This item points us to a useful resource, the Free Reading online early literacy program. The resource is based in a wiki and encourages contributions from volunteers; it is licensed under Creative Commons (By-SA) and so is freely available for anyone to use. As this blog post notes, eSchool News is reporting that "Florida has adopted FreeReading.net on its short list of K-3 supplemental reading programs that schools may use." It is worth noting how open educational resources such as this will vie with commercial resources for accreditation, such as the 600 Skillsoft courses just approved in Australia. This is something to watch. How much does it cost to accredit resources? Right now, it seems that both commercial and noncommercial resources may gain accreditation, but it is not hard to imagine a gerrymandering of the process to freeze out open resources. Something to watch out for.
One more note. The article states that "Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and Richard Baraniuk, an engineering professor at Rice University and founder of the school's Connexions program, have started the Open Education Movement," which is totally false. The Open Education Movement existed long before the Cape Town Declaration and is represented by thousands of people, not the high-profile luminaries picked out by some private foundation.
One more note. The article states that "Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and Richard Baraniuk, an engineering professor at Rice University and founder of the school's Connexions program, have started the Open Education Movement," which is totally false. The Open Education Movement existed long before the Cape Town Declaration and is represented by thousands of people, not the high-profile luminaries picked out by some private foundation.
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