"Linux - Stop holding our kids back"

[Aaron Haviland]

Greg Rundlett wrote, on Dec 11, 2008 at 09:17 EST:
> On Wednesday 10 December 2008 10:10:09 pm Aaron Haviland wrote:
> > Mike Rushton wrote, on Dec 10, 2008 at 10:59 EST:
> > > http://digg.com/linux_unix/Linux_Stop_holding_our_kids_back
> > >
> > > Please digg this to bring awareness to the complete and utter ignorance!  You have
> > > no idea how infuriated I am right now after reading this.  Teachers like this need
> > > to be dope slapped across the forehead like nobody's business, fired and put through
> > > school all over again, starting with kindergarten to learn how to listen.
> >
> > Dunno, I'm unfazed, unsurprised. This seems normal behaviour for many people. That's
> > why we need to keep pushing, and educating them.
> 
> I feel that too many "advocates" in the comments of the article attack the teacher.  As
> free software advocates, I feel we will gain much more by careful explanation and
> instruction -- making new friends.  In other words, our job is to teach the teacher, not
> to make her an adversary.  That starts with an empathy for the values and beliefs of the
> "student", and finishes when the student gains a new understanding of the values and
> beliefs and knowledge of the free software community.
> 
> Put another way, She never considered herself an adversary to Free Software, but "we"
> labeled her that.  And by attacking her (even saying she should be fired, or tarred and
> feathered etc.), "we" create an adversary.  It would be better to allow her to
> understand our perspective and our knowledge (starting by understanding hers - since
> that allows us to precisely identify her misconceptions).  Done this way, we create an
> ally.  I'm not willing to "convict" this woman as a bad teacher based on the single
> incident which displays that she is not a technology-savvy person.

Well said, Thank you.

-- 
Aaron Haviland
34 Wayne Ave, Dudley, MA
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