Re: [school-discuss] How to present Linux to schools

[Cameron Miller <cdmiller@adams.edu>]

Kyle Hutson wrote:
>>How does one go about proposing moving a school from Windows to
>>
> Linux?
> 
> Actually, it all depends on your role. As the technology director
> for our district, I just switched over our web server and didn't
> even say a word about it. Then, when I was talking to our
> superintendent about file and print services (and linux
> specifically), he asked if I had
> any experience with linux. When I told him our web server was
> running linux for over a year, he was impressed.
> 
> Someone here asked what applications are keeping us from switching
> desktops. For me the answer is:
> 1) Accelerated Reader
> 2) KidPix
> 3) Lots of 'edutainment' stuff, particularly those from Davidson,
> Sunburst, Knowledge Adventure (JumpStart), and (like it or not)
> Microsoft (Magic School Bus).
> 4) Even if all these were addressed, I'm not sure we would still be
> able to completely switch (particularly at the High School), since
> we serve as our own "vocational education" service and I have some
> parents already questioning why we're using Corel instead of
> Microsoft and naturally "that's what they'll see in 'the real
> world'".
> 
> The "chicken and the egg" problem definitely exists.
> 
> --
> Kyle Hutson /  Director of Technology  / Rock Creek Schools:  USD323

To address "that's what they'll see in 'the real world'":

Here is an example line I feed the professors at my current job, "Are 
you teaching word processing or how to use a specific word processor?"

Most of the profs are old enough to have gone through word perfect and 
msword on DOS and Windows 3.x, so they usually agree that using the 
software product that is seen most in 'the real world'" is not the most 
important requirement when teaching office software usage to students.

The same approach could be applied across the general office software 
spectrum.

- cameron

-- 
- cameron miller
- UNIX Systems Administrator
- cdmiller@adams.edu