[Fwd: FYI: Linspire in schools]
Jane Weideman
janew at hbd.com
Thu Oct 20 11:21:09 UTC 2005
fyi
-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin Carmony [mailto:letter at lists.linspire.com]
Sent: 14 October 2005 02:55 AM
To: rob at freecomgroup.com
Subject: LL: Field Trip
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Field Trip
by Kevin Carmony
October 13, 2005
There has been a lot of talk recently about the "$100 laptop" that the
MIT Media Lab is developing for students around the world. We applaud
and support these efforts, especially since the laptop will use Linux.
However, it's important to remember that this project is still in the
conceptual stage, and it's not something that can be deployed today.
Even if MIT's engineers succeed in building this device, there will be
other problems to solve, such as distribution costs, support costs, and
the $100 question...Will the laptop be powerful enough and perform well
enough for students to even consider using it? (See a previous Michael's
Minute about the $100 Laptop here.)
Amidst all the attention the $100-laptop plan is getting, I wanted to
make sure to shine some of the spotlight on other pioneers — the
educators who are actually deploying computers in our schools today.
Visiting Indiana schools already using Linspire
I recently shared with you how the state of Indiana is using Linux to
bring "one-to-one" computing to their schools as part of the Indiana
Access Program (one computer per student in every classroom). A few
weeks ago, I had the honor of going on my own "field trip", flying to
Indiana to spend the entire day with Mike Huffman, Special Assistant for
Technology at the Indiana Department of Education. Mike was kind enough
to drive me from school to school to see firsthand how Indiana is using
desktop Linux to put a computer on the desk of every student. I was so
amazed and impressed at how far they've come in the few years they have
been working on this program that I wanted to share with you some photos
and stories from my field trip.
For those of you who have had the privilege of driving through the wide
open spaces of Indiana, you know that this literally was a "field" trip,
as not only did I get to see lots of schools, but also plenty of farms
and cornfields in between. =)
Getting one computer on the desk of every student called for some
creativity on the part of educators. Traditional student desks aren't
the best fit for desktop computers — teacher/student interaction suffers
because students practically disappear behind traditional monitor
screens, and a keyboard and mouse can be difficult to fit on the
student's desk.
Special desks designed for using Linspire in the classroom
After trying several different approaches, Indiana schools ended up
having customized desks built at a surprisingly low cost, one that was
comparable to what they paid for traditional student desks. These desks
allow for a powerful, fully functioning computer, just like these
students will use when they enter the workforce. (The price of these
computers isn't all that much more than the $100 laptop, but it's
available today and it comes with a lot more functionality and a lot
more power.) As you can see, these special desks can be used as a normal
classroom desk AND as a computerized teaching station.
During my trip I learned how Indiana has had to work on all sorts of
issues over the past three years to make their one-to-one computer
program work. Beyond using Linux, low-cost desktop computers, and
specialized desks, they had to deal with and find solutions to things I
hadn't even thought about before my field trip. For example, they had to
figure out how to get enough bandwidth into each school to support
hundreds of Internet connections. They had to solve challenges with
lighting, screen glare, and heat generated by the 30 computers and
monitors in each classroom.
One fascinating thing that I noticed was the difference having a
computer made to the students. When we would barely enter the doorway of
a classroom that had the special desks and computers, and the students
were doing regular work with the computers off, we would completely
interrupt the class — every student looked up and started fidgeting,
wondering who we were and why we were there. However, when we would
visit a class where the students were working on the computers, barely a
single head would look up! We would actually walk in the room, start
playing with the computer at one of the desks, and the students hardly
even noticed we were there. I was blown away by this stark contrast - it
showed me firsthand just how engaging "e-learning" can be.
Students using the desks for normal & computer work
One of my favorite parts of the Indiana program is that these same,
low-cost systems will soon be offered to parents to purchase for use in
their home. So, not only is desktop Linux making it affordable to have
computers in the school for every student, but it is also making it
affordable for students to have a computer waiting for them at home to
help with their homework and studies.
Mike Huffman (far right in top photo) and Indiana are now working on a
website to share their findings so other schools can learn from
Indiana's experience.
In response to the success of the Indiana Access Program, Linspire has
launched a new, low-cost licensing program for schools who wish to
install a Linux desktop operating system as an alternative. Through the
program, educators will be able to sign up for single copies or per-unit
volume packs of Linspire at special educator rates. Educators interested
in the program who would like to receive a free evaluation copy of
Linspire should visit www.linspire.com/education.
The educators, teachers, and even the students in Indiana are pioneers,
leading the way in finding a viable and affordable way to have
one-to-one computing in their schools. I'm proud the Linux world is part
of the effort to help our schools better prepare students for the
future.
- Kevin
The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not
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Jane Weideman
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Canonical Ltd.
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