Swampscott resident starts local education site for students, parents

SWAMPSCOTT-Kelly Cunningham believes information should be free and accessible to everyone and that is why the local software developer has established a free educational Web site for parents, students and educators.?My philosophy is knowledge should always be free,” Cunningham said. “There are a lot of sites that charge for these types of services. But with the budget crunch, many schools can’t afford the programs and many families can’t afford the subscription fees for these programs. This site has been eight months in the making.”Cunningham said one of the staples of www.wizardofpi.com is practice MCAS tests for students in various content areas at all grade levels.But MCAS and other standardized assessment test preparation are just the tip of the iceberg, according to Cunningham. The site currently offers more than 20 courses including genetics, introduction to Chinese, basic addition and Aesop’s Fables.?It’s in the early stage,” Cunningham said. “It’s constantly evolving and will continue to evolve as parents and get involved.”Cunningham is hoping parents, educators and area professionals embrace the concept and consider adding their own courses to the Web site.?Parents and teachers can add their own courses,” he said. “We have a learning content management to help them create courses. I’ll be creating a course on how to create courses.”Cunningham said individuals who add educational courses to the Web site have the option of limiting the classes to a specific group or opening the class to the general public.Other features on the Web site include a meta-content library, which points users to Internet resources that could be used to create their own courses. Cunningham said the site also includes social networking tools.?There is a bulletin board for classes,” he said. “We also have a chat feature for class discussions.”Cunningham said registration, which is free, is encouraged but not required for most users. Individuals who want to create a course are required to register and no one under 13-years-old can create a course without parental consent.Cunningham’s daughter, Sara Cunningham, has also had a hand in the evolving site. She uses it frequently and a course is being developed based on a report she wrote in the third grade about Ruby Bridges, who was the first African American to attend a white school.Cunningham vowed to keep the Web site free for users.?We are going to look for grants and donations to help fund the site,” he said. “The worst case scenario would be the use of paid advertising on the site. But it will always be free for users. Our philosophy is “because knowledge should be free.”