Wow Steve the CUE show sounded fantastic! Well done for pulling it off so professionally and for so successfully creating a hype around the OSS Pavillion by making sure it all just worked, and was interesting and relevant.
Brilliant :) regards JaneW On Tue, 2006-03-14 at 14:14 -0800, Steve Hargadon wrote: > We've just returned home from the CUE.org (Computer Using Educators) > show in Palm Springs, California--where Open Source "took the show by > storm..." (an inside joke for those at the show, given the incredible > wind storm on Thursday night and the snowstorm Saturday!). > > But certainly having 75 computers running Open Source software was a > significant event, and our "Open Source Pavilion" was considered a > great success by all involved, especially the show organizers. As part > of a plan both to showcase Open Source software, and to simplify the > show's evaluation process, the Open Source Pavilion was used as the > exclusive evaluation area during the last part of the show, where > attendees filled out an online evaluation and then received a show > t-shirt in return. The show organizers had used words like "chaos" and > "madness" to describe the frenzied hordes that would descend and do > anything for a free t-shirt, but using the Open Source Pavilion turned > out to provide a fast, streamlined, and calm experience for all > involved. > > The Open Source Pavilion was also host to eight presentations on Open > Source software (see www.cue.org/conference/opensource), three of > which (two on moodle, one on blogging and podcasting) attracted crowds > so large that even bringing in more chairs could not accommodate all > who wanted to attend. In a significant move, our Open Source sessions > were listed in the general conference brochure along with all the > other sessions, and our visibility was quite high, as we were > mentioned by several of the regular speakers in their talks. > > We ran 32 laptops with our EZWebPC software (a CD-based Linux > operating system that just runs a web browser) in an "email garden" > formation with access to a printer. The laptops, used IBM's with no > hard drives and generously provided by Computers & Education > (http://www.crc.org/info/index.html), were frequently in heavy use and > appreciated by many. We then ran 43 old desktop Dell Optiplexes in a > lab/lecture setting, each converted to thin-client use and booting > from our "NetBooter" device. These thin clients then connected with > either of two Linux servers, one running Fedora Core, and the other > running Ubuntu. It was quite something to have 75 stable, reliable > computers set up and running in such quick fashion. > > At our hosting tables in the Pavilion we had available free copies of > the OpenCD and Ubuntu, and lots of reading material. Many participants > had lots of questions, and some few said that they only came to the > show to see our Pavilion. We've been asked to provide a similar > (although not quite so expansive) area at the NECC 2006 show in San > Diego in July, where our speakers will also be included in the general > program bulletin. As well, CUE.org wanted to make sure we could come > back next year. (Which will be a lot easier, now that we have all the > ethernet cabling built!) All in all, a good showing! > > Also: I was part of an interview on Open Source software in schools > during the show, a webcast of which can be found at > http://www.kidzonline.org/webcast/webcast.html?id=191 > > -- > Steve Hargadon > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 916-899-1400 direct > > www.K12Computers.com - (Refurbished Dell Optiplexes for Schools) > www.TechnologyRescue.com - (Linux Thin Client Solutions) > www.LiveKiosk.com - (Free WebStation Software) > www.PublicWebStations.com - (Disaster & Shelter WebStation Software) > www.SteveHargadon.com - (Blog on Technology, Education, & Computer Reuse) > www.K12OpenSource.com - (Blog on Free and Open Source Software in Schools) > -- JaneW _____________ Jane Weideman mobile: +27 83 779 7800 Canonical Ltd. -- edubuntu-devel mailing list edubuntu-devel@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/edubuntu-devel
