Just some comments as I work as an IT Manager in a school, see inline > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Phil Scarratt > Sent: Mon, 11. April 2005 4:48 PM > To: Sara from ABD Computer Installations > Cc: slug@slug.org.au; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [SLUG] Exhibitors at Education Expo > > > Sara from ABD Computer Installations wrote: > > We are still in need of: > > * Suggestions for the student/teacher niche, what else do we need to > > inform them about? > > - non-computer-geek/nerd students use a computer mostly for MSN type > chatting, MP3'ing and browsing the web and don't really give a stuff > about anything else. Obviously they want to be able to use a word > processor of some sort but it doesn't really interest them. Pirated > software is the norm - scare tactics generally don't work > with students
This is pretty much true - however boys are more inquisitive about hardware, girls generally just want to use them. Sounds sexist but is based on 30 years in schools. > - teachers have some say in schools, though not the final say > - the hip-pocket does appeal to teachers as they have budgets to work > within usually As pointed out later the cost of MS Software is almost negligible when on the Schools Agreement or Select Agreement, this is on a per system basis. The Schools Agreement for instance, last time I checked would cost me over $15,000 per year. > - teachers in general are not interested in the FOSS debate, > they don't > care. They simply want whatever will get their job done with > the least > inconvenience to them, which means they have no loyalty > necessarily to > any particular type of software as long as it is easy to use > (familiarity does come into it here though) and does the job. Most teachers have been steamrolled by the MS juggernaut - if it ain't Windows or MS Office then ain't any good and they aren't going to learn > - some teachers do struggle with the idea of free (as in > beer) software > and think it is therefore of a lesser quality than paid for software > - for schools, the cost of Windows/Office is negligible even > though it > adds up. For starters Windows cost is included in the PC anyway. The > cost of Office (around $80 per licence last I looked) is somewhat > outweighed by less stress from teachers who are used to > Office and hence This is on the Select Agreement, these are non-upgradeable licences, if you have MS Office 2000 and want to go to 2003 then buy all the licences again. > bursars/business managers/principals are less hassled by staff. I've > never met a bunch of people more unwilling to learn something > different > than teachers. Amen!!!!!!!!!! If students were as recalcitrant as teachers they would all be on detention every day for failure to even try! > - there is a lot of scope of FOSS in libraries, but again > there is the > idea that free cannot be quality > - educational software being available for Linux is a problem, so > perhaps a push for FOSS that runs on Windows/MAC as well. It > needs to be > targeted obviously - eg a D&T teacher would want to know > what FOSS CAD > and design applications there are. I've had some success with > this sort > of thing - eventually the only thing keeping them on Windows > is Office. I find it is not Office but the range of other educational software, where the market is too small for authors to do more than a Windows version. I have put teachers into OO and not told them - just said it was a new version of Word - they were quite happy! > That is the hardest to convert. Yes, there is OpenOffice and > so on, but > as I said before teachers really HATE learning new stuff that is not > directly in their sphere - they just want to get down to > teaching, and > learning a new office package is just a nuisance. Perhaps a > flyer with > some web sites that list available FOSS software or FOSS > related sites even? Teachers have an education mentality, students can't learn unless they teach them, therefore they can't do anything new unless someone runs a course in it. The biggest push I believe to move teachers over to non-MS solutions would be the provision of frequent, cheap training courses (complete with dodgy certificates!) Students are generally very adaptable and will take on a range of software and solutions. -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
