Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] RM CC3 NETWORK
--- paul sutton
Is this a primary or secondary school environment, are linux work stations suitable for a primary environment?
Yes, it's a primary environment. And yes... linux is very suitable for defined roles. There are gaps that arguably require things to run on Windows (because the software only runs on Windows - and I don't have time to get wine running reliably). We use our new linux workstations for research (hence these machines are in the library) and officey stuff: openoffice *draw* is superb for KS2. I've run a couple of projects on it - great results. I had a class of year 5's redesign our town centre. Plus, using OO.o spreadsheet for the spreadsheet qca stuff works very well. No reason to use Excel. And for publishing or wordprocessing work, Writer is good as/better than Word. Literacy lessons that simply require a word processor? Why use Windows? Why book the Windows suite? There's also some stuff aimed at the younger audience. TuxPaint is pretty good. I have reservations on using the gimp, bacause it splashes up "GIMP" each time you use it. Perhaps I'm being conservative... (I wonder how hard it is to edit all the instances of the title GIMP to its full name?) And now that we use Plone for our website, Mozilla (on these linux machines) works better than IE (eg for table control in Epoz) for editting our website, which the children participate in. And more and more resources are online (subscription?) services. Our email (webmail) for Year 3's and all staff of course - runs as happily on Linux as on Windows. So, yeah, if we begin to reroute classes who need apps for the tasks outlined, from our main suite to banks of linux machines, we free up the Windows machines for stuff that only runs on them. Oh, and it looks *so* much prettier than Win98 :) The pupils love it. -- Matt ___________________________________________________________ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
On Sun, 2004-11-07 at 00:20, Matt Johnson wrote:
--- paul sutton
wrote: Is this a primary or secondary school environment, are linux work stations suitable for a primary environment?
Yes, it's a primary environment. And yes... linux is very suitable for defined roles. There are gaps that arguably require things to run on Windows (because the software only runs on Windows - and I don't have time to get wine running reliably).
We use our new linux workstations for research (hence these machines are in the library) and officey stuff: openoffice *draw* is superb for KS2. I've run a couple of projects on it - great results. I had a class of year 5's redesign our town centre. Plus, using OO.o spreadsheet for the spreadsheet qca stuff works very well. No reason to use Excel. And for publishing or wordprocessing work, Writer is good as/better than Word. Literacy lessons that simply require a word processor? Why use Windows? Why book the Windows suite?
Maybe you could run a workshop on the use of OpenOffice.org in KS2 for the FLOSSIE conference next March? We are planning an OOo theme for it so it would be most appropriate. If anyone has any practical experience of using FLOSS in school I'd like to hear from you as the venue will have facilities for practical hands on and it would be good to get people to come to learn practically as well as through talks.
There's also some stuff aimed at the younger audience. TuxPaint is pretty good. I have reservations on using the gimp, bacause it splashes up "GIMP" each time you use it. Perhaps I'm being conservative... (I wonder how hard it is to edit all the instances of the title GIMP to its full name?)
And now that we use Plone for our website, Mozilla (on these linux machines) works better than IE (eg for table control in Epoz) for editting our website, which the children participate in. And more and more resources are online (subscription?) services.
Our email (webmail) for Year 3's and all staff of course - runs as happily on Linux as on Windows.
So, yeah, if we begin to reroute classes who need apps for the tasks outlined, from our main suite to banks of linux machines, we free up the Windows machines for stuff that only runs on them.
This is basically just sound management practice. Target resources on need and best value, don't just chuck resources at problem mindlessly because other people do it. The only difficulty is that you need to be more knowledgeable to do this but hey shouldn't we be valuing know-how in education? Ignorance is in the long run extremely expensive and costing knowledge against immediate utility as is attempted with TCO is educational philistinism of the highest order. Let's not teach any physics on the grounds most people won't get an immediate return on investment ;-).
Oh, and it looks *so* much prettier than Win98 :)
And a damn site more secure and no viruses.
--
Ian Lynch
participants (2)
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Ian Lynch
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Matt Johnson