As a member of Sun's Global Communities organization, I have the pleasure of working with a team of folks across the company who are helping shape how students around the world learn about Free and Open Source Software.
Through programs such as the Sun Academic Initiative (SAI) and the Open Source University Meetup (OSUM), students get access to free software, training and communities of other students to create cool software projects, better their skills, make friends and literally change their world!
What I've learned over the last 6 months on the job is that the opportunities for students to learn about computers, software development and the like has definitely evolved since the days I attended school.
With a degree in International Business - I have to admit - technology was not exactly a passion of mine. Back in my day (she said with her best old fogie accent) - taking a computer programming course in high school (or university) was about as exciting as watching paint dry. Boring boring boring! I preferred taking more "creative" elective courses like photography, auto-shop (really) and graphic design.
But, how things have changed. Not only does it seem like there are more schools focusing on high tech education (check out the portfolio of High Tech High schools where 7th graders produce their own movies and every student must have a digital portfolio!) - but HOW you learn about computers and technology has radically evolved.
Take for example Alice - (as in Alice in Wonderland) - a teaching tool for introductory computing that uses 3D
graphics for a "less frustrating" programing experience. Or FreshBrain - an open and free web site that encourages teens to dive into technology.
And, at the university level - programs like HFOSS - the Humanitarian Free and Open Source Project - involve students in open source projects that contribute to global humanitarian efforts - inspiring them (and me) that technology can literally change the world.
Who knows - if some of these innovative ways to learn computing were around when I was in school - perhaps I coulda been a geek too!
Me three! Great post, Laura!
Posted by Suzanne Masterson on June 29, 2009 at 01:07 PM PDT #
Hey Laura, I think you are definitely on your way to becoming a geek!
Posted by Maxine Hedges on June 29, 2009 at 01:51 PM PDT #
Great post Laura!
Posted by Gina Losco-Valotta on June 29, 2009 at 03:10 PM PDT #
Thanks for all the encouragement ladies! Now if I can only figure out how to add some widgets to the page and other fun stuff! :)
Posted by Laura Davenport on June 29, 2009 at 04:40 PM PDT #
You write so well I can really hear your voice great work!!
Posted by janel on June 29, 2009 at 10:41 PM PDT #