http://www.sugarlabs.org/index.php?template=press&article=20090918&language=english#20090918
This followed uninformed misstatements in the media at the time by some FSF members. FSF influence on K-8 education departments is minimal, but I agree more can always be done. We need to be in touch with Dora. Most FSF people I know think high school or university when the topic is educational software; e.g. FSFE edu-eu mailing list (https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-eu) Sean On Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 4:37 AM, Sridhar Dhanapalan <srid...@laptop.org.au> wrote: > Brilliant! > > What can we do to have Sugar more formally recognised by the FSF? I > think it should be their desktop of choice for primary school > education. > > Sridhar > > > Sridhar Dhanapalan > Engineering Manager > One Laptop per Child Australia > > > > On 31 January 2012 23:28, Anish Mangal <an...@activitycentral.com> wrote: >> Hi, >> >> Just received a message on the fsf-info list about FSF relaunching the >> GNU education project: >> >> Links: >> [1] http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/gnu-education-website-relaunch >> [blog post] >> [2] http://www.gnu.org/education/ [GNU Education website] >> >> -- >> Anish >> >> >> * * * >> >> >> BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Monday, January 30, 2012 -- The GNU >> Project today announced the relaunch of its worldwide volunteer-led >> effort to bring free software to educational institutions of all >> levels. The new effort is based at http://www.gnu.org/education. >> >> The newly formed GNU Education Team is being led by Dora Scilipoti, an >> Italian free software activist and teacher. Under her leadership, the >> Team has developed a list of specific goals to guide their work: >> >> >> Present cases of educational institutions around the world who are >> successfully using and teaching free software. >> >> Show examples of how free programs are being used by educational >> institutions to improve the learning and teaching processes. >> >> Publish articles on the various aspects involved in the use of free >> software by educational institutions. >> >> Maintain a dialogue with teachers, students and administrators of >> educational institutions to listen to their difficulties and provide >> support. >> >> Keep in contact with other groups around the world committed to the >> promotion of free software in education. >> >> GNU and its host organization, the Free Software Foundation (FSF), >> emphasize that free software principles are a prerequisite for any >> educational environment that uses computers: >> >> Educational institutions of all levels should use and teach free >> software because it is the only software that allows them to >> accomplish their essential missions: to disseminate human knowledge >> and to prepare students to be good members of their community. The >> source code and the methods of free software are part of human >> knowledge. On the contrary, proprietary software is secret, restricted >> knowledge, which is the opposite of the mission of educational >> institutions. Free software supports education, proprietary software >> forbids education. >> >> In an article at >> http://fsf.org/blogs/community/gnu-education-website-relaunch, >> Scilipoti adds insights about the project's organizing philosophy, >> current contributors, and progress so far. Of her basic motivation for >> being involved, she says, "As a free software advocate and a teacher, >> I always felt that the GNU Project needed to address the subject >> specifically and in depth, for it is in the education field that its >> ethical principles find the most fertile ground for achieving the goal >> of building a better society." >> >> In her article, Scilipoti also highlights some of the free software >> success stories from around the world, especially Kerala, India, where >> the government has migrated over 2,600 of its public schools to free >> software. >> >> While the Education Team has already compiled a collection of useful >> materials, they are also looking for more volunteer contributors. >> People who want to help, or who have information about instructive >> examples of existing use of free software in schools, should contact >> educat...@gnu.org. >> >> "Education really is one of the most fundamental areas we need to >> focus on to achieve real social change," said Free Software Foundation >> executive director John Sullivan. "We need to be acknowledging and >> assisting schools that are doing the right thing, and helping those >> who aren't yet on board understand why those giveaway Microsoft >> Office, iPad, and Kindle deals aren't so great for classrooms after >> all. We're very thankful to all of the Team members for stepping up to >> meet this challenge. I hope others will be inspired by their work and >> join the effort." >> >> The Education Team has also been working closely with GNU's >> Translation Team to make the new materials available in as many >> languages as possible. People interested in helping with the >> translation component of the project should see the information at >> http://www.gnu.org/server/standards/README.translations.html. >> >> About the Free Software Foundation >> >> The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to >> promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and >> redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and >> use of free (as in freedom) software -- particularly the GNU operating >> system and its GNU/Linux variants -- and free documentation for free >> software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and >> political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, >> located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information >> about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at >> http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA. >> >> About Free Software and Open Source >> >> The free software movement's goal is freedom for computer users. Some, >> especially corporations, advocate a different viewpoint, known as >> "open source," which cites only practical goals such as making >> software powerful and reliable, focuses on development models, and >> avoids discussion of ethics and freedom. These two viewpoints are >> different at the deepest level. For more explanation, see >> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html. >> >> About the GNU Operating System and Linux >> >> Richard Stallman announced in September 1983 the plan to develop a >> free software Unix-like operating system called GNU. GNU is the only >> operating system developed specifically for the sake of users' >> freedom. See http://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html. >> >> In 1992, the essential components of GNU were complete, except for >> one, the kernel. When in 1992 the kernel Linux was re-released under >> the GNU GPL, making it free software, the combination of GNU and Linux >> formed a complete free operating system, which made it possible for >> the first time to run a PC without non-free software. This combination >> is the GNU/Linux system. For more explanation, see >> http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html. >> >> Media Contacts >> >> John Sullivan >> Executive Director >> Free Software Foundation >> +1 (617) 542 5942 >> campai...@fsf.org >> >> ### >> >> >> -- >> Follow us on identi.ca at http://identi.ca/fsf | Subscribe to our >> blogs via RSS at http://fsf.org/blogs/RSS >> Join us as an associate member at http://fsf.org/jf >> Sent from the Free Software Foundation, >> >> 51 Franklin Street >> Fifth Floor >> Boston, MA 02110-1335 >> United States >> You can unsubscribe to this mailing-list by visiting the link >> http://crm.fsf.org/civicrm/mailing/unsubscribe?reset=1&jid=125657&qid=1290156&h=4c5de871cf45122d. >> >> To stop all email from the Free Software Foundation, including >> Defective by Design, >> and the Free Software Supporter newsletter, click this link: >> >> http://crm.fsf.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=125657&qid=1290156&h=4c5de871cf45122d. >> _______________________________________________ >> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) >> i...@lists.sugarlabs.org >> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep > _______________________________________________ > Devel mailing list > Devel@lists.laptop.org > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel _______________________________________________ Devel mailing list Devel@lists.laptop.org http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel