Re: [seul-edu] Progress on Linux in Portland Schools

["Jeffrey B. Williams" <cfiaime@nconnect.net>]

Greetings!

I'm also fighting this M$ Office as the only program to use (and the
teaching of keystrokes), but from the level of school board.  We are
installing an LTSP demonstration project at the Hartford Wisconsin Middle
School this coming weekend.  The students will have OOo 1.1 as their office
suite, and some open source tutor applications.  The biggest detractors of
this project are the technical staff, who only know Windows.

I believe that the only way to have a viable computer science program in the
schools is to go open source.  So far, very few people agree, at least in
our school district.  I hope the parents will appreciate the increase in
quality with the cost savings.

jeff williams - cfiaime@nconnect.net

> seul-edu@seul.org writes:
>>Yes mate
>>
>>Teachers seem to not understand the consept of software can be low cost
>>( The only cost is there time) and good quality. I have asked the IT
>>teachers to trial OOo but they keep saying thet industary user
>>MSoffice. I keep saying that it is so similar it is not funny.
>>(espesaly when you are teaching primary school kids).
> You are so correct.   I think people need to realize that learning
> concepts are so much more important than applications.  Word processing
> is word processing.  Learn the basics and you will be set for life.
> Learn a particular application and you only know that one application.
> Which will change and they won't know what to do.
>>
>>Or is that they are scared or lasy.
> More scared than lazy.  Or rather FUD.  Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.
> They know nothing of Open Source and figure M$ is the best thing out
> there (heh).
>
> -Tim
> NCLB - Bringing unattainable standards to public schools