Teaching technology: What is important for K-8 ?

[Tony Yarusso]

On Jan 11, 2008 10:39 AM, Jeffrey LePage <jeffrey_lepage at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Thanks for your input.  Your suggestions are really
> helpful.
>
> I especially like the Indiana success story.  I'll
> definitely include that in my pitch.
>
> As far as I can tell, there is one MS-only app that
> they absolutely must have: IE7.  Every morning the
> teachers must login to an IE7-only website to do their
> paperwork.  This is a district requirement and is
> unlikely to change***.  There _is_ a wine-based
> project (ies4linux) that supports IE6 (and IE7 in
> beta), but the license/legal problems are probably
> insurmountable.
>
> I thought that perhaps I could sell them on a hybrid
> system:
> * Each classroom would have a big Edubuntu box.
> * The big Edubuntu box would serve as an LTSP server
> * The Edubuntu box would have a WinXP virtual machine
> for running IE7.
> * Optional: we buy a small number of terminal services
> client licenses so that the students could connect to
> the WinXP VM when necessary.
>
> Another option would be to have a single WinXP server
> for the whole school.  The teachers could connect via
> rdesktop to that server when they need to use IE7.
>
> --------------
> *** I think it's a PeopleSoft system.  I'm reminded of
> Linus's comment about hardware manufacturers that
> don't open their specs: Is "I hope you all die a
> painful death" too strong?
>
> I started out as a web developer, and I know that all
> you really have to do is code to standards and then
> every browser will work.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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> > Today's Topics:
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> >    1. Teaching technology: What is important for K-8
> > ? (Jeffrey LePage)
> >    2. Re: Teaching technology: What is important for
> > K-8 ?
> >       (Matt Burkhardt)
> >    3. Re: Teaching technology: What is important for
> > K-8 ?
> >       (Tony Yarusso)
> >
> >
>

Regardless of the approach you use for the short-term workaround, it is
critical that you also work very hard to reach a _solution_ - ie, you need
to convince the district to switch to a functional system that does not
require IE7.  That of course is a whole new kettle of fish, but equally
important.  Note that if it is a publicly funded school, laws such as
Section 508: Amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 could come into
play here.

-- 
Tony Yarusso
http://tonyyarusso.com/
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