FYI - Didn't know if you knew of this.....
On Fri, 2010-04-09 at 07:53 -0400, Casey Adams wrote: > Matt, > > > > If you are not working with Chris Whiteley, creator of openZIS, you > should check it out: [email protected] He has an > open source SIF solution well developed and has done integration work > now with commercial vendors, MA DOE and some UK agencies. I highly > recommend him. Thanks > > > Casey Adams > Founder, OS4Ed > > > On Fri, Apr 9, 2010 at 4:17 AM, Matt Burkhardt <[email protected]> > wrote: > > On Thu, 2010-04-08 at 14:19 -0400, Kevin Cole wrote: > > > I hope my *very* humble comments can help shape the message... > > > > On Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 13:51, Mike <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > How do we invest in open source? > > > > > > Identify some funding that can be used for projects in K-12 > schools that > > > rely on open source software. This is clearly this first step to > making > > > anything significant happen. This is also a good way to develop > some working > > > models. Perhaps various models should be explored. One model > would include > > > full open source from operating system forward. Another model > might consider > > > open-source products on proprietary OS's. We need to get to the > point that > > > we can take schools where they are and help them to move forward. > It is > > > unrealistic to think that schools will discard all products > currently in use > > > and move to new, different products. > > > > When schools decide to transition from Apple to Microsoft or vice > > versa, how do they migrate? Also, my thinking about "investing" > > includes student involvement: Since many schools have community > > service requirements and internship opportunities, look for students > > who are bright and curious to help. They will require some > management > > from either educators or professionals (or both) but if there's > either > > financial gain or prestige / recognition to be gained, forming those > > kinds of partnerships are a real investment. > > I think there's also the idea of developing new software. For > example, I'm currently working with a co-op of charter schools > to add functionality to two current open source packages > called SchoolTool and CanDo using an I3 grant. Hopefully > we'll end up with the money, but the bigger picture is that > this new functionality will be able to be used by any other > school. FYI, it's to add SIF compliance, XML import and > export capabilities and better reporting. > > > > How do we determine if open source software is effective? > > > > > > In my opinion this is the wrong question. Do we ask “is Microsoft > software > > > effective?” “Is Apple software effective?” No. We tend to look at > > > achievement levels after students have used various types of > software. Our > > > experience in Indiana showed little difference between > proprietary software > > > and open-source software. (Although we ran out of time to fully > document > > > this information before the program was substantially changed.) > > > > And the question is too "Effective how?" (or "Effective at what?") > If > > all you're measuring is "can a spreadsheet add numbers" or "does the > > geography drill give the right answers" then, a lot of solutions > will > > work, proprietary or otherwise. If, on the other hand, people are > > able to tap the talent to redesign and redistribute, it's the > > potential for innovation and customization which makes it exciting. > > (On a more mundane level, one could look at total cost of ownership, > > including licensing, number of programmer / sysadmin hours per > person > > per computer, anti-virus costs, etc. But I'm not really any good > with > > those kinds of numbers.) > > I agree and can't add anything substantial to these > responses. > > > > The biggest challenge is ACCESS. We found that the average high > school > > > student averaged 30-45 minutes per WEEK using technology in > schools. At > > > that usage level it would be hard to determine if brushing teeth > was > > > effective, let alone the more difficult issue of technology. > > > > > > Perhaps the question should be, how do we determine if technology > is > > > effective? How do we gauge the effectiveness of software compared > to its > > > price? Would we be better off taking the money we spend for > software and > > > hardware and putting it into additional personnel? Should we look > at the > > > types of software that we are using? The fact that a school > project has > > > technology does not necessarily mean that it is successful or > desirable. > > I think the TCO argument is best used here. > > > > > > > Is the model sustainable? > > > > > > This is a difficult one on several levels. I am hoping that her > main concern > > > is sustaining the model that is established for K-12 schools. The > ultimate > > > model should consider everything: hardware costs, software costs, > > > professional development costs, and implementation practice. I am > not > > > certain that we are looking at these things now as we implement > systems in > > > schools. Although it is a good idea and we should be doing this, > the > > > question needs to be be more broadly applied to technology used > throughout > > > K-12 education. > > > > Sustainable? Is anything "sustainable" in the 21st century, where > > products are obsolete before they're released? I would say open > > source is "migratable" especially if you're stressing open standards > > for data. I love Linux, but keep my eye on other open-source OS's > out > > there and haven't sworn fealty to Emperor Tux forever, nor even to > his > > relatives of the *nix family. It's hard to build that kind of > dynamic > > flexibility into big organizations, but I think it's KEY for > education > > to make a valiant effort to do so. > > > > If she's starting from zero on the open source business model, > you need to help her consider some of the business successes. > Red Hat just posted one of their strongest quarters, same with > Alfresco and several others. Mention that Google, Amazon, > Facebook and other well known social sites run on open source > software. It might be good to talk about MySQL being > purchased for lots of money by Oracle. > > In addition, I think the idea of service capabilities should > be discussed. There is an open source service business in > every state of the union, and if schools started switching > over, there's enough knowledge around to help start up small > businesses. > > My two cents and thanks, > > > > Matt Burkhardt > Impari Systems, Inc. > > [email protected] > http://www.imparisystems.com > http://www.linkedin.com/in/mlburkhardt > http://www.twitter.com/matthewboh > 502 Fairview Avenue > Frederick, MD 21701 > work (301) 682-7901 > cell (301) 802-3235 > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > education-wg mailing list > [email protected] > http://opensourceforamerica.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/education-wg > > > > > > -- > Casey Adams > Phone: 678.221.4602 > Fax: 717.326.3543. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > education-wg mailing list > [email protected] > http://opensourceforamerica.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/education-wg Matt Burkhardt Impari Systems, Inc. [email protected] http://www.imparisystems.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/mlburkhardt http://www.twitter.com/matthewboh 502 Fairview Avenue Frederick, MD 21701 work (301) 682-7901 cell (301) 802-3235
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