have you looked at: http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,45862,00.html
----- Original Message ----- From: Randy Smith Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2002 11:04 AM To: schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net Subject: Re: [school-discuss] How to present Linux to schools On Thu, 25 Apr 2002, Kyle Hutson wrote:
> Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 10:00:07 -0500
> From: Kyle Hutson <smyle@rockcreek.k12.ks.us>
> Reply-To: "schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net"
> <schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net>
> To: "schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net"
> <schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net>
> Subject: Re: [school-discuss] How to present Linux to schools
>
> > 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.
I'm simply a concerned citizen trying help the local schools. I'm a sys
admin for a local ISP. The schools call me from time to time to get advice
or hints on things and everytime I mention a free tool they are in awe
of the price but go all glassy eyed when I tell them it doesn't run on
Windows.
>
> 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).
You might be able to get around that with a Windows 2000 terminal server
and run rdesktop from Linux workstations. I'm going to try that in my test
lab.
> 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'".
High School is a problem because the chance that MS will be dethrowned
before they graduate is slim. It doesn't help that the US Government
required digital documents to be in Word format. I suppose the question is
if the school is teaching students how to use a word processor or how to
use Word.
>
> The "chicken and the egg" problem definitely exists.
>
> --
> Kyle Hutson / Director of Technology / Rock Creek Schools: USD323
>
> smyle@rockcreekschools.org 785-494-8591
>
> Actually I am a laboratory mouse posing as an engineer as part of an
>
> elaborate plot to take over the world
>
>
>
>
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