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Thread: Information about Linux / Ubuntu / Android use in schools

  1. #1
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    Information about Linux / Ubuntu / Android use in schools

    I am asking for folks to point me to schools that are using Linux and Android ....... in the classroom. !!!

    My daughters school (primary ages 5-13) are about to invest in 350 Tablets for the students to use. I have been harrassing the headmaster and the IT dept to go down the Android path.
    But they have decided to go the more expensive route of Win8 tablets ............... because the school has been using XP for 10 yrs and all the education software is obviously Win.....
    This will be twice as expensive in the hardware stakes and all my arguments about all the savings by going linux are shot down because of the RETRAINING and it is something new..... very very scary !!!, that would need to be done and the fact that they couldn't use all the old education software on there servers.

    Can anyone help me find schools that have migrated to linux and android ....... and the integration process too, if possible

    i need as much info as i can get and quick, the purchasing decision is to be finalised on June 1, 2013

    thanks,
    Darren

    ps. Any suggestions on where else to post this question would be appreciated to...... thanks

    Pssss ..... Please DO NOT post any links to threads on this forum that date before 2010, i have already read them
    When all is said and done, this is the only life you have.


  2. #2
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    Ltsp

    On the desktop side of things, rather than tablets, LTSP is increasingly used in schools. Those schools that have been able to get past the political barriers and install LTSP have done well. The case studies would be over on the sites/forums dedicated to LTSP, Edubuntu, K12LTSP, and Skolelinux. There are even companies which help with the deployment and customization. Which country/state?

    Edit: One of the early, outspoken examples was Riverdale High School. If I recall correctly it served as a model for other schools in the district which also adopted K12LTSP.

    http://hs.riverdale.k12.or.us/terminal/press.html

    There are many others, though. Most of the write-ups are from 5 to 10 years ago and some of the sites describing the details are gone:

    http://desktoplinux.com/news/NS5058053489.html
    Last edited by Lars Noodén; April 9th, 2013 at 10:13 AM.

  3. #3
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    one case study of LTSP in Canada

    Robert Pogson, a Canadian, has been vocal about advocating Linux in schools. He might have pointers to other material or know of examples first hand. There is one report that may be of use to you:

    http://mrpogson.com/homepage/report.pdf
    http://mrpogson.com/homepage/LTSP.pdf

    His contact information is on his web page.

  4. #4
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    Re: Information about Linux / Ubuntu / Android use in schools

    Lars, thankyou for the info, i had just found https://schoolforge.net/ and thought i would check back here.

    I had forgotten about the Debian Skolelinux, thanks ..... tho there is only the wiki pages now, no website.

    there is a small list on the Edubuntu site to

    cheers
    When all is said and done, this is the only life you have.


  5. #5
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    Re: Information about Linux / Ubuntu / Android use in schools

    Hello Darren, I've been a volunteer "IT guy" at a Catholic grade K-8 school for the last 3 years.When I arrived the computers had all been shut off for more than a year because they had viruses and other problems (Windows XP). I installed Ubuntu 10.04 on the computers, added some shared files and printers, and things went pretty well for those 2 years. For this last year we've been using Edubuntu / LTSP, and although I had a lot of trouble getting it to work, it was well worth it. I've started to document this setup at catholicengineer.com so you could take a look there. I just started that site so there is much still in my head (or forever lost from my head) that unfortunately won't make it to the site.

    And now the push from the Diocese seems to be to have an iPad per child. Why Apple? Who knows, because I don't. If for no other reason than we're in a VERY poor area and have no money to spend on anything. But just coincidentally I was looking today for a way to tie android phones or pads into our server. I haven't found a good solution yet.

    If you have particular questions that you'd like to ask, I'll do what I can, but really, I'm an amateur at all this so you must promise not to laugh at my answers .

    Richard

    Quote Originally Posted by dazndom View Post
    I am asking for folks to point me to schools that are using Linux and Android ....... in the classroom. !!!

    My daughters school (primary ages 5-13) are about to invest in 350 Tablets for the students to use. I have been harrassing the headmaster and the IT dept to go down the Android path.
    But they have decided to go the more expensive route of Win8 tablets ............... because the school has been using XP for 10 yrs and all the education software is obviously Win.....
    This will be twice as expensive in the hardware stakes and all my arguments about all the savings by going linux are shot down because of the RETRAINING and it is something new..... very very scary !!!, that would need to be done and the fact that they couldn't use all the old education software on there servers.

    Can anyone help me find schools that have migrated to linux and android ....... and the integration process too, if possible

    i need as much info as i can get and quick, the purchasing decision is to be finalised on June 1, 2013

    thanks,
    Darren

    ps. Any suggestions on where else to post this question would be appreciated to...... thanks

    Pssss ..... Please DO NOT post any links to threads on this forum that date before 2010, i have already read them

  6. #6
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    Re: Information about Linux / Ubuntu / Android use in schools

    hi,
    I hope that this is not too late yet, but I attend to the university of Minnessota and there is a computer lab I pass by every day, and they run Ubuntu 12.04, in fact they have several labs like that:

    http://www.cs.umn.edu/resources/facilities/labs.php

    also, I know there is a math professor teaching a calculus class, which uses an android app to evaluate his students in real time. is probably this application:

    https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...olRemote&hl=en

    I hope this helps

  7. #7
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    Re: Information about Linux / Ubuntu / Android use in schools

    3 Reasons Linux Doesn't Star In (U.S.) Schools :
    http://www.informationweek.com/educa...hool/240155736

  8. #8
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    Re: Information about Linux / Ubuntu / Android use in schools

    In my college everything runs on linux systems. from the labs to the computer center , everywhere i look i find ubuntu


  9. #9
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    Re: Information about Linux / Ubuntu / Android use in schools

    It's interesting that not many schools are willing to try out Linux/Android even though it's free and secure, as well as being open-sourced. I think one of the problems with Linux is that because there is no single representative of the OS (unlike Microsoft Windows and MAC OS X) it's harder for people to get a real idea as to what Linux is all about until they actually try it. Sure, there is Canonical and Red Hat who can represent Linux but reaching schools with Linux can be a big step. There's already the Raspberry Pi which uses Linux and is being introduced in schools, thus I think introducing such a device to any institution with a ripe group of students willing to learn programming at a young age should indeed try it. Although, as a general use I'd say using Ubuntu/Debian would be a great way to introduce someone to Linux. Installing Linux is one thing, but knowing how to use it and actually use it efficiently is another. Since there is no single company that manufactures software for use in Linux (unlike Microsoft) then one must scavenge in various corners for the appropriate software. Propriety software may not work with Linux, thus FOSS would be economical. There is the software manager which allows for this, and I propose for the OP to advocate Linux's use within schools rather than finding a school that does use it.

    Only through the former can we ever make Linux a popular OS. After all, operating systems like MS Windows and search providers like Google became popular through schools first and then to the general public. Linux should use the same strategy. Who is willing to advocate it relies solely on anyone who uses Linux since as stated before there is no single representative of Linux. Erewhile, I would rather had reserved judgement for a conclusion.

  10. #10
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    Re: Information about Linux / Ubuntu / Android use in schools

    So...what happened? Did they buy win8 tablets or go android?

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