I'm a geek for the Yuma Union High School District in Yuma, AZ, and we've been running Debian GNU/Linux on all our servers (we're up to fifteen or so) for about two years, I guess. Before that, everything was NT (ugh). I've been here for about a year, and we've made (I think) leaps and strides in the direction of giving students access to technology and the ability to use it. We've got issues, as the people who designed the network had no vision (It was designed for 87 machines.. we now have almost 3000, with no infrastructure upgrades), but everything everywhere has issues.
So.. Linux in education? My goal before leaving this job (I've been here about a year), was to have several labs running Linux desktop trials. But because of the nature of the educational system, the politics would have taken years to even test the system out (which I called the Wintermute Project.. heh). And I don't have the patience for it, unfornately.
So I suppose the only thing we need to beat Microsoft in the classroom, in educational software, or anywhere else, is patience and skill. And, looking at Linux, where it's been, and where it's going.. the free software/open source community have both.
Oh. "STL" stands for Student Technology Locker, as every student (roughly 8000 of the little buggers) gets an 'electronic locker'. I just wish someone would write technology standards well enough that the kids actually had a clue as to what was happening when they saved something to that networked drive.. Or if they were being given any sort of clue at all. Anyone care to write "Hacking 101"?:)
I'm re-reading Virtual Light and, since I'm such a slow-mo, I hit on a sort of parallel from Gibson's 'DatAmerica' in the second trilogy to the current trend of big media companies forming into giant multi-headed organisms.. So what's next? Sense/Net-like multimedia? Maybe CBS, the WB, and some start-up VR company. Personally, I wouldn't mind living in a few episodes of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. *wink wink nudge nudge*
Seriously, though, is this trend going to continue until we've got a couple huge media/banking/software/goat-monkey-farming companies? I'm really not keen on working for a Johnny Zaibatsu. Where'll all the geek jobs go if Time Warner/AOL-zilla eat Silicon Valley, and all the other areas that are primarily habitated by small start-ups?
Anyway, I just thought it was sort of an interesting idea, and I'm all for a Gibson plug if I can manage it.:)
don't feel too badly, the Star Wars: Episode One merchandising scheme was well in effect before the movie released here as well.
but at least seeing that Terry Brooks' (ugh) official book was out oh, a week or so (along with the audio version of same) before the movie.. heh. let's just say my hopes were a good bit lower than they had been. so i wasn't totally disappointed.:)
however, i agree that six senth rocked.. bruce willis is still a great actor, and the kid in the flick should have been anakin. or.. ani. *shudder*
There was a comment regarding the fact that no one has any real database regarding technology in a non-technical, "hey, we're not evil hax0r bois!" kind of light. Mebbe someone needs to go lookit www.tdyc.com.:)
if we could beat up 'normal' (aka non-geek) people into checking out stuff they can understand (i.e. stuff that can and does aid them in their everyday life) maybe people wouldn't give me funny looks when i ask awkward questions like "have you seen my scrimpers?" or demand "ack! don't touch my dongle!":P
Catering to the MTV generation isn't something I care about. Teeniebopping BSBers don't particularly concern me.. but when parents start watching "specials" like True Life: I'm a hacker.. how are they going to react in terms of allowing their kids access to technology? And yeah.. some parents really ARE ignorant enough to believe something MTV says.:)
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I'm a geek for the Yuma Union High School District in Yuma, AZ, and we've been running Debian GNU/Linux on all our servers (we're up to fifteen or so) for about two years, I guess. Before that, everything was NT (ugh). I've been here for about a year, and we've made (I think) leaps and strides in the direction of giving students access to technology and the ability to use it. We've got issues, as the people who designed the network had no vision (It was designed for 87 machines.. we now have almost 3000, with no infrastructure upgrades), but everything everywhere has issues.
:)
So.. Linux in education? My goal before leaving this job (I've been here about a year), was to have several labs running Linux desktop trials. But because of the nature of the educational system, the politics would have taken years to even test the system out (which I called the Wintermute Project.. heh). And I don't have the patience for it, unfornately.
So I suppose the only thing we need to beat Microsoft in the classroom, in educational software, or anywhere else, is patience and skill. And, looking at Linux, where it's been, and where it's going.. the free software/open source community have both.
Oh. "STL" stands for Student Technology Locker, as every student (roughly 8000 of the little buggers) gets an 'electronic locker'. I just wish someone would write technology standards well enough that the kids actually had a clue as to what was happening when they saved something to that networked drive.. Or if they were being given any sort of clue at all. Anyone care to write "Hacking 101"?
harb.
I'm re-reading Virtual Light and, since I'm such a slow-mo, I hit on a sort of parallel from Gibson's 'DatAmerica' in the second trilogy to the current trend of big media companies forming into giant multi-headed organisms.. So what's next? Sense/Net-like multimedia? Maybe CBS, the WB, and some start-up VR company. Personally, I wouldn't mind living in a few episodes of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. *wink wink nudge nudge*
:)
Seriously, though, is this trend going to continue until we've got a couple huge media/banking/software/goat-monkey-farming companies? I'm really not keen on working for a Johnny Zaibatsu. Where'll all the geek jobs go if Time Warner/AOL-zilla eat Silicon Valley, and all the other areas that are primarily habitated by small start-ups?
Anyway, I just thought it was sort of an interesting idea, and I'm all for a Gibson plug if I can manage it.
harb.
don't feel too badly, the Star Wars: Episode One merchandising scheme was well in effect before the movie released here as well.
:)
but at least seeing that Terry Brooks' (ugh) official book was out oh, a week or so (along with the audio version of same) before the movie.. heh. let's just say my hopes were a good bit lower than they had been. so i wasn't totally disappointed.
however, i agree that six senth rocked.. bruce willis is still a great actor, and the kid in the flick should have been anakin. or.. ani. *shudder*
if you can find a way to simulate her simulated breasts as well as her simulated vocals.. hell, i won't even need my mtv anymore. :)
There was a comment regarding the fact that no one has any real database regarding technology in a non-technical, "hey, we're not evil hax0r bois!" kind of light. Mebbe someone needs to go lookit www.tdyc.com. :)
:P
:)
if we could beat up 'normal' (aka non-geek) people into checking out stuff they can understand (i.e. stuff that can and does aid them in their everyday life) maybe people wouldn't give me funny looks when i ask awkward questions like "have you seen my scrimpers?" or demand "ack! don't touch my dongle!"
Catering to the MTV generation isn't something I care about. Teeniebopping BSBers don't particularly concern me.. but when parents start watching "specials" like True Life: I'm a hacker.. how are they going to react in terms of allowing their kids access to technology? And yeah.. some parents really ARE ignorant enough to believe something MTV says.
harblies.