Project : Outreach

[asmiller-ke6seh]

Proposal: present Ubuntu to local Boards of Education with the idea that we encourage each local school board to drive Ubuntu into the school systems.

The Opportunity: Microsoft will stop supporting Windows XP this summer, forcing Windows users over to Vista. This will mean that school systems will not only have to purchase upgraded licenses and software, but they will also need to purchase new computers, peripherals, and software. This comes at a great expense. Instead, by utilizing Ubuntu, school systems can save this expenditure and apply the monies saved to more critical expenditures.

The Solution: the Connecticut LoCo (Local Community) Team should develop and present a 10 minute OpenOffice.org Presentation to the School Boards in our areas.

Request: If you want to work on this project with me, leave a message for me here.

[Debbie]

I'm sorry that I haven't checked my Yahoo mail for a few days. I thought this group was dead, due to lack of interest by most of its original members. I do not have a lot of time available now, but I would be happy to help with your project for the Boards of Education in whatever way I can. The biggest problem with this group seems to be getting enough people together who are willing and able to put in the time and energy to make any project succeed.

[cprofitt]

Proposal: present Ubuntu to local Boards of Education with the idea that we encourage each local school board to drive Ubuntu into the school systems.

The Opportunity: Microsoft will stop supporting Windows XP this summer, forcing Windows users over to Vista. This will mean that school systems will not only have to purchase upgraded licenses and software, but they will also need to purchase new computers, peripherals, and software. This comes at a great expense. Instead, by utilizing Ubuntu, school systems can save this expenditure and apply the monies saved to more critical expenditures.

The Solution: the Connecticut LoCo (Local Community) Team should develop and present a 10 minute OpenOffice.org Presentation to the School Boards in our areas.

Request: If you want to work on this project with me, leave a message for me here.

I am not in your state, but work in the EDU space.

The first hurdle FOSS has in schools is that teachers are creatures of habit and they only move to new applications when you pry the old one from their cold dead fingers. In some cases I am not even sure there are replacements. For this reason I think it may be difficult to 'replace' Windows/OS X 100% in a school district.

The second hurdle is that Microsoft makes it very inexpensive to buy the software ($48 a pop for a VLK license for the desktop OS)

Options:

• Use Ubuntu (Linux) in areas in which office applications and research are the primary goals (Library labs).
• Use Ubuntu on all desktops but build a Terminal Services solution for Windows only applications during the transition period.

I am contemplating making a FOSS move where I work, but putting the pieces together will take some time.

[Dragonbite]

I was just in a school a few weeks ago and it appears that they are using very old, weak computers. I was thinking in how many ways could that be improved with Linux (esp. if they had any funds for computers, use it for a powerful server and use the existing CPUs as thin clients for Edubuntu or openSUSE's Kiwi project.

But how does one start? Who do you start talking with and what will that person listen to (buzzwords)?