مدارس مصر الحرة

يهدف مشروع مدارس مصر الحرة الى مساعدة المدارس الى اعتماد فلسفة المصادر المفتوحة في مناهج تكنولوجيا المعلومات بالاضافة الى ادخال الادوات الرقمية في العملية التعلمية للفتية في المدارس. ومع انه يبدو في الظاهر ان الاجيال التي تتخرج من المدارس والجامعات لديها المعرفة الكافية في تكنولوجيا المعلومات الا ان ما يتعلموه في الحقيقة ليس اكثر من استخدام منتجات ميكروسوفت. المشكلة تتفاقم عندما ينوي اي من هؤلاء الطلبة استكمال تخصصهم في تكنولوجيا المعلومات او اي من اختصاصات الحاسوب حيث ليس لديهم المعرفة الكافية للفرص والخيارات المتوفرة في هذا المجال. كما ان التعليم الذي يتلقونه في المدارس لا يجهزهم بما فيه الكفاية للتعامل مع البرمجة بمنهجية نقدية (احتاج مساعدة في الترجمة هنا.) كل ما يتعلمه الفتية هو استخدام منتج واحد.

يعمل مؤسسي هذا المشروع على التوجه الى متخصصين في هذا المجال لتطوير مناهج لتعلم الكمبيوتر والخيارات المتعددة المتوفرة امامهم. ينطلق المشروع بنشاطات تدريبية (المستهدف؟) ثم يتوسع الى تطوير برنامج كامل لفصول تكنولوجيا المعلومات في المرحلة الابتدائية والمتوسطة في المدارس الخاصة ثم يتم تقديمه الى المدارس العامة.

Open schools of Egypt will help schools adopt the philosophy of open-source in their IT classes and use the currlicum to help children and junior youth engage IT into their education process. There are numerous generations graduating from high school and college who are seemingly literate about computers. The truth is they only know how to use Microsoft products. The problem is worse if those students wish to have a career or further studies in the field of computers or IT. They are not aware of choices available in the IT world. They are not trained properly to approach programming in a problem-solving methodology. They were only taught how to use a product. The project will engage experts in this field to prepare proper curricula teaching kids about computers and about the choice they have. It will start as a small scale training entity, expand into a full program available for private schools, then will be introduced to public schools. Younger kids starting grade one will benefit directly in the beginning through a general curriculum for computer literacy. A more specialized curriculum for older students starting grade 10 should follow in a later stage. The project will also enable kids with no access to computers due to economic barriers to learn about computers and to own cheaper PCs without compromises arising from Microsoft Windows being their only choice.

Desired Attitudes from Participants after being exposed to the program

• Computers are a part of our lives and should help us do things faster and more efficiently
• We are content creators not simply consumers
• The world is huge and diverse and there are people all over it who are interested in my ideas and what I contribute. My knowledge is also enriched by being exposed to diverse ideas contributed by others
• Knowledge is collaborative and should be open and accessible to everyone

Skill set the program needs to build

• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Identify the diverse devices that we consider computers and their components
• Identify operating systems and application genres
• Create different media assets using applications
• Use programs and commands to automate computer tasks
• Identify proper information and knowledge sources on the Internet
• Use digital social networks
• Publish content to closed and open networks

احتياجات الدعم

-The project incubation, expected to last for the duration of two years, began in January 2013.

However, Shady says that the project itself will last for the duration of five years.

-ADEF incubation fund was supposed to cover 2012-2013 but they asked OSF to cover the project for 2013-2014.

-The team has completed the research phase and has set up a strategy, which is currently being translated into Arabic and should be ready within a week.

-The project is going to take the shape of integration (because of the government’s already existing deals with international companies like Microsoft) since it will be difficult to completely revolutionize the system of education at this point. It is a strategy of gradual replacement of already existing strategies put into place by the Ministries of Education and Communications years ago.

-There is an official strategy: Working with community areas, private schools as ECA, and private schools as full year curriculum.

-Future plans include working on preparing a curriculum as well as setting up a panel to come up with helpful ideas (in ADEF this month/next month)

-By April 2014, Shady needs to set up a separate entity for the project. The options of it being a company or an NGO are currently being evaluated.

-Shady says he is covered for this year. Any funds he’ll need to solicit will be for 2015 and after. Exact numbers will be provided soon.