Re: [libreplanet-discuss] What does the tech setup look like in

[arthur_torrey]

My experience is several years back, but I worked for a while as a substitute 
teacher in the Tewksbury, M, USA school system, and ended up seeing the 
computer stuff in most grades / schools in the system.  Regrettably it was all 
Windows based, and the courses were very focused on using the specific version 
of the exact program installed on the machines - i.e. to do a 'mail merge' pull 
down this menu, select that option, etc...  I always thought this was bogus 
even for proprietary software, given how often Microsoft changes their user 
interface...

Unfortunately I am not sure given the current computer market, that there would 
be ANY cost savings to a school system by switching to Free Software based 
hardware...  At least in the US, you just about can't buy a machine that 
doesn't come with a 'Free as in beer' copy of Windows, and often other 
productivity software (as in the price is jacked up to cover the cost of the 
license - but you can't get a refund....)  On top of that, Microsoft and 
friends usually offer BIG 'educational discounts' in order to get students 
hooked...  Also there are lots of grants from the "Bill & Melinda Gates 
Foundation" (and others) to help schools, libraries, etc. cover the costs of 
computer gear - with the unwritten string that they have to be Windows 
boxes....  Giving up those grants and subsidies might even make it MORE 
expensive to use Free Software....

This is going to make it a tough sell to get Free Software onto student 
desks....

ART

Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2016 19:18:37 -0400
From: Aaron E-J <the@otherrealm.org>
To: libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org, tech-coop@npogroups.org
Subject: [libreplanet-discuss] What does the tech setup look like in
your grade school?
Message-ID: <a188eb8e-95a8-f581-d1e1-4d578ab4ecc7@otherrealm.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

I am developing a ready-out-of the-box, open source virtual remote
desktop platform and would like to investigate its deployment in school
systems.  My assumption is that most schools are using proprietary
technologies (Mac/PC) for the most part and that a switch to Linux based
platforms would bring cost savings.  However, I know very little about
the current technology setups in schools near me ? let alone schools
elsewhere in the U.S. (where I'm based) or the world.  I would like to
hear from people who have kids, what does their school technology setup
look like?

Thanks!


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Arthur Torrey - <arthur_torrey@comcast.net>
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