Open Source Classroom Management

[Neil Coetzer]

Hi Richard et al,

I have messed around a little bit with the iTALC classroom management
package. It is definitely an excellent package BUT there are still a lot
of bugs and it doesn't seem to be stable. I managed to crash it about 5
times in the first 10 minutes. Well, the program doesn't actually crash,
but it decides that it can no longer connect to the student machines -
restart the program and it connects fine. So as I said, a little buggy
still.

With regard to "add-on" CD's: One of the things I've been working on
this week (for one of our companies) is a customized Live CD.  I am
still having a lot of issues, but the over-all plan is that the
customized Live CD will include:


      * Custom boot/shutdown screens with our company logo and colour
        scheme
      * Custom GDM theme(s) and wallpaper(s)
      * Additional packages such as msttcorefonts (MS fonts),
        ubuntu-restricted-extras (codecs etc), ndiswrapper-common and
        ndisgtk (for Windows wireless drivers), openssh-server,
        virtualbox, skype, compizconfig-settings-manager, gmountiso,
        etc. (I'm also planning to use the same live CD as a "disaster
        recovery" tool of sorts, so any suggestions of "recovery"
        programs/utilities would be appreciated).


I have basically succeeded with the first two items except that, while
the custom boot screen works nicely on the live CD, it does not install
it end the finished installation and I'm having to do this manually
afterwards. GDM themes and wallpapers are installed correctly as they
appear on the live CD. The biggest problem I've been having is getting
all the specified packages included, but I'm working on that today and
"hope" to solve it. One of the problems is that the tools I'm using to
reconstruct the live CD haven't been updated for the last few versions
of Ubuntu, so everything is not working 100% as it should.

If this all goes according to plan though, I will also be working on a
custom installation CD for Zim as well, and we could also follow the
same root for a custom edubuntu installation that hopefully won't
require any downloads. If this fails, then we still do have the option
of creating an "alternate" upgrade disc that should install any extra
packages, but I haven't tested this option yet.

NC

On Fri, 2008-05-16 at 14:09 +0200, Mr. R. Simango wrote:

> Thanks Larry, Hie Neil and Everyone,
> 
> We welcome the involvement of Kingdom Academy in OpenICDL. Could the
> Kingdom guys kindly read https://wiki.ubuntu.com/OpenIcdl and inform
> us about the extend to which they would like to be involved. I seem to
> read that they would like to run our finished products?? Great we
> welcome that.
> 
> The raxso tool looks great and convenient to the computer classroom.
> Can we start to develop another ADDON zim version CD, that comes with
> all dependencies, because a lot of good tools fail to make it into the
> remote rural schools that DON'T have internet connectivity. Or how can
> this make it onto the Edubuntu 8.10??
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 16/05/2008, Neil Coetzer <ncoetzer at halsteds.co.zw> wrote:
> > Looks very good and apparently works perfectly on Ubuntu. :) At first
> > glance, this will be ideal for schools running open source.
> >
> > http://raxso.net/2008/04/open-source-classroom-management-with-italc/
> >
> > Will be checking this out myself as soon as I can download it. Getting
> > terrible speeds from that site though.
> >
> > FYI, Kingdom Academy might be interested in setting up a system in the
> > near future and have mentioned this to Larry Greeff who I work with. He
> > will be pushing the Ubuntu route and has already expressed an interest
> > in OpenICDL. We don't have a time frame yet, so not sure when exactly
> > they want to do this. However, it could perhaps be something that the
> > team could get involved with?? If we could offer them a completely free
> > open source system, I think it would be an awesome pilot project for the
> > LoCo Team. If it works out, it will still be Larry's baby but he would
> > be more than happy to let us get involved. What do you guys think?
> >
> > I would think Edubuntu, OpenICDL (eventually) with the additional open
> > source classroom management software thrown in. Comments?
> >
> > Neil
> >
> > --
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> >
> >
> 
> 
> -- 
> Richard Simango
> Technical and Operations Manager
> Tonga Online
> P. O. Box 47
> Binga
> Zimbabwe
> 
> Tel +263-15-573
> Mobile: +263-11-619322
> skype: simangor
> www.mulonga.net
> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/OpenIcdl
> 

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