Re: [Fsedu-developers] Getting the show on the road

[Stephen Compall]

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Ian Lynch sent this to me.  Std disclaimer "IMHO" for replies:

On Sunday 30 March 2003 12:53 pm, ian wrote:
> On Sun, 2003-03-30 at 17:48, Stephen Compall wrote:
> > On Sunday 30 March 2003 09:16 am, Peter Minten wrote:
>
> A lot of detail about the theory of getting free software into
> schools (I think ;-) )
>
> Hi,
>
> My background is UK education. I was until recently a Registered
> Inspector with the UK Office for Standards in Education and I'm an
> assessor for the National Professional Qualification for
> Headteachers. Just a few observations.
>
> 1. The UK has its own exams framework controlled by the Government so
> it will not be easy to get free software qualifications accepted in
> schools especially since very few schools work on free software (We
> have recently installed a 120 station Linux thin client network in a
> City Learning centre attached to a school and similar in several
> schools so there are exceptions, but not many yet)

Well, if we have to work on two complemental problems at once (lack of
FS cert. recognition & few schools using Free Software), so be it.
It's good to know where we stand, though :]

> 2. If you want volume take up you need to lower the barriers to
> entry. Books and chapters on the philosophy of free software have a
> place but they are not likely to be read by busy teachers who have
> other priorities. Content in free software is likely to be more
> effective.

That of course depends on what you mean by volume.  If you are only
referring to software, then sure, pushing software only might be a
good way to go about it.  But maybe not; perhaps we can get better
uptake if a principle is attached to it (freedom as a selling point).

But when we want volume, we don't just want software volume.  We
*want* people to take a stand against software owners.  We *want* the
philosophy of free software (and knowledge, hence the content
projects) to be one of those priorities of busy teachers.  We aren't
trying to be an unintrusive force that *doesn't* interrupt these busy
teachers; quite the opposite, in fact.

As for turning software into something that you can ignore: to date,
many computer users been pretending that computers themselves aren't
an important issue in the use of computers.  I added a fuller comment
about this to http://fsedu.org/fsedu.pl?ForXDiscuss

> 3. As a manageable start we have initiated INGOTs (International
> Grades in Office Technology) www.theINGOTs.org to try and get volumes
> of users into alternative certification. This gives us a springboard
> to build more specialist qualifications and a potential income stream
> to fund free software and content projects. We have the education
> contacts in the UK to be confident of getting thousands of
> certificates out relatively quickly and we have had interest from
> around 10 countries.
>
> 4. Using language such as hacking in the context of school based
> courses will probably be counter-productive as the word conjures up
> negative images in the eyes of the administrators who have the power
> to veto courses.

We have a lot of negative images to fight anyways, one more
easily-refuted one won't hurt, IMHO, and will do much good to
confront.

> 5. In the UK at least, starting with generic office type
> applications is sensible because it involves the largest number of
> potential users and there is a lot of course material in MS Office
> so moving a lot easily to OpenOffice.org and hence XML provides a
> good basis for opening things up.  From this its possible to build
> programming courses etc. I have some schools already interested in
> languages translation and programming using free software and the
> principle of sharing. Donate a brick get a house. There are
> government initiatives that have attached funding that can make this
> easier but its quite a complex issue.
>
> Hope this helps,
> Ian

- -- 
Stephen Compall - Also known as S11001001
DotGNU `Contributor' -- http://dotgnu.org
Jabber ID: address@hidden

If you'll think back a few years, the term "pirate" was formerly
applied to publishers that didn't pay the author.  But now it's been
turned completely around. It's now applied to members of the public
who escape from the control of the publisher. It's being used to
convince people that only a nasty enemy of the people would ever do
this forbidden copying. It says that "sharing with your neighbor is
the moral equivalent of attacking a ship."
        -- RMS, "Copyright and Globalization in the Age of Computer
                Networks"


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