-------- Original Message -------- From: Basha Krasnoff <krasnofb [ at ] nwrel [ dot ] org> Subject: [school-discuss] Please post this announcement on schoolforge To: "'schoolforge-discuss [ at ] schoolforge [ dot ] net'" <schoolforge-discuss [ at ] schoolforge [ dot ] net> Colleagues, If you are using open source software in K-12, please take ten minutes to complete our online user survey at http://www.netc.org/surveys/oss. The Open Options Project at the Northwest Educational Technology Consortium (NETC) is an independent research project serving K-12 educators. We conduct extensive online survey research and phone interviews with current K-12 users of open source software to provide pragmatic information and decision-making tools. Our unique, research-based Web site, Open Options: Making Decisions about Open Source Software for K-12, (http://www.netc.org/openoptions) draws on survey responses to address such questions as, "What advantages does OSS afford educators? Can it save money? Close digital divides? Support effective learning communities?" Open Options provides analysis of the issues faced when adopting open source software in K-12 settings and offers suggestions about how to decide if it's right for you. It suggests ways to talk with stakeholders and how to take the next steps. K-12 OSS users please complete our online survey at http://www.netc.org/surveys/oss And if you are evaluating your investment in open source, please consider a phone interview to share your insights into the true costs and outcomes of adoption and implementation. E-mail Basha Krasnoff at oss [ dot ] survey [ at ] netc [ dot ] org or call her at 1.800.547.6339 to schedule an interview. We look forward to hearing from you and meeting you at our sessions on open source software at upcoming conferences like ACPE, NCCE, and NECC. Freely share this invitation to participate with other educators, especially via e-mail lists. Thank you. (NETC is not affiliated with any software vendor or open source software project. It is a federally-funded center at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL), a private, nonprofit institution.) Basha Krasnoff Research and Evaluation Specialist Technology in Education Center (NETC) Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory 101 SW Main Street, Suite 500 Portland, Oregon 97204 Tel: 503.275.9643 Fax: 503.275.0449 E-mail: krasnofb [ at ] nwrel [ dot ] org