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When Teachers Are Obstacles To Linux In Education
jamie found this blog post up on the HeliOS Project, which brings Linux to school kids in Austin, TX. It makes very clear some of the obstacles that free software faces in the classroom. It seems a teacher came upon a student demonstrating Linux to other kids and handing out LiveCDs. The teacher confiscated the CDs and wrote an angry email to HeliOS's founder, Ken Starks: "Mr. Starks, I am sure you strongly believe in what you are doing but I cannot either support your efforts or allow them to happen in my classroom. At this point, I am not sure what you are doing is legal. No software is free and spreading that misconception is harmful. ... This is a world where Windows runs on virtually every computer and putting on a carnival show for an operating system is not helping these children at all. I am sure if you contacted Microsoft, they would be more than happy to supply you with copies of an older version of Windows and that way, your computers would actually be of service to those receiving them..." Starks pens an eloquent reply, which contains a factoid I have not seen mentioned before: "The fact that you seem to believe that Microsoft is the end all and be-all is actually funny in a sad sort of way. Then again, being a good NEA member, you would spout the Union line. Microsoft has pumped tens of millions of dollars into your union. Of course you are going to 'recommend' Microsoft Windows."
You could remove the "To Linux In" and the headline would be more accurate for this teacher:
"When teachers are Obstacles to Education." The guy was probably an economics teacher who believes in Keynesianism, fiat currency, and the Easter Bunny but doesn't believe in free software.
It's tempting to just call this guy a dorky technophobe as at least 70% of the teachers out there fit the profile. But how do we edumacate these people?
http://www.karenware.com/
http://www.austin.isd.tenet.edu/schools/staff.phtml?teacher=1600
Gotta be her, right?
I love Linux as much as the next geek, however, I can sort of understand her point of view, even if she doesn't represent herself very well. If a kid wants to play with Linux and learn about how the computer works then s/he should do it, but if it prevents the computer from working properly with coursework or software provided by the school, then that could be a problem. I can see how it would be highly annoying to a teacher, who really has better things to do than to support PCs, to have to explain why some document won't display properly, or something won't work exactly as it should on Linux. In a setting where spending any time at all on helping kids with how their laptops work is a huge distraction I can see how encouraging students to install Linux would be a very big disruption. Some will disagree, and it's better than it used to be, but I still wouldn't advise my mother to replace Windows with HeliOS or Ubuntu or any other Linux. The reason people choose Mac and Windows isn't entirely marketing and bundling, it's also because they tend to be easier to get support for - or even for novices to figure out.
I'm disappointed that so many Slashdot readers are surprised by the actions of this teacher. Children are naturally curious and love to learn. If we allowed them to use libraries, Internet connections, and democratic structures, than the majority could achieve prodigy-like abilities; instead compulsory schools teach them censorship, arbitrary authority, and outright lies. The corporations need some way to forge an obedient workforce.
------ Take away the right to say fuck and you take away the right to say fuck the government.
"Mr. McCartney, I am sure you strongly believe in what you are doing but I cannot either support your efforts or allow them to happen in my classroom. At this point, I am not sure what you are doing is legal. No music is free and spreading that misconception is harmful. ... This is a world where Hard Rock plays on virtually every mp3 player and putting on a carnival show for easy-listening pop is not helping these children at all. I am sure if you contacted Roger Waters, he would be more than happy to supply you with copies of Dark Side of the Moon and that way, your music would actually be of service to those receiving them..."