I am not sure what Benjamin's email address is, so I want to answer some
of his questions here and update us on a few other projects.
Benjamin Kinsey wrote
This is where I want your help. I need honest feedback, both
positive and negative, from HOSEF members about the challenges
of Linux within the scope of education. For example, besides
Office and Web surfing, what will students actually be doing
at the Linux cluster? What educational software is available
for Linux? Particularly, how can Linux be useful for math and
science education (the focus of the HNLC grant)? Is there any
hope of turning an "average" Mac or PC person into a Linux
system administrator?
With your feedback, I will report my findings to my supervisor
who will likely report to her supervisor, and so up the chain
it will go, the way things work in government. I am
enthusiastic that the attitude toward Linux is warming as the
benefits become more compelling.
Others have responded with links to education sites, and I know Jeff
Zidek and Michael Bishop have had success running Rosetta Stone with
WINE. The biggest challenge to its successful implementation is support
and training. We can all make the compelling case that community
support is free and rather instant. That does not put a knowledgeable
person in the classroom at 10:39 in the morning when an unintentional
foot has dislodged power to the classroom switch.
We hope to resolve this by offering a series of introductory classes at
McKinley Community School. This is a location with several great things
underway that have been initiated by Michael Bishop. I will talk about
this in a few paragraphs, but for now the important thing is that we
intend to offer a very introductory series of classes.
The key word is introductory because, especially if I teach them, they
will be centered around the very basics of getting to know Linux and the
similarities/differences between the Linux GUI world and Windows. I
just want people to come in and get over their fear or unfamiliarity.
Because HOSEF will sponsor the ones that I teach, we will readily refer
any attendee to all known Linux/Open Source training and support
resources on the island. Our initiative is to engage and educate the
public while serving as an information conduit for local resources.
Because we have to charge something, all money will be able to go to our
funds to buy servers/hardware for schools.
As we continue to collect computers, we will offer teachers the chance
to take home the pc that they use for their round of classes. This is
do-able in the next month. It seems like a solid way to get the
technology deployed along with some basic skills.
In addition to this basic level of classes, Warren is and will hopefully
continue leading the way in coming up with engaging and more advanced
classes. The more people we can get to do themed classes to help
sysadmins will be instrumental in creating more curious and competent
tech coordinators/sysadmins. Vince is going to do things at HCC, I
believe. Many of you out there are so smart; your community needs you.
Perhaps the best way to create a competent core of sysadmins is to get
some projects finished. This path is best lit by Michael right now. As
he has stated
The teacher we were talking about has come back. Next week during the
weekday or evening would be a good time to drop off the computers to her.
She's moving right now so her weekends are taken.
She just got in all the tables and she has a few power strips. Her room is
able to take up to 20 computers, but I have promised only 5 computers. If
you can spare more I know she would appreciate it.
I can help load and unload, but I'm not able to haul anything, I don't have
a car. I will be on hand to help setup the computers when they get there.
Okay. So let us be clear. All talking aside. A teacher at a DOE
school is now waiting on us to install a lab and help her to get it
going. We have the machines. We have loaded the OS's on them. They
are ready to go. You, yes you can be the hero if you want to help with
their installation and training.
Furthermore, Michael has arranged the opportunity, as you have seen from
his post, for us to have classes at McKinley. As I understand it, we
lack only the Teachers, and the tables/power strips for us to set up a
lab with our own donated machines. The classes I would like to teach
there are being planned with Knoppix in their current Windows labs, but
with our own machines we could have simultaneous sessions. We could
have the hardware level classes in one room and the advanced classes in
another.
These are ready to go projects waiting on the members of HOSEF and the
Linux community to help implement. Once complete we are talking about
revenue producing classes for HOSEF so we can turn around and buy the
servers/hardware to go along with the thin clients we intend to give
away for the LTSP installations. Furthermore, we are talking about a
proof of concept DOE lab right *now* thanks to Michael's outreach. This
is what Benjamin needs to see. In addition, if his group has the funds,
we can give them plenty of thin clients *now*, we will just run low on
self-standing workstations after we take care of McKinley/Farrington.
This is where we are, and let me remind you that your vision and
managerial insight are invited to attend our HOSEF organizational
meeting this Saturday at the Stadium Marketplace Pricebusters. (We are
looking for another site)
scott
