Re: [seul-edu] Great do list from Teemu: Forming a coalition

[Doug Loss <drloss@home.com>]

Roger Dingledine wrote:

> Among other things, Schoolforge is:
>
> [snip the list]

> All in one simple place, with a name that actually implies education.
>

That all sounds like a good working definition of what Schoolforge should be to me.

>
> Speaking of names, the acronyms that you guys are throwing around are fun,
> but they don't mean anything to me. Why do we have to have what amounts
> to a 'secret codename' for our group? How about something clearer, like
> the Schoolforge Coalition? Or the Schoolforge Group. Or just Schoolforge.
>

I think I like this best.  Let's just call it Schoolforge and go with it.

>
> Of course, all of this *is* a lot of work. We've got some momentum right
> now. A lot of these projects do divide up cleanly as you describe above.
> We've got starts with Les's case studies page and Les's education software
> index. (Go Les!)

I can't compliment Les too highly.  He's done quick, dependable work on getting our
old ad hoc listings into database format, and gently pushed me toward keeping them
updated in a timely manner.  Thanks, Les!

>
> Ideally we'd start hearing from volunteers to lead some of them forward,
> and then focus on the ones which are making progress... :)
>

And of course try to jumpstart the ones that aren't...

[snip discussion of tools]

>
> Also, note that each of the above tasks may well be solved best by
> different solutions. A wiki for the curriculum people. A sourceforge for
> the application developers (or just the informal services we offer now,
> without a forced gui glue). A php script or two for the case studies
> and educational applications people. And so on. The components don't
> all have to live on the same computer. Perhaps schoolforge should be
> the place connecting them all.
>

That makes a lot of sense.  Let the tool fit the task.

> I think once schoolforge.net gets moving, we should phase
> www.seul.org/edu/ out of existence. Maybe some other groups would merge
> in as well?
>
> Doug has the final say here, since he's the seul/edu project leader. But
> from my perspective, the goal is to get a more organized group of people
> tackling the Linux in education problem. It's a really big problem, and it
> needs all the people we can throw at it. What it's called doesn't matter
> --- whatever gets people into it. Having a url and a name that isn't
> meaningless (like, say, seul) will help draw the audience that you need.

I agree with Roger on this.  I've worked hard (both personally and
organizationally) to make sure that SEUL/edu doesn't see itself as "owning" the
Linux in education niche.  I don't care what it's called or where it's set up, I
just want to be part of the push to get Linux and Free/Open Source software into
education.

--
Doug Loss                 Always do right.  This
Data Network Coordinator  will gratify some people
Bloomsburg University     and astonish the rest.
dloss@bloomu.edu                Mark Twain