Promoting Open Source in Schools

Igor Denisov denisov-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org
Sat Dec 17 15:57:35 UTC 2005


> > Many of these programs, like Geometer's Sketchpad, VB 6.0, etc. are
> > tightly integrated into the curriculum.
> > Some textbooks assume Sketchpad will be used and have tutorials for it.

> Is it really the curriculum or an option taken by book authors?

Hmm... both?

A quick google search (Geometer's Sketchpad tdsb) reveals this (and more):

===========
From: http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/SAME/samefiles/Sec.sessions.htm

With the Ministry-licensed Geometer's  Sketchpad Version 4, students
can explore and learn concepts in the new "Advanced Functions and
Introductory Calculus" dynamically. Through step-by-step instructions,
students will construct, investigate, and develop meaning to concepts.
Participants will receive a healthy package of classroom-ready
worksheets that can be put to use immediately in the MCB 4U course.
===========

And this brings up another important detail: a lot of the software the
board uses is licensed by the Ministry of Education and made free
(IIRC) for any Ontario school to use.

Perhaps getting the Ministry of Ed. to "license" some OSS Linux
software would lead to a trickle-down effect, where convincing the
TDSB to support Linux would become easier (and making this so called
OSS software free to the board :-)

My personal opinion at this time is that Linux will work best in TDSB's CS labs.
There, the few knowledgeable, 'renegade' teachers will teach C with
Vim/Emacs/Kdevelop and GCC rather than Visual Studio, set up linux
boxen as routers and firewalls in networking classes, etc.

The school board is not ready for a full-scale Linux implementation
for a number of reasons:

1. About 2-3 years ago, they dumped considerable amounts of money and
went through much pain to switch from NT to Win2K.

2. Technical ineptitude. They brought in peope from Dell to help them
set up that Win2K network, along with its rather complicated Active
Directory structure, etc.

Even if some of the board's current teachers have some Linux skills,
they still probably can't set up a network similar to the existing
one.

If they could, there might be union issues (right now, rule-abiding
teachers should call for a union network tech if they want a network
cable plugged in, PC relocated from top of the desk to the floor, or
if they want to install something like a scanner driver).

3. The belief that the current system is and works fine. After all,
half of the computers are P2-400 or early P3s, with 128 MB of memory,
all taken as off-lease from Dell. When a system goes down, they just
call in a tech to reimage it, no rescues are attempted.
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