Greetings, This group has been discussing mostly school-based linux initiatives, but there is an active non-formal (think Scouts or 4-H, or church groups, etc. here) community out there that is just as excited at the possibilities of linux in their work - just as underfunded, in many ways even less supported. Can there be cross-discussion about both sides of this?
May I throw out the idea of: LIFE / LINE (LIFE = Linux in Formal Education / LINE = Linux in Non-formal Education) This could be the "summit" we have been talking about. Or an umbrella group that provides research, support, training - whatever - for educators and kids interested in open-source/linux - all flavors and colors. Gather interested parties together and look at the current puzzle pieces, and how the fit, what's missing, who's playing, and get a sense of what the picture looks like now and what we want it to look like in the future.
Also, there seem to be several big chunks to the question "what do we need to do to get linux/open source into education?" There is the software side - how to make it better, faster, lighter, easier for kids, teachers, parents, administrators (both system admins and school admins :-) ). There is the support side - how can we provide good tools for people wanting to put linux into their school/after-school programs - mentors, documentation, case studies, etc. There are surely other sides I haven't thought about.
And, how can we tie linux into teacher training at the college/university level, so teachers come into school settings already familiar with open-source? Wouldn't matter what distribution, just matters that they are exposed to alternatives that allow for community interaction.
Sorry these aren't fully developed thoughts, yet. Feel free to beat on them. Lucy
On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 08:51:47 -0400, Lucy Ringland wrote
Greetings, This group has been discussing mostly school-based linux initiatives, but there is an active non-formal (think Scouts or 4-H, or church groups, etc. here) community out there that is just as excited at the possibilities of linux in their work - just as underfunded, in many ways even less supported. Can there be cross-discussion about both sides of this?
I'll quick add that it will be easier to push open source in education the more it is embraced in the corporate world. It will also be easier to push open source in k-12 schools the more it is embraced at the college level.
With that said, I don't necessarily think that cross-discussion would be a bad thing.
Fedora Education Initiative fedora-education-list@redhat.com on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 at 8:51 AM +0000 wrote:
And, how can we tie linux into teacher training at the college/university level, so teachers come into school settings already familiar with open-source? Wouldn't matter what distribution, just matters that they are exposed to alternatives that allow for community interaction.
this is also a key point....good one too! We need to target universities to begin exposing "joe/jane student" to Linux as well with some kiosks/labs....etc.
David N. Trask Technology Teacher/Director Vassalboro Community School dtrask@vcsvikings.org (207)923-3100
education@lists.fedoraproject.org