crowd source solutions to the plagues of the system from those that truly know what those problems are. Trust the people that know what is happening on the battlefield. Protect the ones that are living in the crumbling building. Don't just build around them, give them a new and better place to call home.

I Love Open Source

image: Bill McConkey
I love Open Source. This wouldn't be a surprise to anyone that knows me but few people actually understand why I am so enamored with the idea of Open Source. I thought I should take a minute and explain why Open Source is so important to me.


What is Open Source?

I have talked about Open Source before but I will quickly redefine it here. Open Source refers to software where the source code is shared to the public. This means that anybody can access the code, make changes and release the results themselves. While this began as a type of software licensing it quickly evolved into a way of life for people like myself.

I became fed up with traditional software programs. Programs that cost $500 simply because they could. I soon found that Open Source software was highly competitive as far as the feature set but more often then not was completely free to download and use. Programs like Photoshop, Dreamweaver and even Windows itself could be replaced with an Open Source alternative.

Open Source put simply means to share. Share your resources so that others may stand on your shoulders. This leads to better options and features for everyone. In addition to forcing to big players to work harder and adapt faster to keep their market share. 


It's Quick to Adapt

This is my favorite part of Open Source. Unlike proprietary software which is usually developed and updated by a small number of people, Open Source uses the power of crowd sourcing to develop extensions, additions and updates which can repair bugs and often keep to development cycles that would bankrupt a software company. This leads to software that evolves at such a fast rate that certain Open Source packages are becoming equal to or better than their proprietary counterparts. 


It's Uncomplicated

Let say you are in charge of installing and updating the operating systems on the computers in your school. If you were to use Windows or Mac you would have to work purchase a volume license in order to install and activate the OS on all the systems. The same must be done with all programs that require a license to activate. Anyone who has experienced this could explain what a headache this can often turn into.

With Open Source this isn't necessary. Simply install the program and it is ready to run. On Linux (a popular Open Source Operating System) there are simple methods to install many applications through the command line, which would allow an administrator to quickly and efficiently install and update programs with little frustration.


It's Fun

I've always had a sense of adventure when it comes to technology. I like experimenting with new technologies and trying then out for the first time. With many proprietary programs I am forced into using a feature crippled trial version or a version that is only usable for a limited amount of time. With Open Source software I can try as many programs as I like. If I don't like it I simply uninstall it and try something else. This satisfies my sense of adventure because it allows me to experiment without having to break the bank.


It's Free!*

Most Open Source software is free. There is an asterisk next to this one because not all of the software is free, however so much of it is free it deserves a mention. Open Source is often free because with public access to the programs code anyone could compile and release the program free of charge, thereby undercutting the developers revenue. While selling Open Source software is perfectly fine within the scope of the Open Source guidelines, it is often looked down by the more strict adherents to the Open Source philosophy.


Again, I love Open Source. It is easy, fun, free and quick to adapt. I use Open Source whenever the opportunity presents itself and apply the same Open Source guidelines to many other aspects of my life. If you take the time to try out Open Source software most of you will not be disappointed. You can find some links to the more popular Open Source programs and programs below. Try one of them out and let me know what you think in the comments.

Ubuntu - Currently the most popular Open Source operating system available.
Linux Mint - Another widely used Open Source operating system.
Android - A very popular phone OS release by Google
FireFox - One of the most popular Open Source programs available.
LibreOffice - An Open Source replacement for Microsoft Office.


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