RE: [seul-edu] Announcing the Tux Typing 0.9 Release

["Phillip Harp" <phillip.harp@eer.com>]

OK, now you've got me intrigued.  Let me guess--you're here because you work
for
some secret philanthropic group and you've heard what wonderful things we're
doing.  You're just sticking around to verify that, and then you'll shower
us
with money, computers, and whatever resources we desire to let us push Linux
into every school on the planet.  Am I close?


Wow! I don't know where you get the happy smoke at, but keep it away from
the schools! Actually, the truth is I have been lurking for a few weeks. I
am working with Karl Pena, preparing a paper for the Florida Educational
Technical Conference (FETC) in Orlando. I have some connections there and
used to teach Chemistry and Math prior to going into the service.

Since my paper is basically a "Why Linux in Education?" paper, as well as a
"Here's how you do it!", I was pointed here by Karl and Roger. I have been
soaking up ideas and topics to add to the final outline. Which should be
totally completed by next week. I have also had some assistance and support
from Miguel De Icaza, and notes from when Eric Raymond spoke at NoVaLUG.

Mrs. Tim Bogardt is doing the translation of Miguel's original paper for me.
I think we will have a good arsenal from which to select. I intend to use
this group as a sounding board and proof readers. The paper will emphasize
cost of ownership (long and short term), pluses in terms of educational
value, and implementing a self supporting source for educational software. I
also hope to incorporate a "responsible computing in the community" section
in the curriculum section.

It could quite possibly be in vain, since it will be September before we are
notified. I have been down a couple of times to try to drum up support and
am returning in August to do some more discussions with educators in Central
Florida. It's all a scheme to have schools teach rather than babysit. I
teach part-time at what is labeled as an "inner city" technical school and
try to open the eyes so the mind can see. I guess it's a Gestalt thingy!

Phillip E. Harp
ANSWER Project Manager
Federal Information Technology Group
EER Systems, Inc.
http://www.eer.com
phillip.harp@eer.com
Phone:      (703) 375-6597
Facsimile: (703) 708-5709