[nzlug] open source in NZ schools

[Andrew Farago]

Hey guys!
We are so far from the original topic!
The question was not which office software is the best. The question  
is: Is any kind of Linux distribution/application package is suited  
for schools or not. If yes which, why and who using it?
When we talking about schools we need to talk about school  
administration, teaching and easy network/application administration.

I love to use Linux. At home I have had only Linux powered servers  
and desktops always. Linux is the best choice for families, small  
businesses (1-3 employee), or for single servers/firewalls but not  
suitable for schools/businesses with more than 200 desktops and 500  
users.

Sorry but this is the experience of more than 12 years in the ICT. I  
have seen good ideas, great alliances between companies and OSS  
developers but these movements never had any serious long term results.

Currently most of my time I am using an iBookG4 with MacOS 10.4.8. It  
is based on the NetBSD. I love it! Everything works (almost) no  
hardware problems but I still  can see the ugly scars between the OSS  
and Apple components and this scares interfere the right and smooth  
working. Really good example in the System Preferences the Networking  
(Samba, Dial Up, PPP, VPN)
The Apple spent a terrific amount of money and time to make the all  
thing working and it is still not 100% maybe 85% or less.

I do not want to campaign for Apple/M$/Linux/BSD or anyone/anything  
else. I want only just a well working computer-operating system combo  
and it is seems more and more an utopia and more and more far these  
days. :-(

Sorry about this dark mail.
Andrew



On 1/02/2007, at 7:25 PM, Michael Adams wrote:

> On Thu, 01 Feb 2007 09:18:29 +1300
> Cliff Pratt wrote:
>
>> Vik Olliver wrote:
>>> On Wed, 2007-01-31 at 19:49 +1300, Cliff Pratt wrote:
>>>> They learn the concepts by using a specific application. You can't
>>>> teach the concepts except *by* using one application or another.
>>>
>>> You can't stop the parroting behaviour unless you use a variety of
>>> applications. Otherwise you end up with those people that Yuri met
>>> who get lost if the application icon is moved to the other side of
>>> the desktop.
>>>
>> You get two sorts of people, those who get lost when the icon is
>> moved, and those who move the icon. The first are best server  
>> learning
>> by rote the application that they will eventually use for real. The
>> others can use any application with more or less ease that does a
>> similar thing.
>>
>> It doesn't make sense to teach the first group a number of
>> applications - that will just confuse them. It doesn't matter which
>> application you use to teach the second group. Therefore it makes
>> sense to teach everyone how to use the application that the first
>> group will use for real.
>>
>
> I actually disagree with this. You could teach six year olds on  
> Office12
> if you like, but will it really prepare them Office15? How different
> will the UI be in 15 years when they hit the workforce?
>
> It's not six year olds that have the tendency to fit into the first
> group you outline. It is adults, specifically of my generation that  
> were
> taught by rote.
>
> Kids at school are far more adaptable and it is definately a good
> grounding in general techniques that they want. OO.o, Abiword, or
> Office12?
>
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