[seul-edu] RE: [alg] MS/RH charity drive

["Ms.G" <ms.g@noitacudE.com>]

Mark (and others who agree):

Your thinking is accurate, and you are not alone.

You might want to join or tune in to ongoing discussions & efforts at:
www.seul.org/edu
http://www.unicom.com/mailman/cgi-bin/listinfo/linux-in-schools
(Austin-local group seeking to work w/ schools/teachers)

I've got quite a few opinions myself, trying to work into a cohesive post
(for SEUL list).

~ Ms.G
@noitacudE.com
"Turning Education around..."


-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Farver [mailto:farver@mindbent.org]
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2001 4:19 PM
To: alg@austinlug.org
Subject: Re: [alg] MS/RH charity drive


On 26 Nov 2001, Austin Gonyou wrote:

>   I read a letter from RH that there will be a ruling tomorrow on
> whether or not to accept MS's BS Children's plea, or to re-think this
> and stipulate they use OSS software for the computers, etc. From the

I admire Red Hat for a highly amusing PR move, and Microsoft for
coming up with a clever "Save to Children" method of dismissing their
civil lawsuits.

<rant>

However if either company really wanted to get their products as the "de
facto" standard in schools, they would pledge most of the money into
teacher training.  Oddly enough most teachers teach what they are
comfortable with...

It also wouldn't hurt to do some course development work... most
classes end up teaching one application via a "click here, then there, now
you have bold face".  Of course those skills are worthless in a year or
two when the latest software version comes out.  Better to teach students
how computers are useful as a tool, and the similarities among products.
(Every WYSIWIG editor can do bold, you just have to find the button or
keystroke)

Hardware is great.. productivity software is great... but most schools
have decent access to computers already (9:1 student computer ration in
Texas).  What most teachers need is software that is actually useful..
(Making a compuer available so kids can type up their term papers is not a
terribly good use of the hardware.)

The Internet is also a useful tool.. but most students find their schools
high speed line crippled by a slow overbearing censorware server.  And the
only Internet app they ever see is WWW.  Half the value of the internet is
about forming communities of people with similar interests.. but Slashdot
and IRC are banned.

As another thing.. 1 billion sounds like a big number, but MS is talking
retail price.  And even if MS were to cut a check for 1 bil and hand it to
the schools.. it would be a drop in the bucket.  In texas last year state
and local governments spent almost 20 billion, or about 5k per student
total.  Even figuring smaller numbers for the other states, 1 bil is a
joke.

</rant>

If anyone knows of a "technically inclined"  Austin area teacher that
could use some tech help or training, I'd love to be put in touch.

Mark