Simon Bryan wrote:
...snip...
> Most teachers are teaching *using* technology not *about*
> technology, they don't need a deep understanding of the technology to do
> that.
No argument with this, but some knowledge of the underlying technology
helps. It is not unreasonable to understand how to sharpen a pencil,
change the globe in a projector, connect a video to a TV, or that a
car requires petrol, oil and maybe water (hail the V dub!) or how the
file tree works on a computer is it?
> Let me give you some figures:
> MSOfficePro license $95
> NTWS4.0 license $45
> NTServer $150 - unlimited licenses as you license the Workstations
>
> These are not big figures, they are cheap. I have seen Linux selling in shops
> for more than this.
Oh dear Simon - that is holding up a big target {:-).
Linux - say $10 for a pressed set with doco from two of our favourite
characters, that can be used for an unlimited number of computers.
Verses....
NT - $150 * Number of servers in school = $300 for my school
(2).
($95 + $45) * Number of workstations =$1,400 for my school
(10).
____________
$1,700
Okay, I'll help out by admitting that I drink a lot of cups of tea and
they will cost about $100 for tea bags and milk, but $1,700 Vs $110 is
still a big diff.
>
> The other reason for going for a standard system in DSE schools is that the
> DSE is expected to support it, if every installation in every school is different
> then it is an impossible task.
Correct, but the complaints are that DSE is NOT supporting schools.
They don't have the staff and the staff they do have do not have the
skills as they are teachers on secondment.
> > The training they receive is not designed to do anything more than
> > show them how to use the MS programs. It has no technology
> > understanding component at all.
> Gee when I looked through the Inservice manual for schools DSE, CEC etc I
> see that a lot of the programs are MS, for the above reasons, we can afford
> them and we *can* get support, however the great majority are focussed on
> the education process not on the software.
You seemed to have missed the points.
(1) They are not getting basic understanding. It is like teaching
someone to drive a car, but forgetting to tell them that it requires
petrol, oil, water and working brakes, lights.
(2) The training that the DSE is giving people is only applicable to
the programs they are using now. All this may have to be repeated when
schools roll out Win2K Office pro. This sort of education is
universally frowned on, but DSE does it.
(3) The programs are "affordable" because the alternative to MS was
zilch income (Avast Me Hearties!) and the department does the
enforcing.
(4) MS does NOT support schools for anything unless they pay for it.
So I think in terms of support, Linux beats MS in that you can get
some free support from LUGs, usenet, lists, etc, as well as paid
support from numerous people in and out of SLUG.
I have nothing against individual teachers, as a generalisation {:-).
Rather, it is the PHB in schools management (principals, DSE, etc)
that are the problem. These problems are similar problems with all
PHB's everywhere.
Anyone who wants to help their local school utilise linux is advised
to make sure that this is a genuine nterest and not something that is
going to waste your time. Unless of course it is a good opportunity to
do some hands on that would not be available otherwise.
Nuff said?
--
Terry Collins {:-)}}} Ph(02) 4627 2186 Fax(02) 4628 7861
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] www: http://www.woa.com.au
or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
WOA Computer Services <lan/wan, linux/unix, novell>
snail: PO Box 1047, Campbelltown, NSW 2560.
"People without trees are like fish without clean water"
--
SLUG - Sydney Linux Users Group Mailing List - http://www.slug.org.au
To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with
unsubscribe in the text
