Open source is an important feature, because it allows people to have free access to change and redistribute source code when something is not working. A lot of times companies do not allow open access to these codes which means that if something breaks, you won't be able to fix it because the company has licences and fees on the codes. This means that they make money when things are not working right and people are forced to pay for the source codes. Richard Storman was the one who created this in the 1970's. When a printer at the company he worked for stopped working, he thought he would easily be able to fix it. He was wrong however, when the printer company refused to give him the source codes, even though he had paid for the printer. So, he quit and started the GNU project to provide free software to people. Basically, with free source software, anyone can alter it so that it works how they want and they don't have to rely on the original manuufacturer to change it for a large sum of money.
This is very handy for teachers. They don't make a lot of money so they shouldn't have to go out and buy expensive programs that may not get used very often. Now, there is the option to get this free source software that allows even the poorest schools to have access to the software. It is no longer only for those with money, anyone can now download, change and share explore as they wish.
This article did a great job of explaining what open source is:
What is Open Source Software?
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