Curriki
Encyclopedia
Curriki is a nonprofit organization
that is building an Internet site for open source curriculum
(OSC) development, to provide universal access to free curricula and instructional materials for students up to the age of 18 (K-12
). By applying the open source process to education
, Curriki empowers educational professionals to become an active community in the creation of good curricula. Kim Jones serves as Curriki's Executive Director.
Curriki is different from other e-learning
sites because:
Anyone with access to the Internet can contribute and use the material found on Curriki to teach themselves or others. Whether it's algebra, reading, or physics, they will be able to access the curricula online, print it, or save it to a CD.
in March 2004 as the Global Education & Learning Community (GELC). In 2006, Sun spun GELC off as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit to focus on building a repository of curricula and to create an online community for this repository. The organization changed its name to Curriki in 2006 to capture the spirit of community-driven learning excellence and the delivery of Open Source Curricula.
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that is building an Internet site for open source curriculum
Open source curriculum
An open source curriculum is an online instructional resource that can be freely used, distributed and modified. OSC is based on the open source practice of creating products or software that opens up access to source materials or codes...
(OSC) development, to provide universal access to free curricula and instructional materials for students up to the age of 18 (K-12
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
). By applying the open source process to education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, Curriki empowers educational professionals to become an active community in the creation of good curricula. Kim Jones serves as Curriki's Executive Director.
Mission
Curriki, a portmanteau of the words ‘curriculum’ and ‘wiki’, was conceived from the idea that technology can play a crucial role in breaking down the barriers of the Education Divide – the division of inequality that prevents children worldwide from having access to quality education. Curriki’s mission is to make learning possible for anyone, anywhere in the world.Curriki is different from other e-learning
E-learning
E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
sites because:
- It focuses on a complete curricula solution, not just a textbook or lesson plans, but a comprehensive course of instruction and assessment.
- Curriki has a unique approach to curriculum development, distribution and evaluation that is represented by the organization’s 3-D model: curriculum developed through community contributors, delivered globally and whose impact is determined by project and by individual.
Anyone with access to the Internet can contribute and use the material found on Curriki to teach themselves or others. Whether it's algebra, reading, or physics, they will be able to access the curricula online, print it, or save it to a CD.
History
Curriki was founded by Sun MicrosystemsSun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
in March 2004 as the Global Education & Learning Community (GELC). In 2006, Sun spun GELC off as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit to focus on building a repository of curricula and to create an online community for this repository. The organization changed its name to Curriki in 2006 to capture the spirit of community-driven learning excellence and the delivery of Open Source Curricula.
Impact
As of August 2010, Curriki.org contained 620 social networking groups and 44,046 learning objects in its repository including open access lesson plans, units, videos, simulations and other educational resources. Curriki has been recognized by a number of organizations for its contributions to education. In 2009 Curriki received the WISE Award for Innovation in Education from the Qatar Foundation. It was also listed on the 2009 "Best Websites for Teaching and Learning" by the American Association of School Librarians. In 2008 Curriki was honored as a Tech Award Laureate by Microsoft and Applied Materials and in 2007 Curriki won UNESCO's King Hamad Bin AI-Khalifa Prize for the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Education.Sponsors and Partners
Curriki has been supported by a number of sponsors and partners including AT&T, Learning.com, lincoln Center Institute, EDC, Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education, Learn Without Limits, Unesco, Learnthings Africa, Academic Benchmarks, Math Mastery and other content providers.Articles
- "Sun's McNealy Leads Non-Profit Open-Source Drive", ForbesForbesForbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
.com, Greg Levine, August 4, 2006) - "Sun to Open Source Education", eWeekEWeekeWeek is a weekly computing business magazine published by Ziff Davis Enterprise.The magazine consists of a print publication and web site covering enterprise topics and is targeted at IT professionals rather than hobbyists.-Audience:The eWeek audience is actively involved in buying enterprise...
, March 7, 2006