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RE: [school-discuss] Free computers - what software to put on them?



Just a thought.

My experience has been that a demonstration is more effective than a lecture. And that a demonstration by my students is more effective than a demonstration by myself.

For example, if any of the schools uses a web based application, then you could have a student demonstrate accessing it with the eeePC.

For an audience of Principals, I think that I would stress the ways that Linux could help them accomplish their educational goals. Last summer, I gave a presentation for teachers that included some other points. You can find a pdf copy of my slides here:

http://www.geocities.com/crowleye/pdfs/Linux.pdf

Best of luck,
Uno
----------------------------------------
> Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:32:37 +1000
> From: bell.cameron.p@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [school-discuss] Free computers - what software to put on them?
> 
> Well tomorrow my techie and I are giving a presentation to about 30+ 
> principals about the eeePC. Not a sales pitch as I have no connection 
> with any company, but it is a Xandros model and I'll sure as hell be 
> talking about the pros and cons schools face when presented with FOSS.
> However, I'll be concentrating on two main points:
> 1) Schools are in a better position and can be better prepared to take 
> advantage of new technologies with a mixture of Win/Mac and FOSS
> 2) Schools can be far more flexible in their approach to new 
> technologies by recognising and incorporating FOSS
> 
> Talking to Prins you are sometimes talking to people who were in admin 
> prior to the advent of computers in the classroom at all. Often, they 
> have no real hands on classroom based experience with computers and rely 
> (this is though no fault of their own) on us underlings to provide the 
> information they need. Often, this information is tainted with an 
> administrative (Its a security risk)or technical (I don't know how to do 
> it) caveat. Hence tomorrow, both myself and my technician will be 
> providing a "united front". Basically saying it can be done from a 
> curric and technical point of view.
> Principals are about using the little $ they get, as effectively as 
> possible, so you have to mention the absence of licensing even if it is 
> not the most important point - depending on the context you are talking 
> to them about. My talk tomorrow is about allowing schools to take 
> advantage of the Rudd offer or the next round of applications, hence my 
> concentration on points 1 and 2. Schools should not just be buying more 
> of the same - they should be allowing and planning for inevitable change.
> 
> In the past I have always mentioned the following:
> 1) We don't teach software - we teach concepts.
> 2) "Industry Standards" are irrelevant for school kids. The current 
> "industry standard" will be 5+ years and several versions old when they 
> enter the workforce.
> 3) We can't expect kids/parents to purchase commercial software, however 
> we can expect them to install FOSS for $0. It removes the have's and 
> have-nots of the digital divide. (Prins like that)
> 4) Will your Yr 7's be able to open their "Digital Portfolio" files when 
> they are in Yr 12? 6 years is an awful long time in ICT. Can you afford 
> to be locked in to a particular package or platform?
> 
> The only thing I want to get out of tomorrow is 30+ Principals being 
> aware that FOSS exists, it can be done (regardless of what they have 
> been told) and that is leaves their options open for whatever is around 
> the corner. I think they will like that.  Wish me luck.  :)
> 
> Cheers
> C
> 
> 
> Richard Andrews wrote:
>> The Australian government is starting to roll out a free computers to schools program [1]. There are hundreds of schools eligible to receive tens of thousands of new computers, but software will not be provided.
>>
>> I'm looking for ideas on how I (and fellow FOSS advocates in Australia) should go about promoting FOSS in this context.
>> How can we effectively reach so many principals and IT staff?
>> What key elements do we need to make in any representation?
>>
>> --
>>   Rich
>>
>> [1] http://www.digitaleducationrevolution.gov.au/about.htm
>>
>>
>>
>>       Get the name you always wanted with the new y7mail email address.
>> www.yahoo7.com.au/mail
>>   

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