Mailinglist Archive: opensuse-edu (29 mails)
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Re: [opensuse-edu] What is a verticle solution for education?
- From: Ian Lynch <ian.lynch@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2007 11:07:39 +0100
- Message-id: <1186654060.7675.126.camel@Zaphod>
On Thu, 2007-08-09 at 02:22 +0100, Matt Johnson wrote:
> The problem for us is that schools have very little financial or
> functional reason to implement change on the services/products
> outlined above. Perhaps this is vastly different across the globe...
> perhaps we could hear some examples. Certainly for me, the work must
> be done above school level in order to affect change on the vast
> majority of the services outlined.
Its very variable in different parts of the world. The vast majority of
schools world wide are well below the level of provision we take for
granted in the UK. Even in the UK there is massive variation in who
controls procurement. An independent school will be entirely free to
choose any equipment from any supplier. A City Academy will have more
freedom in this respect than a comprehensive school in a local authority
with centralised provision. Some LA centralise more than others. Then
you get into micropolitics between head, IT manager, systems manager. If
anyone of these wants to sabotage change they are well placed to do so.
My main point is that if you want change you have to lower the barriers
to change, superman might be able to leap tall buildings in one bound
but most humans have to take the stairs. If I offer a school a valued
qualification that is supported entirely through web applications and
teaches about FOSS but also satisfies statutory requirements with
minimal additional work for the teacher, its a step in the right
direction and far easier in terms of adoption than trying to get people
to install GNU/Linux servers and desktops everywhere with no training
budget. Furthermore, if you do persuade people to change and it causes
them hassle you do more harm than good because they will say we tried
that Linux thing and it didn't work. In the long run its better for them
to make the decision as to what they need than for us to force the
issue. If of course the target is Linux savvy anyway and wants support
in changing, its a different issue.
Ian
--
New QCA Accredited IT Qualifications
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> The problem for us is that schools have very little financial or
> functional reason to implement change on the services/products
> outlined above. Perhaps this is vastly different across the globe...
> perhaps we could hear some examples. Certainly for me, the work must
> be done above school level in order to affect change on the vast
> majority of the services outlined.
Its very variable in different parts of the world. The vast majority of
schools world wide are well below the level of provision we take for
granted in the UK. Even in the UK there is massive variation in who
controls procurement. An independent school will be entirely free to
choose any equipment from any supplier. A City Academy will have more
freedom in this respect than a comprehensive school in a local authority
with centralised provision. Some LA centralise more than others. Then
you get into micropolitics between head, IT manager, systems manager. If
anyone of these wants to sabotage change they are well placed to do so.
My main point is that if you want change you have to lower the barriers
to change, superman might be able to leap tall buildings in one bound
but most humans have to take the stairs. If I offer a school a valued
qualification that is supported entirely through web applications and
teaches about FOSS but also satisfies statutory requirements with
minimal additional work for the teacher, its a step in the right
direction and far easier in terms of adoption than trying to get people
to install GNU/Linux servers and desktops everywhere with no training
budget. Furthermore, if you do persuade people to change and it causes
them hassle you do more harm than good because they will say we tried
that Linux thing and it didn't work. In the long run its better for them
to make the decision as to what they need than for us to force the
issue. If of course the target is Linux savvy anyway and wants support
in changing, its a different issue.
Ian
--
New QCA Accredited IT Qualifications
www.theINGOTs.org
You have received this email from the following company: The Learning
Machine Limited, Reg Office, 36 Ashby Road, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79
8AQ. Reg No: 05560797, Registered in England and Wales.
--
To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-edu+unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxx
For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-edu+help@xxxxxxxxxxxx
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