[ubuntu-uk] Imagine if Linux become massively popular?

[Paul Sutton]

On 13/06/13 14:15, Liam Proven wrote:
> On 13 June 2013 11:48, Paul Sutton <zleap at zleap.net> wrote:
>> On 13/06/13 11:25, Byte Soup wrote:
>>> Hi folks,
>>>
>>> In light of some recent discussions I've seen on this list it seems a
>>> lot of folks are keen to promote Linux and see it deployed and used
>>> more especially on the desktop. I've been using Ubuntu daily (plus
>>> some other distros on and off) for a few years now. I love it and
>>> wouldn't switch back, however I have no real gripe against windows.
>>>
>>> I have been wondering on one thing though, would we really want to see
>>> a greater uptake of Linux by the general population? I think we can
>>> agree that partially the success of windows has made it a target for
>>> criminals and malware. So if for whatever reason tomorrow we saw a
>>> massive uptake then where would that leave us? Would it really be a
>>> good thing?
>>>
>>> -Mark
>>>
>>>
>> I don't think education is ready,  there are lots of courses out there
>> for Windows,  Office etc ann very little for Linux where would we get
>> the tutors to educate the tutors,  and we would need to suggest a min
>> standard of knowledge, who educates the tutors.  or can we take our vast
>> selt taught knowledgfe, do a 7302 and teach, it won't work like that due
>> to the narrow minded ness of the people who run the courses,   we can
>> here, but as soon as you add the other factors it becomes  no go area
>> for geeks.
>>
>> not just a 7302 + Maths and English at Level 2,  if we are to educate
>> the masses do we even need teachers we should create online education
>> for free,  if that was developed or needs to be developed FIRST, take a
>> look at alison.com, what we need there is a few basic to advanced
>> courses  on using Linux on the desktop,  hey there isn't much on using
>> apple desktops so what chance have we got.
> I'm afraid I can't follow your message. I don't know what "7302" means
> and I find your phrasing impenetrable.
>
> But the battle in UK education was lost decades ago, mainly when
> schools dropped Acorn and went Windows.
>
> The point of education should be to teach methods, ideas and concepts.
> Not to teach tools: that is not education, that is vocational
> training.
>
> Acorn kit had its OS in ROM, was pretty robust and fairly
> tamper-proof, and required little support. It had excellent
> educational tools but little commercial productivity software. It was
> about teaching programming and how to use a computer.
>
> Instead, we now have overworked underpaid teachers having to support
> Windows networks, the single most insecure platform there has ever
> been in the history of computers, and all they are teaching is basic
> MS Office skills.
>
> The war is lost.
>
sorry 7302 is an adult education prepare to teach course basically what
you need or part of what you need to teach adults,  there is also PTLLS
(preparing to teach in life long learning sector) that course is
expensive, in my experience some of these adult education teachers are
CRAP., despite being qualified to teach.

My point was also to say that we may not need these teachers if we
create online materlals that people can use to learn how to do tasks, 

I don't think the war is lost,   the sector(s) is trying to make
changes,  we just need help, support etc,  we also need to ensure that
programming is available to people, I want to see scratch on as many
computers as possible so all kids have access to it,  in fact you don't
need it installing  now.   Yesterday i was doing some code academy, and
it was teaching how to convert numbers to strings str(x) so they could
be concatenated together,  so the learning tools are there, and peer
learning is an important thing and powerful. 

The materials are there,  we have the raspberry Pi and other single
board computers that are cheap,  we have access to programming languages
what is needed is some glue to bring all that together and adults or
young people who can help do that.

I am making a start helping to run programming groups,  Be positive, and
hopefully if we all stay positive changes will come.  there are talented
young people out there,  if we can find and support them then things
will start to change.

Paul


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I am committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable groups and expect any school or establishment I am involved with to share this commitment.