1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,480 All right, so today, today we are diving into something that's near and dear to my heart, 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:10,240 and that is the intersection of education and technology. 3 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:11,240 Yeah. 4 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:17,840 Specifically, we are going to be looking at how open source software is being used to 5 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:21,240 tackle some of the challenges that we see in rural schools. 6 00:00:21,240 --> 00:00:23,240 Yeah, yeah, this is a fascinating area. 7 00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:24,240 Oh, absolutely. 8 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:25,520 It really is, you know. 9 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:27,600 We hear a lot about this digital divide. 10 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:28,600 We do. 11 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:33,280 The question that's unpacked today is how open source can actually help bridge that 12 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:34,280 gap. 13 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:39,880 Exactly, and we are taking a deep dive into a chapter from the book, Open Source Online 14 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:42,080 Learning in Rural Communities. 15 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:44,240 And you know me, I love a good case study. 16 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:45,240 Oh, yeah. 17 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:50,320 So we're talking real schools, real challenges, and hopefully some really creative solutions. 18 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:51,840 Yeah, absolutely. 19 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,080 And just so we're all on the same page, when we talk about open source, what we're talking 20 00:00:55,080 --> 00:01:02,200 about is software that is free to use, free to modify, and free to distribute. 21 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:06,880 And as you might imagine, that is a huge draw for schools that are working with limited 22 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:07,880 budgets. 23 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:09,360 Oh, for sure, especially rural schools. 24 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:10,360 Right, exactly. 25 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:11,360 Exactly. 26 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:12,360 Yeah, yeah. 27 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:18,200 It's like the ultimate bargain bin, except everything is really high quality and actually 28 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:19,200 useful. 29 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,360 Precisely, precisely. 30 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:28,680 We're talking about tools like Moodle, which is like a customizable online classroom, Mahara, 31 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:35,240 which is a platform for creating digital portfolios, even things like Jitsi for video 32 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:36,240 conferencing. 33 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:37,240 Right, yeah. 34 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:38,240 All open source. 35 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,480 Yeah, so we've got all this like amazing free technology. 36 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:42,480 We do. 37 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:46,880 But you know, as we know, rural schools face some pretty unique challenges. 38 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:47,880 Right. 39 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:52,120 And with these highlights, those challenges can make it difficult to implement technology, 40 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:53,440 even when it is free. 41 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:54,440 Right. 42 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:59,080 We're talking smaller budgets, fewer staff members, difficulty attracting specialized 43 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:00,080 teachers. 44 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,800 And then of course, you have that ever present hurdle of geographic isolation. 45 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:04,800 Yeah, right. 46 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:05,800 It paints a picture. 47 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:06,800 It does. 48 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:07,800 It does. 49 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:08,800 Yeah. 50 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,360 So let's get into these case studies, because the first one that really jumped out to me 51 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:15,120 was Northern, Middle and High School. 52 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:20,600 And they were really on a mission to create a more dynamic learning environment, but their 53 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:25,760 existing learning management system or LMS was kind of holding them back. 54 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:26,760 Yes. 55 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:32,440 This is a great example of how open source can be so much more than just a budget solution. 56 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,920 It's about this flexibility and this customization. 57 00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:41,640 And in Northern's case, their old LMS was like a digital filing cabinet. 58 00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:42,800 Oh, no. 59 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:44,440 It was clunky. 60 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:47,480 It was hard to navigate and to make matters worse. 61 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:48,480 Oh, no. 62 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:50,680 They lost important data when it crashed. 63 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:52,680 Oh, the dreaded system crashed. 64 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:54,440 Oh, tell me about it. 65 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:55,440 Every teacher's nightmare. 66 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:56,440 I know, right? 67 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:57,440 Yeah. 68 00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:58,440 So what did they do? 69 00:02:58,440 --> 00:02:59,440 What did they do? 70 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:00,440 Yeah. 71 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:05,000 Well, that's when they turned to Moodle, which we talked about earlier. 72 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,520 And they were drawn to the fact that it offered this wider range of features. 73 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:17,680 And crucially, had those data backups to prevent that kind of catastrophic data loss. 74 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:18,680 Smart. 75 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:19,680 Right. 76 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:20,680 Yeah. 77 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:21,680 Makes sense. 78 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:22,680 You would think. 79 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:23,680 So they ditched the filing cabinet. 80 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:24,680 They went for this more robust system. 81 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:25,680 Yeah. 82 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:26,680 Did it work? 83 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:28,640 It did, but wasn't exactly a seamless transition. 84 00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:29,640 Okay. 85 00:03:29,640 --> 00:03:33,960 Initially, the teachers found Moodle a bit difficult to navigate. 86 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:34,960 Really? 87 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:35,960 Yeah. 88 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:36,960 Some of the features weren't very intuitive. 89 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:37,960 Okay. 90 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:38,960 And it felt a bit overwhelming. 91 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:39,960 Yeah. 92 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,520 I can see how that would be frustrating for teachers. 93 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:43,520 Yeah. 94 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:44,680 Yeah, especially, you know. 95 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,640 Especially because teachers have so much on their plate already. 96 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:48,640 Right. 97 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:50,880 They don't need something else to have to like, you know. 98 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:51,880 Exactly. 99 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:54,440 And this is where the beauty of open source comes in. 100 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:55,440 Okay. 101 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:56,960 Remember how we talked about that customization? 102 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:57,960 Yeah. 103 00:03:57,960 --> 00:03:58,960 Yeah. 104 00:03:58,960 --> 00:03:59,960 Northern took that to heart. 105 00:03:59,960 --> 00:04:00,960 What do you mean? 106 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:02,640 They formed a committee of teachers. 107 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:03,640 Okay. 108 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:05,280 To provide direct feedback on Moodle. 109 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:06,280 Wait. 110 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:07,960 So the teachers actually had a say. 111 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:08,960 Exactly. 112 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:09,960 In how this platform worked. 113 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:11,360 That's amazing, right? 114 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:12,560 That's really cool. 115 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:13,960 They were not passive users. 116 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:14,960 I love that. 117 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:19,880 They were active participants in shaping the technology to fit their needs. 118 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:20,880 That's the dream. 119 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:21,880 Right. 120 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:22,880 So they simplify the navigation. 121 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:23,880 Okay. 122 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,240 They added tools specifically for grading. 123 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:27,240 Smart. 124 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,520 They even integrated features for marking up PDFs. 125 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,200 You know, the things that teachers use every single day. 126 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:34,200 Right. 127 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:35,200 Yeah. 128 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:36,200 Exactly. 129 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:37,200 Yeah. 130 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:38,520 They're a great place to get their digital workspace. 131 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:39,520 It's fantastic. 132 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:40,520 Yeah. 133 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:41,840 So what was the outcome of all this? 134 00:04:41,840 --> 00:04:43,680 So they didn't stop with just Moodle. 135 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:44,680 Okay. 136 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:45,680 They integrated it with Mahara. 137 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:46,680 Uh-huh. 138 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:48,600 That open source portfolio platform we talked about. 139 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:49,600 Right. 140 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:51,800 To create this completely seamless experience. 141 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:52,800 Wow. 142 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:54,200 For teachers and students. 143 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:55,200 Okay. 144 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:56,200 And this is key. 145 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:59,840 By giving teachers ownership of this process. 146 00:04:59,840 --> 00:05:00,840 Yeah. 147 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:05,600 They transformed a potentially overwhelming system into something incredibly powerful 148 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:06,600 and user friendly. 149 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:07,600 That's amazing. 150 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:08,600 And that's something. 151 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:09,600 It is. 152 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:10,600 Yeah. 153 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:12,160 So, okay, but this is just one school. 154 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:13,160 Right. 155 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:17,680 Like what was this kind of success unique to Northern or are there other examples of 156 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:18,680 this? 157 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:19,680 Oh, we are just getting started. 158 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:20,680 Okay. 159 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:21,680 Let's move on to Crossroads Elementary. 160 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:22,680 Okay. 161 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:23,680 They faced a very different challenge. 162 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:24,680 Okay. 163 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,160 They had a small group of students that were ready for Algebra 1. 164 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:28,160 Okay. 165 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,080 But no on-site teacher available. 166 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:31,080 Wow. 167 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:32,080 Yeah. 168 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:34,320 Talk about a specific need, right? 169 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:35,320 Very specific. 170 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:36,800 What did they even do in that situation? 171 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:37,800 Well. 172 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:39,640 Like bust the kids to another district. 173 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:43,240 So they initially tried what seemed like the obvious solution. 174 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:44,240 What? 175 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:45,240 Webcams. 176 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:46,240 Okay. 177 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,920 And free video chat software to kind of beam in this teacher remotely. 178 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:50,920 Like distance learning. 179 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:51,920 Excuse us. 180 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,240 I suppose it's silver bullet. 181 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:55,240 Right. 182 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:56,240 Oh, I bet that went swimmingly. 183 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:57,240 Yeah. 184 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:58,240 You can probably guess how that went. 185 00:05:58,240 --> 00:05:59,240 Yeah. 186 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:00,240 How'd it go? 187 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:01,240 Very video. 188 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:03,040 Terrible audio. 189 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:05,800 It's actually impossible for the students to ask questions. 190 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:06,800 Right. 191 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:08,040 Or interact meaningfully. 192 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:09,200 Of course. 193 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:14,960 It just highlighted how this one-size-fits-all approach to technology often falls short. 194 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:15,960 It does. 195 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:17,600 Especially in rural contexts. 196 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:18,600 Totally. 197 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:19,600 Yeah. 198 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:20,600 It's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. 199 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:21,600 It is. 200 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,600 Sometimes the simplest solution is actually the most complicated. 201 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:25,600 Yeah. 202 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:26,600 It really can be. 203 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:27,600 Yeah. 204 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,360 It's like you can't just throw technology at a problem and expect it to be solved. 205 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:31,360 Right. 206 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:35,280 It's got to be used in a way that actually works for... 207 00:06:35,280 --> 00:06:36,280 Exactly. 208 00:06:36,280 --> 00:06:37,280 Exactly. 209 00:06:37,280 --> 00:06:41,520 And sometimes you have to get a little creative, which is exactly what Crossroads did. 210 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:47,040 They realized they needed something a little more robust than just your average video chat. 211 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:51,000 So they turned to, you guessed it, open source. 212 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,080 This time they went with Jitsie. 213 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:54,080 Jitsie, okay. 214 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,720 A free open source video conferencing platform. 215 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:57,720 Okay. 216 00:06:57,720 --> 00:06:58,720 I've actually heard of that. 217 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:00,880 I think, I don't know, we might even use that for some of our meetings. 218 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:01,880 Yeah. 219 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:02,880 Yeah. 220 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:03,880 It's known for being super reliable. 221 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,200 It has all the features, screen sharing. 222 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:07,200 Right. 223 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:10,960 And importantly, that high quality video and audio. 224 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:11,960 Right. 225 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,360 But here's where Crossroads went above and beyond. 226 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:15,360 Okay. 227 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:19,160 They took the time to figure out the best camera setup. 228 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:20,160 Okay. 229 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:25,520 So that the whiteboard was crystal clear for those students that were watching remotely. 230 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,760 It's funny how like those little details can make such a big difference. 231 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:30,760 Huge. 232 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:31,760 Yeah. 233 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:32,760 Absolutely. 234 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:34,160 Did that, did that attention to detail pay off? 235 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:35,160 It absolutely did. 236 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:36,160 Okay. 237 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:42,080 Not only were they able to successfully offer Algebra 1 to these students, but they stumbled 238 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,240 on some unexpected benefits too. 239 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:45,240 Like what? 240 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:47,640 Because they were recording these Jitsie sessions. 241 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:48,640 Right. 242 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:51,080 Those recordings became valuable study tools. 243 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:52,080 Oh, cool. 244 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:53,080 For the students. 245 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:54,080 That's awesome. 246 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:55,080 They even share them with other teachers. 247 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:56,080 Wow. 248 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,200 And it turned into this kind of unplanned professional development. 249 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:00,200 That's awesome. 250 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:01,200 That's a win-win. 251 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:02,200 Yeah. 252 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:03,200 Seriously. 253 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:04,200 That's a huge win. 254 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:05,200 Right. 255 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:06,200 Yeah. 256 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:10,080 They found a solution for the Algebra students and then they created all these extra resources. 257 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:11,080 Exactly. 258 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:12,080 That's great. 259 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:13,080 So, okay. 260 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,320 We've seen how open source can help create these customizable learning environments. 261 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:17,320 Yes. 262 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,920 We've seen how it can help overcome these geographical barriers. 263 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:21,920 Yeah. 264 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,080 What else can this, you know, open source magic do? 265 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,520 Well, let's talk about Peter and Jones districts. 266 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:28,520 Okay. 267 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:33,360 They really focused on helping teachers implement new teaching methods. 268 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:35,280 And they were like, hey Moodle. 269 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:36,280 Okay. 270 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:38,440 This is perfect for sharing resources and ideas. 271 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:39,440 Yeah. 272 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:40,440 Like a digital teachers lounge. 273 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:41,440 Exactly. 274 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,880 Where everyone can swap strategies and lesson plans. 275 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:44,880 Exactly. 276 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:45,880 I love that. 277 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:46,880 I'm sensing a butt coming though. 278 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:47,880 Oh, I know. 279 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:48,880 I can always tell. 280 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:49,880 Yeah, you know me well. 281 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:50,880 Okay. 282 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:51,880 What's the butt? 283 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:52,880 So, their intentions were great. 284 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:53,880 Okay. 285 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:55,400 But they ran into a classic problem. 286 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:56,400 What's that? 287 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:57,400 Information overload. 288 00:08:57,400 --> 00:08:58,400 Oh, no. 289 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:01,640 So, they had this amazing platform for sharing. 290 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:06,520 But because there were so many resources being uploaded, it actually became difficult to 291 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:07,520 find anything. 292 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:09,280 Oh, that's the worst. 293 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:10,560 Like imagine a library. 294 00:09:10,560 --> 00:09:11,560 Oh my God. 295 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:13,520 With no organizing system. 296 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:14,520 No. 297 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:16,320 Just stacks and stacks of books everywhere. 298 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:17,320 Nightmare. 299 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:18,320 I know. 300 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:19,320 Overwhelming, right? 301 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:20,640 Yeah, that's overwhelming. 302 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:24,600 So, this is where that open part of open source comes in again. 303 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:25,600 Okay. 304 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:29,560 So, they decided to create a task force of teachers. 305 00:09:29,560 --> 00:09:30,560 Okay. 306 00:09:30,560 --> 00:09:37,160 The very people that were using the platform to research and test different ways of organizing 307 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:38,160 everything within Moodle. 308 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,840 So, again, it's not just about like the tech solution. 309 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:42,840 It's not, no. 310 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:48,000 It's about like empowering the people who are actually using it to, you know, find a 311 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:49,000 system that works. 312 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:50,640 It is about finding what works, right? 313 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:51,640 Yeah. 314 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:52,640 So, did they find one? 315 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:53,640 I hope so. 316 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:54,640 What happened? 317 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:55,640 Okay. 318 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:57,600 That sometimes the simplest solution is best. 319 00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:58,600 Okay. 320 00:09:58,600 --> 00:09:59,920 They landed on a tagging system. 321 00:09:59,920 --> 00:10:00,920 Okay. 322 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:02,640 You know, adding keywords to each resource. 323 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:03,640 Right. 324 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:05,480 To make everything easily searchable. 325 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:06,480 That makes sense. 326 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:08,720 And they presented their findings to their colleagues. 327 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:09,720 Okay. 328 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:10,720 And everyone agreed. 329 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:11,720 Yeah. 330 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:13,480 That was like the most user friendly option. 331 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:17,680 Sometimes the most like elegant solutions are the ones that are the simplest. 332 00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:18,680 You know what I mean? 333 00:10:18,680 --> 00:10:19,680 It's true. 334 00:10:19,680 --> 00:10:20,680 Right. 335 00:10:20,680 --> 00:10:21,680 That's so true. 336 00:10:21,680 --> 00:10:23,800 But it makes you think like in all of these cases. 337 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:25,680 It wasn't just about the technology itself. 338 00:10:25,680 --> 00:10:26,680 No. 339 00:10:26,680 --> 00:10:27,680 It was about the collaboration. 340 00:10:27,680 --> 00:10:28,680 Yeah. 341 00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:29,680 It was about the problem solving. 342 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:30,680 Mm-hmm. 343 00:10:30,680 --> 00:10:35,880 It was about that willingness to like experiment and find what worked. 344 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:36,880 Absolutely. 345 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:42,320 And that really highlights the crucial role of expertise in all of this. 346 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:44,000 Oh, okay. 347 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:45,720 Open source is not a magic bullet. 348 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:46,720 Right. 349 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:49,040 You don't download Moodle and suddenly all your problems are solved. 350 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:50,040 Right. 351 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:51,040 You still need people. 352 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:52,040 Yeah. 353 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,800 You need the technology and the specific needs of the classroom. 354 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:56,800 Yeah. 355 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:58,480 It's like having a brand new 3D printer. 356 00:10:58,480 --> 00:10:59,480 Exactly. 357 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:01,160 But like no one knows how to use it. 358 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:03,160 It's just a very expensive paperweight. 359 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:04,160 Exactly. 360 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:05,160 Exactly. 361 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:08,480 So how did these rural schools then bridge that expertise gap? 362 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:09,480 Right. 363 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:13,120 They can't just like conjure up a team of tech wizards overnight. 364 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,040 That's the million dollar question, isn't it? 365 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:16,040 Yeah. 366 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:17,520 But these case studies. 367 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:18,520 Yeah. 368 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:21,920 They really do offer some valuable insights. 369 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:23,800 Remember Northern Middle and High School? 370 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:24,800 Yeah. 371 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:28,560 Where teachers initially struggled with Moodle's interface. 372 00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:29,560 Mm-hmm. 373 00:11:29,560 --> 00:11:31,440 They didn't just throw their hands up into feed. 374 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:32,440 Right. 375 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:33,600 They formed that teacher committee. 376 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:34,600 Right. 377 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:35,600 They tapped into that knowledge. 378 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:36,600 Yeah. 379 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:40,280 That experience of people who were already comfortable with technology. 380 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:44,640 So it's about like finding the experts that already exist within the community. 381 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:45,640 Exactly. 382 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:48,960 It's about identifying and leveraging that expertise. 383 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:49,960 That makes sense. 384 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:50,960 That exists. 385 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,000 And then it's also about helping those people to support to them. 386 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,560 The support and the space to share their knowledge with their colleagues. 387 00:11:56,560 --> 00:12:02,360 So it's about fostering that culture of like, is mentorship and collaboration. 388 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:03,360 Exactly. 389 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:04,360 All right. 390 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:08,760 So we've explored how open source can help schools overcome these specific challenges. 391 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:10,640 But what are the bigger implications here? 392 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:11,640 Right. 393 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:12,640 That's a great question. 394 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:15,000 And it takes us to the heart of this whole movement. 395 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:16,000 Okay. 396 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,920 Open source isn't just about finding free software or saving money. 397 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:22,720 It's about shifting the way we think about learning. 398 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:23,720 Okay. 399 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:24,920 I'm ready to have my mind blown. 400 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,480 How exactly does it change our thinking? 401 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:32,280 Let's go back to Crossroads Elementary and their Algebra 1 classes. 402 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:37,120 Remember how their success wasn't just about finding a way to get a teacher to those students, 403 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:41,080 but about recognizing that learning can happen in different ways, in different places, at 404 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:42,080 different paces. 405 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:43,080 You're right. 406 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:44,080 It's a different approach. 407 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:47,440 We're not stuck in this traditional one size fits all model. 408 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:52,240 Instead, we're recognizing that kids learn best when they're engaged, exploring their 409 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,720 interests and finding a way to connect with learning that works for them. 410 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:57,680 And that's where open source comes in. 411 00:12:57,680 --> 00:13:03,520 It breaks down barriers to access, encourages collaboration, and empowers educators to customize 412 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,800 the learning experience to meet those individual needs. 413 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:11,200 It's about recognizing that learning isn't just about memorizing facts or following a 414 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:12,880 prescribed curriculum. 415 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:18,120 It's about fostering critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity skills that are absolutely 416 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:20,120 essential in the world we live in today. 417 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,280 That's the beauty of open source. 418 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:27,960 It mirrors the ever-changing landscape of education, embracing innovation, adaptation, 419 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:29,200 and collaboration. 420 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:33,400 It's like a dynamic, living ecosystem constantly growing and evolving. 421 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:35,120 It's truly empowering. 422 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:39,840 It reminds us that technology doesn't have to be a force that simply disseminates information. 423 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:45,280 It can empower students and teachers to become active participants in the learning process, 424 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:46,560 shaping their own journeys. 425 00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:50,680 That's a powerful message, one that resonates not just in rural schools, but in every educational 426 00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:51,680 setting. 427 00:13:51,680 --> 00:13:56,120 And it reminds us that the future of education lies in embracing the possibilities of technology, 428 00:13:56,120 --> 00:14:01,000 fostering innovation, and empowering every learner to reach their full potential. 429 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:06,120 So as we wrap up this deep dive, I can't help but wonder, what resonates most with you? 430 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,120 What's your biggest takeaway from all this? 431 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:10,080 For me, it's the power of community. 432 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:11,880 It's not just about the technology. 433 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:16,400 It's about the people who use it, share it, and adapt it to their needs. 434 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:18,480 That's the real magic of open source. 435 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:19,480 It's not about software. 436 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:24,120 It's about fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and shared ownership. 437 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:25,120 Well said. 438 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:28,560 It's a message we can all take to heart as we continue to explore the amazing intersection 439 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:30,880 of technology and education. 440 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:40,400 Until next time, happy learning everyone.