Linux in U.S. Schools: Why the Resistance? (IT Management) [LWN.net]

Linux in U.S. Schools: Why the Resistance? (IT Management)

Posted Sep 5, 2008 21:37 UTC (Fri) by dhess (guest, #7827)
In reply to: Linux in U.S. Schools: Why the Resistance? (IT Management) by mhr3501
Parent article: Linux in U.S. Schools: Why the Resistance? (IT Management)

OTOH we can get virtually nobody to look at a desktop. Recently we've seeing what seems to be the beginnings of resistance even to our server implementation and can no longer get folks to consider free/open options to commercial software. The reason may not be popular with some. There is simply too much money available.

Sorry to hear that. Fortunately, my experience has been the opposite. This summer I've been volunteering in the GNU/Linux lab at a San Francisco 5-8 middle school, and it gets a fair amount of use. My understanding is that the school has very little money available for equipment. There's a Mac lab of approximately 12 computers, and there are a handful of Windows machines in a few other classrooms, but that's it as far as machines running proprietary OSes.

On the other hand, the GNU/Linux lab has about 30 machines, all but 3 of them donated by ACCRC; the other 3 were paid for by the meager $10k the school received from a recent Microsoft vs. State of California settlement. Given how little money they have for equipment purchases, I think it's significant that the school was willing to use that money to purchase hardware for the GNU/Linux lab.

The lab is 100% operated and maintained by unpaid volunteers, especially the efforts of one guy who, by my estimation, probably puts in at least 30 hours a week helping out, including assisting teachers during lab time with the students. His persistence and evangelism are directly responsible for the lab's existence.

Students are in the lab 3 days a week. I haven't attended a class session, but I gather that there are at least 3 or 4 teachers who are enthusiastic about the lab and make good use of it. The kids use the machines in the lab for creative writing, online research for homework and reports, and music composition, among other activities.

The school is located in a relatively poor neighborhood, and many of the students who attend are underprivileged. At least some of the administration and teaching staff appear to have an appreciation for the "freedom" part of free software, and I think that's part of the reason why the lab is a success.

Anyway, not all schools have "too much money" for technology. Those that don't are probably good candidates for using free software. But because most people lack the expertise it takes to install and maintain a lab full of computers, let alone computers running GNU/Linux, someone needs to step in and provide that expertise to these schools. Some of the teachers also need assistance locating and installing educational free software, especially the teachers who aren't predisposed to free software in the first place. These are all areas where the free software community can help out, especially those who aren't coders and are looking for a way to contribute.

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