MESSAGE
| DATE | 2003-05-20 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir Secretary NYLXS
|
| SUBJECT | Re: [hangout] Alt schools demo
|
Thanks for the inpsiring testimonial
We've installed FS systems in the schools for a little while now
and I think we've learned a few things from that run around the track.
Certainly there are formable obstacles to getting things done in the schools
but the largest ones haven't even been mentioned yet.
In any event, when armed with practicle results and a new ciiriculum, we will
begin to make progress. This does not in any way lessen the need for a
rapid demonstration setup and for sales, but the Education is largely without
any serious power and is in a constant tug of war. We will need to eventually
target up the food chain, but we are also going to need to interface with
the education colleges, especially Hunter, and possibly Columbia, if I remember
correctly, which is where these educators get their indoctrination along with
those mandated master degrees.
After ironing out the teachers lessons at Concord, if that is still on, we
might look at getting a grant to study the affects of our Free Software
curriculum (after we write it) in real classrooms.
As for smiling, It'll have to wait until I have time.
Ruben
On Tue, May 20, 2003 at 06:56:09PM -0400, Dave Williams wrote:
> Hi Ruben -- good to hear from you.
>
> "Research" is the act of looking up information. When I think about
> ordering Chinese Food I might research the available restaurants in my
> area and examine samples of their menus. In this case, I was
> researching what reactions people have experienced when trying to
> introduce Free Software into school systems, and the impressions people
> have (personal or otherwise) of IT services in school districts. Not
> very scientific, I know, but I was trying to figure out a good way to
> phrase a proposal to Concord Schools at the time.
>
> The descriptions of lazy, incompetent IT departments and frightened,
> ignorant teachers were a result of my "research". You may wish to look
> up a message I posted a while back that contained quotes on the subject.
>
> I could care less about the results of using Free Software in schools at
> this point. I was trying to figure out how to get it in there in the
> first place. By targeting the likely fears and responses we might get,
> I hoped to draft a better proposal. Let's call it "market research".
>
> Does that clear things up at all?
>
> I feel like YOU are going around in circles on this!
>
> The people participating in this thread are discussing their
> observations and impressions of the system. So far no one has suggested
> that we stop putting together a program for educating teachers. I have
> added onto this the idea of gaining support at the upper levels of the
> system, something Selso wants to do (although things are a bit chaotic
> right now). That may not be the best approach, but if someone is
> willing to try it I wouldn't object.
>
> If you don't have anything to add to this thread then feel free to not
> add to it.
>
> By the way, you know the advice people give about smiling when talking
> on the telephone, so that the person you speak to will get a pleasant
> impression of you? My I suggest smiling while you type? Perhaps you
> will experience a similar effect, and won't have to grind your teeth
> when I write back to you as though I were talking to a cranky child.
>
> - Dave
>
> On Tue, 2003-05-20 at 18:07, Ruben Safir Secretary NYLXS wrote:
> > Reseach where and reearching what?
> >
> > Every current Free Software in Education program has failed because it
> > repeats the exact errors of the Commercial exploit our kids version.
> >
> >
> > Every vendor purchased system fails because they don't address the educational
> > needs of children.
> >
> > Unless your telling me that you have a report of a study with actual students
> > and measurable end points, or that you've DONE a study with actual students
> > and measurable end point, then I'm afraid I don't understand what we're talking about here.
> >
> > I feel like we're going in circles on this.
> >
> > Let's education the teacheers, as planned, and draw up a ciriculem
> > for students and get them published.
> >
> > Ruben
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