Re: [school-discuss] Open-source alternatives

[Aaron Tyo-Dickerson <aaron@tyodickerson.com>]

Vedran Vucic wrote:

> Hello,
>
> Maybe you can look at 
> www.ofset.org
>
>
> Best wishes,
>
>
> Vedran Vucic
>
>
> Quoting Aaron Tyo-Dickerson <aaron@tyodickerson.com>:
>
>  
> > troy@banther-trx.homeunix.com wrote:
> >
> >    
> > > Hello everyone,
> > >
> > > Is anyone on the list using completely open-source alternatives in 
> > > their schools? Specifically GNU/Linux and educational programs. I 
> > > would love to hear of the combinations, types of software, server setups.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Troy
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >      
> > Thanks for asking this question, Troy, as I have been meaning to join 
> > the conversation with a similar inquiry. I work for a regional public 
> > school consortium in Upstate New York and have been exploring FOSS 
> > possibilities for our area schools.
> >
> > We currently have one district piloting several FOSS apps on their 
> > Windows PCs. Their "shortlist" includes OpenOffice, The Gimp and the 
> > Firefox web browser. (Not a very daring move by the standards of the 
> > FOSS community, perhaps, but pretty fringe stuff for this region.) At 
> > the same time, another school district has contacted me with a request 
> > very similar to what you ask here: Can I take a laptop PC, wipe its hard 
> > drive and then created a FOSS-only educational computer?
> >
> > While the obvious, short answer is "Yes, simply install any flavor of 
> > Linux and then add some of the standard desktop apps (see the non-daring 
> > list above) and *Presto* an 'educational computer'", the actual response 
> > is "I am not sure." Schools have very specific needs and I have had 
> > difficulty finding FOSS replacements for things like Inspiration, which 
> > we rely on for graphic organizers / concept maps / idea webs. I have 
> > searched SchoolForge and SourceForge and not found a similar product and 
> > would love to know if there is one out there.
> >
> > Aaron Tyo-Dickerson
> >
> > --
> > "Brulba dori daula dalla
> > sula lori wauga malla
> > lori damma fusmalu
> >
> > Dasche mame came rilla
> > schursche saga moll vasvilla
> > suri pauge fuzmalu
> >
> > Dolli gamba bokamufti
> > sabel ize spogagufti
> > palazuma polja gei
> >
> > Mula dampe dori villa
> > alles virds schavi drestilla
> > offi lima dozapau
> > pozadau "
> >
> > Hugo Ball (1886-1927)
> >
> >    
Thanks very much for directing me to OFSET, Vedran. I will see what I 
find there that will point me in the right direction.
:-)

I should also have mentioned that another consortium in a neighboring 
region has piloted Moodle in several schools with great success. We use 
Blackboard here in my region, so I have been eager to learn about the 
differences or similarities. Does anyone know if Moodle can import 
archived Blackboard courses? (I have a guest account in their Moodle 
system and see similarities, but quite a few differences.)

Aaron TD

--
"Brulba dori daula dalla
sula lori wauga malla
lori damma fusmalu

Dasche mame came rilla
schursche saga moll vasvilla
suri pauge fuzmalu

Dolli gamba bokamufti
sabel ize spogagufti
palazuma polja gei

Mula dampe dori villa
alles virds schavi drestilla
offi lima dozapau
pozadau "

Hugo Ball (1886-1927)