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[Fwd: Re: [seul-edu] OSS in Schools - The fight ahead]
-------- Original Message --------
From: "Kyle Hutson" <smyle@rockcreek.k12.ks.us>
To: seul-edu@seul.org
Subject: Re: [seul-edu] OSS in Schools - The fight ahead
On 27 Nov 2001 at 18:50, Kevin Stiles wrote:
> There are also perception issues, including prevalence in the
> industry.
I've told my superintendent many times "perception is reality", and I
think that's especially the case in school technology.
> We won the Mac vs. PC wars not because of what was
> technically better, or what people were used to.
Who is "we"?
> We won because of the
> poster we had on the wall of our office: ?90% of the worlds businesses
> run on Windows, where are your students going if they don?t?? Like it
> or not, this argument is still valid.
That _would_ be valid if we were running vo-tech schools. I prefer
to think (of course I could just be naive) that we teach our students
such concepts as "how to research" and "how to write a paper", rather
than "using Netscape" or "using WordPerfect". You don't hear people
calling for the elimination of math classes just because calculators
can do it all now. You don't hear people calling for the elimination
of English classes just because word processors have spelling and
grammar checkers. How is this different?
> Although you would be very hard
> pressed to find a business that did not have Linux on a server, finding
> desktops and applications in use in the industry is much harder.
Now you get to the crux of Red Hat's counterproposal. They would
love for a graduate take a look at a windows screen and ask "where's
the foot?"
> How
> can I sell the vocational department on the idea of using The Gimp when
> all the local businesses demand Adobe?
You shouldn't for your vocational department. But for your computer
labs? Sure!
> Applications are another very weak point for schools. Yes, there are
> thousands of quality programs and more out every month. But will Linux
> run Accelerated Reader,
AR is probably our single biggest stumbling block.
> Star Math, Scolastic Reader, Kid Pix,
KidPix doesn't look like it would take a programming genius to
duplicate? Why hasn't this one been done yet, either? (Yeah, yeah,
I know, start writing it myself. Yadda yadda.)
> UXL
> Biographies, Jostens and all the other apps that teachers and
> administrators go to conferences, see and have to have.
That truly is the case now, but how long until we reach a "critical
mass" and they go to conferences and see apps they "have to have"
that run on linux? Again back to the incident which started our
current jabber session - if Red Hat's proposal is taken (doubtful
IMHO, but I can dream), that critical mass would be a LOT closer.
> Teachers have
> to decide on what apps to buy/acquire to meet curriculum needs, acquire
> training on that software and prove its value. Why learn Word Perfect
> if everyone is using Word? Free matter little compared to whether the
> students are learning valuable skills that relate directly to JOBS.
Again, vo-tech. Even in your vo-ed classes that can be the case, but
NOBODY knows what will be the standard in even 4 or 5 years when our
Jr. High students graduate, nevermind when our 2nd graders do. When
I was in school, we were "progressive" and I learned how to program
AppleBASIC on an Apple ][ (note the lack of 'e' or 'c' on the end).
While that got me interested in computers, and influenced my career
choice, I daresay that not only has my knowledge of AppleBASIC not
gotten me a job, it hasn't even helped much beyond the basic concepts
of variables, conditionals, and loops.
> One day the companies that produce these programs will catch a clue at
> the future and produce portable apps, but that time has not come.
> Administration side, look at all the apps that most district
> departments have got used to. The specialized database apps, the Kid
> Compass, the NCS Mentors, etc. This is what they call HUGE retraining
> time and perception adjustments.
Look at PowerSchool - they've got the right idea. You do all your
administration through a web browser. So I've got to buy an iMac for
the back end - big deal.
> Infrastructure is another issue. Of our tech staff, all but one have
> degrees, all of us have industry certs of some kind or another,
> including Compaq, HP printers, Novell CNE, A+, etc. But I am the only
> one that would have any hope of making a conversion to Linux happen.
> And I would not be willing to try. The other techs would be willing to
> learn, but how long would it take complete novices in Linux to acquire
> the same skill sets and instinctive abilities they have with Windows
> and Novell?
That depends. Do they know "just" Novell, or "just" HP? Or do they
understand the concepts of networking and printing?
> Or as part of the ?New Way of Doing Things? do you just
> let go valued and loyal employees?
If they're "valued", they can adapt. If they can't adapt they're
obviously not as "valued" as they thought much. Please don't take
this to mean that they can't be useful. They may very well have some
valuable input in doing a changeover, or legitimate reasons why it's
not feasible to change at all.
> The above points go on and on. They are also valid. Unfortunately, to
> break the mold requires schools that are willing to take a chance and
> possibly fail.
True. The same goes for any entrepreneur, though.
> Most schools are under enough pressure to perform and
> show results they are rarely willing to take the chance.
And we wonder why business is moving faster than education?
> [deletia]
Thanks for your thoughts. It actually made me think a bit. I think
I'll go home now as I have a headache. :-)
--
Kyle Hutson / Director of Technology / Rock Creek Schools: USD323
smyle@rockcreek.k12.ks.us 785-494-8591
Actually I am a laboratory mouse posing as an engineer as part of an
elaborate plot to take over the world