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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
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