Abstract

This paper focus on the wider issues of the production of knowledge using as reference the possibilities brought by the global movement of collaborative production of free knowledge through digital apparatus, in particular Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the possibilities brought to education as part of the so-called network society (CASTELLS, 1999). However, access to these technologies remains a challenge in many countries (digital divide), demanding public policies to improve it.

The word network is used in many ways but, in most cases, it is associated with the traditional broadcast mass communication system even when there is an intense information flow. Digital culture is an open space where new modes of relationships and exchange of cultures improving new possibilities of production of knowledge and culture. New forms of subject have been created, contributing to what Pierre Lévy calls "collective intelligence" (1993, 1998).

We discuss in which way collaborative production of knowledge contributes to a better understanding of knowledge itself and which possibilities can be adopted by educators to think about ways to tackle educational challenges.

The use of these digital devices by the young people (RUSHKOFF, 1996), the open source movement (BENKLER, 2005 and 2006, LESSIG, 2000, PRETTO, 2008) and the spread of peer to peer productions and circulation of things (BENKLER, 2006 and TAPSCOTT, 2006 and LESSIG, 2004) offer a theoretical approach to try to understand new possibilities for the education system.

Education policies traditionally do not consider other areas such as culture, communication, information, science and technology and the imbrication of these areas and polices is important to understand the educational process and challenges. Creative licences, open archives, new ways of producing and systematising knowledge are being explored, to gain a theoretical understanding of the relationships between education, culture and technology. "Information, knowledge, and culture are 'public goods' in the strict economic sense" saysBenkler (2005) and what we are trying to do is create conditions for peer production of cultural material (I avoid intentionally the use of the expression "educational resources") by teachers and students. This paper highlights some aspects of the project running in Salvador/Bahia/Brazil to develop a system to empower teachers and students to produce radio web, films and videos, and the possibilities of sharing this material in a peer-to-peer system called RIPE (sounds like "hippie", in Brazilian Portuguese). The main idea is the socialisation of the production by students and teachers in the "school ground", improving collective production of knowledge and cultures (here, the plural is essential!). A theoretical framework has been constructed with teachers and the goal is to try to "represent sympathetically all views on a subject, rather than to achieve objectivity", according toBenkler as he describes the Wikipedia process and we incorporate in the project. The paper contribution is to reflect further on present education and the possibility of constructing new educations (again in the plural), a perspective which we have been encouraging over the years.

Key words: Free knowledge, P2P? , Culture, Educational.