Mailinglist Archive: opensuse-edu (292 mails)
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RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Thinking Ahead.... Notes from a small school
- From: "Mr Miles Berry" <mberry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 19:18:13 +0000 (UTC)
- Message-id: <NFBBLIPICLKOMOGHMLKPGEIHCAAA.mberry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
The software we use, like many (most) schools for under 11s, falls into two
groups.
The first and most important is essentially cut down versions of
applications software, although we do use MS Office for staff and the older
girls. Much of the functionality of this software is available under Linux,
although the various interfaces are, I feel, far too complex for our younger
girls. The software we use at present:
Clicker: Word processing/multimedia authoring using grids with words and
pictures to select; writes HTML
Dazzle: Bitmap editing with simple & customizable toolbars
Super Logo: Logo programming
My world: 'Fuzzy felt' drag and drop pictures and text
Junior Pin Point: Simple database for statistics investigations;
questionnaire design, data collection and analysis
Geometer's Sketchpad: Interactive geometry - angles, areas, construction,
transformations
Text Ease: Word processing with speech and graphics; writes HTML
MS Office: WP, Spreadsheet, relational database, presentation graphics
MS Publisher: Easy way to produce visually stunning (if all rather similar)
web pages, leaflets, etc.
Corel Draw: Vector graphics
Corel Photo-paint:Image manipulation
I am aware that there are Open Source variants of these latter standard
applications, but I will still get the argument from colleagues and parents
that the Linux version isn't what the they and the girls are used to at
home. Not an insurmountable argument but there would still be some
resistance.
The second category is the huge number of CD ROMs and older education
specific programs. A lot of these are beyond the traditional drill &
practice type of program and include open ended, problem solving and
investigative opportunities. My colleagues all have there own favourites,
but a few of those presently in use:
Dorling Kindersley, I love maths: Various multimedia maths games, similarly
for spelling and science
Thomas the Clown: Multimedia problem solving activities - ordering, patterns
etc.
A variety of talking books
Dorling Kindersley geography, history and science reference CD ROMS
Still a fair few drill & practice programs for spelling (Star Spell) and
arithmetic
MS Encarta: Encyclopaedia, atlas, dictionary.
An exhaustive list, even for just St Ives would be fairly lengthy. To get an
idea of the vast range available see http://besd.becta.org.uk/
As to Michael's query about the market for Linux servers, whilst I'm aware
that many state primaries have received NGfL funds to put an NT server
solution in place, there are many more that have not (yet), and prep schools
such as ourselves don't get NGfL money and have no LEAs making decisions or
giving advice. According to the DfEE, the 'average' primary school has 17.8
PCs, but only 5.2 connected to any sort of network
(http://www.dfee.gov.uk/statistics/DB/SBU/b0197/sb07-2000.pdf). A Linux box
like the one suggested would transform existing peer-peer or stand alone
hardware, and as he points out, would not be difficult to implement. It is
harder to make money out of this if it's as easy as it should be, but this
has never stopped RM.
Miles Berry
Deputy Head
St Ives School, Haslemere
www.st-ives.surrey.sch.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Evans [mailto:mpe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 16 March 2001 16:43
To: Michael Brown
Cc: suse-linux-uk-schools@xxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Thinking Ahead.... Notes from a
small school
Importance: High
> On Fri, 16 Mar 2001, Mr Miles Berry wrote:
>
> > My Key Stage 1 & 2 colleagues currently expect a range of education
> > specific titles to be available, which are only at present available
> > for Windows - OK VMWare and WINE mean these can be run under Linux but
> > that's kind of defeating the object IMHO. Given time then I'm sure the
> > functionality of these programs will be available under Linux or,
> > preferably, via the web.
>
> Could you describe the education software that you use? Titles alone will
> not mean much to me, but if you can give me a description then I can start
> someone searching for Linux-based or web-based equivalents.
It would be useful if this kind of information
compiled into a support database.
i.e. software people are actually using
against open source equivalents.
Miles Berry
Deputy Head
St Ives School, Haslemere
www.st-ives.surrey.sch.uk
groups.
The first and most important is essentially cut down versions of
applications software, although we do use MS Office for staff and the older
girls. Much of the functionality of this software is available under Linux,
although the various interfaces are, I feel, far too complex for our younger
girls. The software we use at present:
Clicker: Word processing/multimedia authoring using grids with words and
pictures to select; writes HTML
Dazzle: Bitmap editing with simple & customizable toolbars
Super Logo: Logo programming
My world: 'Fuzzy felt' drag and drop pictures and text
Junior Pin Point: Simple database for statistics investigations;
questionnaire design, data collection and analysis
Geometer's Sketchpad: Interactive geometry - angles, areas, construction,
transformations
Text Ease: Word processing with speech and graphics; writes HTML
MS Office: WP, Spreadsheet, relational database, presentation graphics
MS Publisher: Easy way to produce visually stunning (if all rather similar)
web pages, leaflets, etc.
Corel Draw: Vector graphics
Corel Photo-paint:Image manipulation
I am aware that there are Open Source variants of these latter standard
applications, but I will still get the argument from colleagues and parents
that the Linux version isn't what the they and the girls are used to at
home. Not an insurmountable argument but there would still be some
resistance.
The second category is the huge number of CD ROMs and older education
specific programs. A lot of these are beyond the traditional drill &
practice type of program and include open ended, problem solving and
investigative opportunities. My colleagues all have there own favourites,
but a few of those presently in use:
Dorling Kindersley, I love maths: Various multimedia maths games, similarly
for spelling and science
Thomas the Clown: Multimedia problem solving activities - ordering, patterns
etc.
A variety of talking books
Dorling Kindersley geography, history and science reference CD ROMS
Still a fair few drill & practice programs for spelling (Star Spell) and
arithmetic
MS Encarta: Encyclopaedia, atlas, dictionary.
An exhaustive list, even for just St Ives would be fairly lengthy. To get an
idea of the vast range available see http://besd.becta.org.uk/
As to Michael's query about the market for Linux servers, whilst I'm aware
that many state primaries have received NGfL funds to put an NT server
solution in place, there are many more that have not (yet), and prep schools
such as ourselves don't get NGfL money and have no LEAs making decisions or
giving advice. According to the DfEE, the 'average' primary school has 17.8
PCs, but only 5.2 connected to any sort of network
(http://www.dfee.gov.uk/statistics/DB/SBU/b0197/sb07-2000.pdf). A Linux box
like the one suggested would transform existing peer-peer or stand alone
hardware, and as he points out, would not be difficult to implement. It is
harder to make money out of this if it's as easy as it should be, but this
has never stopped RM.
Miles Berry
Deputy Head
St Ives School, Haslemere
www.st-ives.surrey.sch.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Evans [mailto:mpe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 16 March 2001 16:43
To: Michael Brown
Cc: suse-linux-uk-schools@xxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Thinking Ahead.... Notes from a
small school
Importance: High
> On Fri, 16 Mar 2001, Mr Miles Berry wrote:
>
> > My Key Stage 1 & 2 colleagues currently expect a range of education
> > specific titles to be available, which are only at present available
> > for Windows - OK VMWare and WINE mean these can be run under Linux but
> > that's kind of defeating the object IMHO. Given time then I'm sure the
> > functionality of these programs will be available under Linux or,
> > preferably, via the web.
>
> Could you describe the education software that you use? Titles alone will
> not mean much to me, but if you can give me a description then I can start
> someone searching for Linux-based or web-based equivalents.
It would be useful if this kind of information
compiled into a support database.
i.e. software people are actually using
against open source equivalents.
Miles Berry
Deputy Head
St Ives School, Haslemere
www.st-ives.surrey.sch.uk
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