Hi Folks,
As usual, this being the third Tuesday, we will be upstairs in the Longstone from 8pm. http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=53.345979&lon=-6.256133&zoom=18&am...
Thanks,
As usual, this being the third Tuesday, we will be upstairs in the Longstone from 8pm.
I'd have one agendum:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1116/education.html [text copied below]
describes how the government is going to give a pile of money to schools for computers. I think IFSO should write to somebody urging the use of Free Software as part of this initiative. Describe some successful deployments of Free Software in schools (no doubt we can find lots of case studies on the web), the educational benefits of knowing what's going on 'inside' the computer, growing use within industry, etc., etc. Not guaranteed to have a huge immediate effect, but will raise the profile of Free Software within education.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer boost for all schools
Monday, 16 November 2009 22:14
Every classroom in the country will get a teaching laptop and a digital projector within the next three years as part of a EUR150m initiative.
Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe said the first step would see EUR22m in grants given to primary schools before the end of the year.
Funding for post-primary schools will be made available early in the New Year he said.
Fine Gael Education Spokesman Brian Hayes has expressed concerns that money to fund the project may be coming from capital funding intended for school buildings, which the Department of Education has not yet spent.
The grants were welcomed by Irish Primary Principals Network, but the group insisted that more investment is needed.
In a statement, the IPPN said the EUR22m 'will do little to bridge the technology gap that has developed in recent years between Irish schools and our OECD neighbours.'
The group said that Ireland ranks 19th in the OECD league in relation to the use of computers in classrooms.
Hi,
On 17/11/2009 13:05, Ben North wrote:
I'd have one agendum:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1116/education.html [text copied below]
describes how the government is going to give a pile of money to schools for computers. I think IFSO should write to somebody urging the use of Free Software as part of this initiative. Describe some successful deployments of Free Software in schools (no doubt we can find lots of case studies on the web), the educational benefits of knowing what's going on 'inside' the computer, growing use within industry, etc., etc. Not guaranteed to have a huge immediate effect, but will raise the profile of Free Software within education.
I agree but unfortunately in the Irish Times report at http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1117/1224258982226.html it says:
"A group chaired by Paul Rellis of Microsoft Ireland will track implementation of the new plan and report to the Minister."
I wonder how much of the €150 million and €30 million annual top up is designated for software licenses (as distinct from support, etc.)?
David
Hi, totally agree that IFSO should put a foot in and at least highlight the fact that there are alternatives to non-open software. I work with my local primary school on a casual basis with their IT systems and I can tell you they prioritize equipment like interactive whiteboards and printers, before shiny new laptops for teachers. (the fact is many teachers use their *own* laptops for their class.) I've been aiming to put a linux/samba solution together for the school(as they are reaching the number where a domain will be worth it) and I'd love to hear from anyone who's done it already. In general though, management are amazed that they don't *need* to buy hefty office licences or winServer licences, etc. I'd love to see the IFSO raising their voice here. It may also highlight the lack of options on new machines...ie. Free AV, OOffice, etc.
thanks, Phil.
2009/11/17 David O'Callaghan david.ocallaghan@cs.tcd.ie
Hi,
On 17/11/2009 13:05, Ben North wrote:
I'd have one agendum:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1116/education.html [text copied below]
describes how the government is going to give a pile of money to schools for computers. I think IFSO should write to somebody urging the use of Free Software as part of this initiative. Describe some successful deployments of Free Software in schools (no doubt we can find lots of case studies on the web), the educational benefits of knowing what's going on 'inside' the computer, growing use within industry, etc., etc. Not guaranteed to have a huge immediate effect, but will raise the profile of Free Software within education.
I agree but unfortunately in the Irish Times report at http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1117/1224258982226.html it says:
"A group chaired by Paul Rellis of Microsoft Ireland will track implementation of the new plan and report to the Minister."
I wonder how much of the €150 million and €30 million annual top up is designated for software licenses (as distinct from support, etc.)?
David
-- Dr David O'Callaghan Research Fellow - Grid-Ireland - e-INIS - Computer Architecture & Grid School of Computer Science & Statistics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland Telephone: +353 1 896 1536
fsfe-ie@fsfeurope.org mailing list List information: http://mail.fsfeurope.org/pipermail/fsfe-ie Public archive: https://mail.fsfeurope.org/mailman/listinfo/fsfe-ie
Hi, perhaps this will be of some help.
http://www.schoolforge.org.uk/index.php/Main_Page
________________________________ From: "phil@gmail" phil.galligan@gmail.com To: David O'Callaghan david.ocallaghan@cs.tcd.ie Cc: fsfe-ie@fsfeurope.org Sent: Tue, 17 November, 2009 13:50:12 Subject: Re: [Fsfe-ie] Meeting this evening
Hi, totally agree that IFSO should put a foot in and at least highlight the fact that there are alternatives to non-open software. I work with my local primary school on a casual basis with their IT systems and I can tell you they prioritize equipment like interactive whiteboards and printers, before shiny new laptops for teachers. (the fact is many teachers use their own laptops for their class.) I've been aiming to put a linux/samba solution together for the school(as they are reaching the number where a domain will be worth it) and I'd love to hear from anyone who's done it already. In general though, management are amazed that they don't need to buy hefty office licences or winServer licences, etc. I'd love to see the IFSO raising their voice here. It may also highlight the lack of options on new machines...ie. Free AV, OOffice, etc.
thanks, Phil.
2009/11/17 David O'Callaghan david.ocallaghan@cs.tcd.ie
Hi,
On 17/11/2009 13:05, Ben North wrote:
I'd have one agendum:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1116/education.html [text copied below]
describes how the government is going to give a pile of money to schools for computers. I think IFSO should write to somebody urging the use of Free Software as part of this initiative. Describe some successful deployments of Free Software in schools (no doubt we can find lots of case studies on the web), the educational benefits of knowing what's going on 'inside' the computer, growing use within industry, etc., etc. Not guaranteed to have a huge immediate effect, but will raise the profile of Free Software within education.
I agree but unfortunately in the Irish Times report at http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1117/1224258982226.html
it says:
"A group chaired by Paul Rellis of Microsoft Ireland will track implementation of the new plan and report to the Minister."
I wonder how much of the €150 million and €30 million annual top up is designated for software licenses (as distinct from support, etc.)?
David
-- Dr David O'Callaghan Research Fellow - Grid-Ireland - e-INIS - Computer Architecture & Grid School of Computer Science & Statistics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland Telephone: +353 1 896 1536
fsfe-ie@fsfeurope.org mailing list
List information: http://mail.fsfeurope.org/pipermail/fsfe-ie Public archive: https://mail.fsfeurope.org/mailman/listinfo/fsfe-ie
p.s.
Research report: Open source software in schools: A study of the spectrum of use and related ICT infrastructure costs
(published: 12 May 2005, but may still have some relevance)
http://publications.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=25907&page=1835
________________________________ From: "phil@gmail" phil.galligan@gmail.com To: David O'Callaghan david.ocallaghan@cs.tcd.ie Cc: fsfe-ie@fsfeurope.org Sent: Tue, 17 November, 2009 13:50:12 Subject: Re: [Fsfe-ie] Meeting this evening
Hi, totally agree that IFSO should put a foot in and at least highlight the fact that there are alternatives to non-open software. I work with my local primary school on a casual basis with their IT systems and I can tell you they prioritize equipment like interactive whiteboards and printers, before shiny new laptops for teachers. (the fact is many teachers use their own laptops for their class.) I've been aiming to put a linux/samba solution together for the school(as they are reaching the number where a domain will be worth it) and I'd love to hear from anyone who's done it already. In general though, management are amazed that they don't need to buy hefty office licences or winServer licences, etc. I'd love to see the IFSO raising their voice here. It may also highlight the lack of options on new machines...ie. Free AV, OOffice, etc.
thanks, Phil.
2009/11/17 David O'Callaghan david.ocallaghan@cs.tcd.ie
Hi,
On 17/11/2009 13:05, Ben North wrote:
I'd have one agendum:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1116/education.html [text copied below]
describes how the government is going to give a pile of money to schools for computers. I think IFSO should write to somebody urging the use of Free Software as part of this initiative. Describe some successful deployments of Free Software in schools (no doubt we can find lots of case studies on the web), the educational benefits of knowing what's going on 'inside' the computer, growing use within industry, etc., etc. Not guaranteed to have a huge immediate effect, but will raise the profile of Free Software within education.
I agree but unfortunately in the Irish Times report at http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1117/1224258982226.html
it says:
"A group chaired by Paul Rellis of Microsoft Ireland will track implementation of the new plan and report to the Minister."
I wonder how much of the €150 million and €30 million annual top up is designated for software licenses (as distinct from support, etc.)?
David
-- Dr David O'Callaghan Research Fellow - Grid-Ireland - e-INIS - Computer Architecture & Grid School of Computer Science & Statistics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland Telephone: +353 1 896 1536
fsfe-ie@fsfeurope.org mailing list
List information: http://mail.fsfeurope.org/pipermail/fsfe-ie Public archive: https://mail.fsfeurope.org/mailman/listinfo/fsfe-ie
I found this paper about the problems software patents would cause for schools: http://www-old.eun.org/insight-pdf/special_reports/e_learning_softpat.pdf
Most interesting regarding free software are section 3.2 on how two-thirds of schools do in-house developement, and section 3.3 on the value of free software to schools.
The whole doc is 8 pages. The arguments are in section 3 which goes from pdf page 4 to pdf page 7.
(If anyone knows other docs/arguments regarding software patents and education, please feed: http://en.swpat.org/wiki/Harms_to_education )
Hi Folks,
As usual, this being the third Tuesday, we will be upstairs in the Longstone from 8pm, for the final meeting of the year. http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=53.345979&lon=-6.256133&zoom=18&am...
Ben North wrote:
As usual, this being the third Tuesday, we will be upstairs in the Longstone from 8pm
I'm afraid I won't be able to make it this evening. Apologies,
Ben. _______________________________________________ fsfe-ie@fsfeurope.org mailing list List information: http://mail.fsfeurope.org/pipermail/fsfe-ie Public archive: https://mail.fsfeurope.org/mailman/listinfo/fsfe-ie
only realised it now :-( can't get there at this stage see you all next month I hope