Hi
I have some contacts on the IT committees of the various post-primary school principals' associations. I had the idea of approaching these committees to see if they were open to receiving a short presentation on the benefits to schools of using free software.
In my letter I mention gnu/linux and StarOffice, and go on to outline some putative benefits to schools. These benefits are my version of the benefits listed by Stallman's article at
http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/schools.html
He argues for the *exclusive* use of free software in schools, a feature I do not mention in my letter, as I do not think it is the most important issue at this time.
<BENEFITS>
Free software can save the schools money. Free software gives schools, like other users, the freedom to copy and redistribute the software, so the school system can make copies for all the computers in all the schools.
School should teach students ways of life that will benefit society as a whole. They should promote the use of free software just as they promote recycling. If schools teach students free software, then the students will use free software after they leave.
Free software permits students to learn how software works. When students reach their teens, some of them want to learn everything there is to know about their computer system and its software. That is the age when people who will be good programmers should learn it. To learn to write software well, students need to read lots of software and write lots of software.
One of the most fundamental mission of schools is to teach people to be good citizens and good neighbours--to cooperate with others who need their help. In the area of computers, this means teaching them to share software. The free software installed by the school could be available for students to copy, take home, and redistribute further.
Teaching the students to use free software, and to participate in the free software community, is a hands-on civics lesson. It also teaches students the role model of public service. </BENEFITS>
I think there may be a positive response to such an approach.
This leads me to suggest that the working group (or whatever) that is putting the IFSO together might put forward a panel or panels of individuals who would be prepared to take part in presentations to such bodies as I mention here, or to take part in meetings with MEPs etc, such as the possible meeting with PdeRossa that I mentioned in an earlier mailing on Dec5th.
(I was a bit surprised that nobody seemed interested in replying to my question: how do want to do this? Maybe I didn't make it clear enough that I wouldn't see myself as being capable of making any kind of authoritative statements on EUCD!).
Best Wishes
John Evans
John Evans jevans@eircom.net writes:
I have some contacts on the IT committees of the various post-primary school principals' associations. I had the idea of approaching these committees to see if they were open to receiving a short presentation on the benefits to schools of using free software.
Great idea!
In my letter I mention gnu/linux and StarOffice, and go on to outline some putative benefits to schools. These benefits are my version of the benefits listed by Stallman's article at
An interesting note of Stallmans lobbying is that he doesn't speak of "benefits", he speaks of the "imperative" of Free Software. Just a note. (also, StarOffice is not Free, OpenOffice is, and Sun are now providing commercial support for OpenOffice.)
This leads me to suggest that the working group (or whatever) that is putting the IFSO together might put forward a panel or panels of individuals who would be prepared to take part in presentations to such bodies as I mention here, or to take part in meetings with MEPs etc,
A "Free Software in Education" group has been discussed, but at the moment, most people are busy with political "fire fighting" such as patents and the EUCD. You could lead such a project if you like. I'd be happy to assist and would also happily meet with school boards for presentations etc.
such as the possible meeting with PdeRossa that I mentioned in an earlier mailing on Dec5th.
(I was a bit surprised that nobody seemed interested in replying to my question: how do want to do this? Maybe I didn't make it clear enough that I wouldn't see myself as being capable of making any kind of authoritative statements on EUCD!).
I missed your previous mail, the videoshop thread happened too fast for me to keep up. There was a lot of traffic that day, much like today.
From the archives, here's your comment:
Gerard Gibbons who manages the PdeR's Dublin office is interested in making contact with the emerging IFSO. How would to like to do this?
This is great news. I'll bring it up at the meeting tonight. A face to face meeting would be fantastic. Otherwise, an email contact would probably be best. Gerard Gibbons was quite useful when replying to people that were working on the patents directive. Again, contact with MEPs is something I'm willing to work on, but often I can't actively persue it due to other projects and time constraints etc.
do you know what type of contact he was suggesting we make?
John
You should contact Seaghan Moriarty in Digilogue - http://www.digilogue.net - feel free to mention my name. He works a lot with the education sector and would be able to put you in contact with the 'right' people
M
Mr. Michele Neylon Blacknight Internet Solutions Ltd http://www.blacknightsolutions.ie/ http://www.search.ie/ Tel. + 353 (0)59 9137101 Lowest price domains in Ireland
-----Original Message----- From: fsfe-ie-bounces@fsfeurope.org [mailto:fsfe-ie-bounces@fsfeurope.org]On Behalf Of John Evans Sent: 11 December 2003 16:12 To: fsfe-ie@fsfeurope.org Subject: [Fsfe-ie] Free software in schools
Hi
I have some contacts on the IT committees of the various post-primary school principals' associations. I had the idea of approaching these committees to see if they were open to receiving a short presentation on the benefits to schools of using free software.
In my letter I mention gnu/linux and StarOffice, and go on to outline some putative benefits to schools. These benefits are my version of the benefits listed by Stallman's article at
http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/schools.html
He argues for the *exclusive* use of free software in schools, a feature I do not mention in my letter, as I do not think it is the most important issue at this time.
<BENEFITS>
Free software can save the schools money. Free software gives schools, like other users, the freedom to copy and redistribute the software, so the school system can make copies for all the computers in all the schools.
School should teach students ways of life that will benefit society as a whole. They should promote the use of free software just as they promote recycling. If schools teach students free software, then the students will use free software after they leave.
Free software permits students to learn how software works. When students reach their teens, some of them want to learn everything there is to know about their computer system and its software. That is the age when people who will be good programmers should learn it. To learn to write software well, students need to read lots of software and write lots of software.
One of the most fundamental mission of schools is to teach people to be good citizens and good neighbours--to cooperate with others who need their help. In the area of computers, this means teaching them to share software. The free software installed by the school could be available for students to copy, take home, and redistribute further.
Teaching the students to use free software, and to participate in the free software community, is a hands-on civics lesson. It also teaches students the role model of public service. </BENEFITS>
I think there may be a positive response to such an approach.
This leads me to suggest that the working group (or whatever) that is putting the IFSO together might put forward a panel or panels of individuals who would be prepared to take part in presentations to such bodies as I mention here, or to take part in meetings with MEPs etc, such as the possible meeting with PdeRossa that I mentioned in an earlier mailing on Dec5th.
(I was a bit surprised that nobody seemed interested in replying to my question: how do want to do this? Maybe I didn't make it clear enough that I wouldn't see myself as being capable of making any kind of authoritative statements on EUCD!).
Best Wishes
John Evans
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