LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Matthew Geddes <mgeddes@xavier.sa.edu.au>
  To  : Stephen Ward <sward@trinity.sa.edu.au>
  Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 10:01:26 +0930

Re: MS Curriculum at schools and TAFEs ...

Stephen Ward wrote:
> 
> Dear Brian
> 
> I have followed this tortuous thread with some interest, and at times marvelled at
> the 'catfight' it seems to have engendered. Contributor 'Mark' is our network
> manager and a Linux / Solaris devotee - and a fine one at that!

He's getting there :-).

> After many years in the field, starting with the BBC Micro (and what a machine that
> was, looking back), I had welcomed the development of IT from a mystical science,
> full of posturing wizards who zealously guarded their secrets, into a relatively
> friendly and open environment where the average enthusiast in schools had a good
> chance of setting up a PC network using (for example) Lantastic, Novell or NT. Like
> it or not, MS provided the impetus for the PC framework onto which most educational
> software has attached itself, and there are many fine products - almost an infinite
> supply at increasingly competitive prices.
> 
> The move to Linux etc. appears to have moved us some steps backwards, despite the
> supposed 'low cost'. We now have to employ full-time network managers, and the
> ability for the teacher to have a key role in running (or intergering with) systems
> becomes increasingly remote.

Many would argue that you need to employ full-time network managers for
NT solutions.

> Morover, the network manager may have a very different
> perspective of the network and technical priorities compared to the teacher in the
> classroom. We sometimes seem to be moving into 'computing for computing's sake'
> rather than focussing on the needs of the end-user.

This is obviously something that needs to be spelt out at the time you
hire the network manager. It happened when I started here. The principal
just wanted to make sure that my priorities would fit into what the
school needed.

> Linux is not easy to use.

I would disagree with that. I believe Sarah Balderoff has done some
fantastic things with Kids learning about Linux.

> The mnemonic jargon which fills this list is evidence of
> that.

NT lists are full of their jargon also. It doesn't make it any harder to
use. Most people would never need to touch the command line. A lot of
the stuff on this list is not exactly Linux specific, but refers to
standards which are used (and abused) by most operating systems.

> OK, so network managers will look after all the background tasks, but, at the
> end of the day, where is the software support?

The same place we get our Windows support. Books. Trial and Error.
Asking someone who knows.

> The Gimp, Star Office, Logo (and a
> multitude of banner-choked net sites) may be fine, but DTP, conventional (non-java)
> programming, CD-ROM resources, CAD, and general K-12 curriculum support seem to be
> poorly served.

There are still a few problems with Linux and Application support. They
are being overcome. If Linux was perfect, it would already be used
everywhere.

> Could someone please 'put me right' and point me to some resources. Once the server
> is up, and protected by its firewall, chatting to its clients and showering them
> with easy email and net access, what are students in schools going to be doing
> other than sending each other silly messages and cruising the net?

Theoretically, learning. If you lock down the network enough, you don't
even get them doing what you've just listed :-).

Matt

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