Open Source Schools is here to share information about open source software in schools. Our aim is to help you decide whether open source software might offer benefits for learning, teaching, engaging pupils and parents, managing information and resources, or school administration.

The website provides information and articles about open source software, advice on getting started, case studies of its adoption in schools, a directory for exploring what is available, and a glossary. All registered members are welcome to create content for the site.

We are building a community of people who have experience of open source software in schools, and those who are just getting started. There are a number of forums for you to share ideas and experiences and contribute to the debate about the use of open source software in schools.

Happy Birthday to GNU

Submitted by jamesd on Tue, 07/10/2008 – 1:00am

In this video, Stephen Fry celebrates the 25th birthday of the GNU operating system. Announced on September 27th 1983, GNU is comprised entirely of free software. (2 September 2008)

Cost effective curriculum delivery at Skegness Grammar

By jamesd – Posted on September 22nd, 2008

Skegness Grammar’s ICT Co-ordinator Garry Saddington demonstrated significant cost savings through using open source servers and desktops to deliver the curriculum at this mixed selective specialist sports, maths and computing school.

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Google launches Chrome

Submitted by Clare_Dowland on Tue, 09/09/2008 – 1:00am

Google is launching a new open source browser (1 September 2008)

See Google’s announcement

Download Chrome

Google: big, friendly giant or a greedy Goliath?

Submitted by Clare_Dowland on Mon, 25/08/2008 – 1:00am

Read David Smith’s article from The Observer on Google’s first ten years. (17 August 2008)

How the Google generation thinks differently

Submitted by Clare_Dowland on Mon, 25/08/2008 – 1:00am

Digital-age kids process information differently from parents. Our writer admits misjudging how her son was learning. (9 July 2008)

Read Catherine O’Brien’s article from The Times

Collaboration is the new revolution

Submitted by Clare_Dowland on Sun, 24/08/2008 – 1:00am

If Gordon Brown is still looking for a "big idea", then he could do worse than adopt internet collaboration. That means not just bringing fast broadband internet into the home, especially the homes of poor people, but also to reverse the government’s lamentable resistance to open source. Big corporations, such as IBM, Google and Amazon, are devourers of open source software because they find it cheap, efficient, low-maintenance and reliable. Read the Guardian leader. (18 August 2008)

Elgg v1.0 has left the building

Submitted by Clare_Dowland on Sun, 24/08/2008 – 1:00am

Elgg 1.0 has officially left the building. As the Elgg boys have already announced, it comes in two flavours: a full version with lots of features pre-installed, and a core designed for you to build your own social networking application on top of. (18 August 2008)

2008 Google-O’Reilly Open Source Award Winners

Submitted by Clare_Dowland on Sun, 24/08/2008 – 1:00am

Martin Dougiamas, Moodle‘s founder and lead developer, wins Best Education Enabler. (24 July 2008)

Course Management with Moodle at Perins

Submitted by Clare_Dowland on Sat, 23/08/2008 – 2:34pm

Perins School shieldPerins School is an 11 to 16 mixed comprehensive school in a small town in Hampshire, 6 miles from Winchester with 1000 pupils. Four years ago the school decided to introduce a Moodle VLE for the school to support teaching and learning. The initial decision to try Moodle came from the headteacher following her attendance at a conference at which Moodle was discussed.

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Microsoft backs open source work

Submitted by John Hammond on Mon, 28/07/2008 – 1:00am

Software giant Microsoft is giving financial aid and code to open source projects. It has given cash to the Apache organisation which oversees development of open source web server software. (28 July 2008)

BBC News

Online treasures