[Fwd: Re: [seul-edu] Schoolforge - more inquiry]

[Doug Loss <drloss@suscom.net>]

owner-seul-edu@seul.org wrote:

> From: Bill <selinux@home.com>
> To: seul-edu@seul.org
> Subject: Re: [seul-edu] Schoolforge - more inquiry
>
> On Tuesday 11 December 2001 20:58, you wrote:
>
> > -There has been some discussion of developing software for
> > classroom use (?)
> >
> >       Is there something I am missing, or does this refer to something
> > other than C++ or other compiled programs that will run on a Linux
> > machine?
> >
>
> My (personal) thinking is that there is room for training software
> such as is customarily associated with Windows in the classroom.
> Perhaps a tutorial on any of several HTML editors or, for that matter
> vi / emacs (I have no intention of starting a war ... BOTH tutorials
> should be written because both would find an audience) would be in
> order. Perhaps, since Linux (as generally installed) has server
> capabilities that Windows does not have, students could walk through
> a series of exercises that would result in an intranet of web servers
> in a classroom. Different classrooms could compete for design of
> their network and design of their web and even in securing the whole
> ball of wax against and intrusion attempt by SAINT. There are lots of
> directions for such software / instructional methods to choose from.
> And there is also room for more than one solution to the same
> problem.
>
> As a math instructor, can you imagine a better exercise in hex /
> decimal / binary conversions than to have your students do the math
> to set up a subnet? Having just gone through this segment of Cisco
> Academy, I can promise you that this is the first time in my life I
> have had a practical use for these skills. NOW they are worth having.
>
> http://www.ralphb.net/IPSubnet/
> http://www.howstuffworks.com/boolean.htm
>
> These two links will give you a feel for the educational richness of
> the topic. They are links away from the Cisco tutorial and not
> copyright by Cisco.
>
> > -There has been some discussion of developing software to run
> > on/with Linux (?)
> >
> >       Again, is this something different from the question above? Are we
> > to assume that all systems will run Perl, PHP, Python? (I'm
> > dropping names mostly - little knowledge)
> >
> > -There has only been passing reference to web based programs.
> >
> >       Since these programs are essentially platform-independent, will
> > they be included - or would it be better to leave then for
> > elsewhere? Most of them are freeware...
> >
>
> I would think that both web-based and java-based programs would be
> welcomed. Java developers will need to understand that educational
> programs for Linux may not run on MSFT platforms because MSFT diddled
> with Java ... but I really don't see the need to provide Linux
> education from Windows platforms, any ways. Perhaps Java programs
> could contain a disclaimer along the lines of "Because Microsoft
> Corporation has chosen to deviate from published standards, this Java
> program may not run properly on machines using a Microsoft operating
> system."
> (<--- rubbing hands in imitation of cartoon villain :-))
>
> > I offer these only to continue the process - I am not looking for
> > specific answers at this time.
> >
>
> This is a field of inquiry being born. Feel free, as I do, to offer
> any well-intentioned and (hopefully) well-reasoned thoughts that
> might be germaine. There is a lot of work ahead of us ... there will
> be an absolute need for a lot of minds, a lot of voices and a lot of
> hands before this work gains the inertia needed to move on its own.
>
> Bill
>
> --
>          total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
> Mem:   1545352    1495524      49828          0     146820    1084776
> Swap:   401584       4460     397124
> Total: 1946936    1499984     446952
> Linux a.genesis.com 2.4.14 #3 Fri Nov 9 23:14:31 EST 2001 K7 750MHz
> 9:19pm  up 2 days, 22:33,  4 users,  load average: 0.81, 0.59, 0.59

--
Doug Loss                 All I want is a warm bed
Data Network Coordinator  and a kind word and
Bloomsburg University     unlimited power.
dloss@bloomu.edu                Ashleigh Brilliant