[Inschool] Re: [KLUG Members] Linux in schools

[Adam Williams]

>>I am the network administrator for Kalamazoo Public Schools. I would be
>>very interested in hearing about what you are doing and possibly lending
>>a hand. I know there are others on the klug list that would be
>>interested in this too. Maybe this would be a good time to get everyone
>>interested in Linux in the schools together for a round table
>>discussion, possibly over dinner somewhere? 
>I'm interested.
>>The biggest hurdle I keep running into is one of M$ culture and the
>>refusal to change. Deep down, I think it's mainly fear that keeps people
>>in the schools from changing. I have no doubt about the students. They
>>would adapt fine. It's the so called "higher thinkers" in administration
>>and the secretarial staff that are the road blocks. 
>In my particular situation it's not fear, at least as far as the 
>administration is concerned. The fear is with the teachers - training and 
>teaching materials.

Most of what I've encountered with teachers is "fear" toward anything at 
all.  They are NOT a technologically proficient demographic.  If a few 
comforatable people can be added to the mix it seems to really help.  

I can say "Save $500, use Open Office" and the response is basically 
'whatever'.  My wife (a teacher) says "I use it for everything I do, and 
actually prefer it over Office" and eyes light up.  I think the real key 
is to find a couple of technologically proficient teachers and win them 
over.  There seems to be a sheep-n-goat mentality.*

*For those of you who don't know: Sheep are real stupid, behaviorally very 
'routine' and tend to be easily frightened.  A goat is 4x intelligent as 
the average dog, as well as (typically) calm and confident.  It is common 
practice to introduce a couple of goats into a herd of sheep.  For 
whatever reason the sheep will follow the goats and the goats' behaviour 
sets some kind of psychological precedent for all the sheep.  This makes 
the sheep alot easier to manage.
 
>The teachers that I know already have materials based around MSOffice. 
>Are there any training materials for Star Office?

Yes.  But not in English (yet).  It is being translated.  There is quite a 
bit of it in German and Italian.  Those people are not switching from 
Office, they are upgrading to SO6.0.  It is important to remember that 
LOTS (including corporate ones) of Star Office users have existed for 
nearly a decade in Europe.

>Also, at the elementary level, they wold have to be able to run Reader 
>Rabbit, Putt-Putt and Accelerated Reader. If we can't make these things 
>run then forget it.

Right,  there is lots of edu-ware.  99% of it for Win32.

But my experience with game-ish stuff is that WINE actually works very 
well,  so I don't think this is impossible.  WINE falls down on the real 
'application' software.

>The administration is looking at anything that can be done to cut costs. 
>If I could walk in there with a server and a half dozen workstations and
>demonstrate that these applications could be run then I know they could 
>be convinced to switch away from MS and Novell.

Yep,  from my brief converstations elementary schools seem to be an easier 
switch as high-schools have lots of peer-relationship issues with other 
organs.
 
>It would be nice if it could run along with Novell through a 
>transition period.

I don't see Linux and Novell cohabitating as a significant problem.