Dear FOSS Enthusiasts and Activists. I am writing this letter to all for a request to create a task force to advocate FOSS in schools. If we fail to advocate Linux in schools then we will be failed everywhere. Most of the computer users like me are using computer from Last 5-6 year or less. They learned everything in college only. Also at our time computer was a costly device. We have not faced much difficult in migrating from Windows to Linux. Now we love Linux based distro and advocate for open curriculum, content , no-patents, no-DRM etc. But today scenario has changed. Computer are available in every * Mohalla* and Village. many of them are not having Internet connectivity. they are just using some pirated software. This is not a small population. This is a very huge population. This huge population of school students is also including student who do not have money to buy computer but they are learning using cybercafe and coaching classes. If you do not tell them to use FOSS and Linux based Distro, they will continue using pirated window software for next 10-15 year of their life until they got lucky to enter into a college where Local LUG is active and he got change to explore GSoC and other activities OR course curriculum include FOSS. *After 7 year, if you wish to give a lecture for advocating FOSS/Linux in a college then Do you think you can convince them to use FOSS/Linux and stop using the proprietary products which he is using from last 10 years? * During a workshop of Kids at NCERT, a 5th class kids refused to work on Kturtle because he was using LOGO software from last 1 year. Those who do not know LOGO created very beautiful diagrams with Kturtle. You can only reach engineering students at College level Linux/FOSS promotion and activities. But these student who are going to use proprietary product for they whole school life will go in various domain like art, music, law etc. you can never convince them after their mind-wash. I learned to do advocacy from two side attack. System is like pyramid. Bottom side contains huge student. and tip is controlled by those who run Education system. at top level we need to look for syllabus change and other activities. At bottom side we need to advocate FOSS and Linux principle in schools. Imagine the power of community and collaboration value inside this huge community. This student community need out love, care and guidance. We can together create a task force and think for various strategies to introduce FOSS in schools. If you empower this student community then they can crate whole curriculum and e-learning videos of their syllabus by themselves.
== Duty of Task Force == * Creating mailing list or all FOSS + Edu persons * Bring all FOSS+Edu on mailing list Or paper newsletter * Creating Workshop for discussion. * supporting the development of SchoolOS * empower technical level of student and teacher * Creating article for FOSS advocacy * Creating template letters for creating workshop in schools * getting help from NCERT and other institutes. * Creating booklets/Books - Classwise * Creating Portals for students and teacher * Creating teacher and student community
Please Join - SchoolOS mailing list - http://groups.google.com/group/schoolos and wiki.schoolos.org
Hi, Narendra.
Thank you for this interesting snippet of your views and experience and reflections.
We're planning a special edition of http://flossed.org (aka http://opensourceschools.org) with articles by those who are/have been developers, teachers, promoters, users of free and open sources for education. We're shooting for mid November. A number of well-known players have offered to participate, but we would love to have articles from you and your readers. We're looking to make this a sort of "state of the community" issue -- honest and encouraging.
Hoping to hear from those interested.
Sincerely,
David Bucknell flossed.org On Sat, Oct 16, 2010 at 12:31 AM, Narendra Sisodiya narendra@narendrasisodiya.com wrote:
Dear FOSS Enthusiasts and Activists. I am writing this letter to all for a request to create a task force to advocate FOSS in schools. If we fail to advocate Linux in schools then we will be failed everywhere. Most of the computer users like me are using computer from Last 5-6 year or less. They learned everything in college only. Also at our time computer was a costly device. We have not faced much difficult in migrating from Windows to Linux. Now we love Linux based distro and advocate for open curriculum, content , no-patents, no-DRM etc. But today scenario has changed. Computer are available in every * Mohalla* and Village. many of them are not having Internet connectivity. they are just using some pirated software. This is not a small population. This is a very huge population. This huge population of school students is also including student who do not have money to buy computer but they are learning using cybercafe and coaching classes. If you do not tell them to use FOSS and Linux based Distro, they will continue using pirated window software for next 10-15 year of their life until they got lucky to enter into a college where Local LUG is active and he got change to explore GSoC and other activities OR course curriculum include FOSS. *After 7 year, if you wish to give a lecture for advocating FOSS/Linux in a college then Do you think you can convince them to use FOSS/Linux and stop using the proprietary products which he is using from last 10 years?
- During a workshop of Kids at NCERT, a 5th class kids refused to work
on Kturtle because he was using LOGO software from last 1 year. Those who do not know LOGO created very beautiful diagrams with Kturtle. You can only reach engineering students at College level Linux/FOSS promotion and activities. But these student who are going to use proprietary product for they whole school life will go in various domain like art, music, law etc. you can never convince them after their mind-wash. I learned to do advocacy from two side attack. System is like pyramid. Bottom side contains huge student. and tip is controlled by those who run Education system. at top level we need to look for syllabus change and other activities. At bottom side we need to advocate FOSS and Linux principle in schools. Imagine the power of community and collaboration value inside this huge community. This student community need out love, care and guidance. We can together create a task force and think for various strategies to introduce FOSS in schools. If you empower this student community then they can crate whole curriculum and e-learning videos of their syllabus by themselves.
== Duty of Task Force ==
- Creating mailing list or all FOSS + Edu persons
- Bring all FOSS+Edu on mailing list Or paper newsletter
- Creating Workshop for discussion.
- supporting the development of SchoolOS
- empower technical level of student and teacher
- Creating article for FOSS advocacy
- Creating template letters for creating workshop in schools
- getting help from NCERT and other institutes.
- Creating booklets/Books - Classwise
- Creating Portals for students and teacher
- Creating teacher and student community
Please Join - SchoolOS mailing list - http://groups.google.com/group/schoolos and wiki.schoolos.org
-- ┌─────────────────────────┐ │ Narendra Sisodiya │ http://narendrasisodiya.com └─────────────────────────┘ -- http://mm.glug-bom.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxers
Hi Narendra,
Great initiative. We need to think from School / Student's point of view as well.
To change from status quo, they would need to see some benefits from this migration. What benefits can be "sold" to them?
Few that I can think of:
1. Free of Cost software 2. Encourages students to look "Under the hood" and learn how things work. 3. Less chances of malware
And we need to tell them about risks as well:
Some risks:
1. Some educational titles require either Windows or Mac (E.g. GRE Prep tests, Biological Simulators) 2. Local PC vendors might not be competent to service Linux machines (E.g. adding a new printer and configure page size etc to print bills in specific template)
-Shamit
On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 10:12 AM, Shamit Verma subs.linux.mum@vshamit.comwrote:
Hi Narendra,
Great initiative. We need to think from School / Student's point of view as well.
To change from status quo, they would need to see some benefits from this migration. What benefits can be "sold" to them?
Few that I can think of:
- Free of Cost software
- Encourages students to look "Under the hood" and learn how things work.
- Less chances of malware
And we need to tell them about risks as well:
Some risks:
- Some educational titles require either Windows or Mac (E.g. GRE Prep
tests, Biological Simulators) 2. Local PC vendors might not be competent to service Linux machines (E.g. adding a new printer and configure page size etc to print bills in specific template)
-Shamit
Good point Shamit, but i had a question which schools are you aiming for 1.Primary/Secondary/Higher secondary/Buisness school/Law school/Medical school 2.Urban/Rural why just schools? there are many coaching classes as well..
and technical difficulties can be taken care of when they arise but before trying to "sell" anything first be sure what to sell and whom to sell.. rest is the easy part..
On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 11:42 AM, Dheeraj More dheeraj.one@gmail.comwrote:
On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 10:12 AM, Shamit Verma subs.linux.mum@vshamit.comwrote:
Hi Narendra,
Great initiative. We need to think from School / Student's point of view
as
well.
To change from status quo, they would need to see some benefits from this migration. What benefits can be "sold" to them?
Few that I can think of:
- Free of Cost software
- Encourages students to look "Under the hood" and learn how things
work.
- Less chances of malware
And we need to tell them about risks as well:
Some risks:
- Some educational titles require either Windows or Mac (E.g. GRE Prep
tests, Biological Simulators) 2. Local PC vendors might not be competent to service Linux machines
(E.g.
adding a new printer and configure page size etc to print bills in
specific
template)
-Shamit
Good point Shamit, but i had a question which schools are you aiming for 1.Primary/Secondary/Higher secondary/Buisness school/Law school/Medical school
class 1st to 12th.
2.Urban/Rural
Both
why just schools? there are many coaching classes as well..
are you talking about computer coaching classes ?
and technical difficulties can be taken care of when they arise but before trying to "sell" anything first be sure what to sell and whom to sell.. rest is the easy part.. -- http://mm.glug-bom.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxers
On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 8:01 PM, Narendra Sisodiya < narendra@narendrasisodiya.com> wrote:
On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 11:42 AM, Dheeraj More <dheeraj.one@gmail.com
wrote:
On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 10:12 AM, Shamit Verma subs.linux.mum@vshamit.comwrote:
Hi Narendra,
Great initiative. We need to think from School / Student's point of
view
as
well.
To change from status quo, they would need to see some benefits from
this
migration. What benefits can be "sold" to them?
Few that I can think of:
- Free of Cost software
- Encourages students to look "Under the hood" and learn how things
work.
- Less chances of malware
And we need to tell them about risks as well:
Some risks:
- Some educational titles require either Windows or Mac (E.g. GRE Prep
tests, Biological Simulators) 2. Local PC vendors might not be competent to service Linux machines
(E.g.
adding a new printer and configure page size etc to print bills in
specific
template)
-Shamit
Good point Shamit, but i had a question which schools are you aiming for 1.Primary/Secondary/Higher secondary/Buisness school/Law school/Medical school
class 1st to 12th.
2.Urban/Rural
Both
why just schools? there are many coaching classes as well..
are you talking about computer coaching classes ?
and technical difficulties can be taken care of when they arise but before trying to "sell" anything first be sure what to sell and whom
to
sell.. rest is the easy part.. -- http://mm.glug-bom.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxers
-- ┌─────────────────────────┐ │ Narendra Sisodiya │ http://narendrasisodiya.com └─────────────────────────┘ -- http://mm.glug-bom.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxers
I am talking about coaching classes for 10th,12th,and various competitive exams the notes and textbooks are so heavy that they bend your back quite literally, I am thinking of simple browser based applications that can be put on low powered devices like chinese mobiles, a-pad etc. I am sure you will think there is already big competition in this field but let me tell you this "The field has been leveled" and we can directly compete with the best in the field, I am not talking about just competing but raising the bench mark now you may think this guy is blabbering or even crazy but I have a project plan for it if anyone is ready to partner.
The reason for choosing coaching classes is that the target crowd can be limited and are more willing for alternatives that rigid school systems both of which are excellent for beta testing.
-
David Bucknell -
Dheeraj More -
Narendra Sisodiya -
Shamit Verma