thats exactly what i was gonna do for teachin at the DOCE @ LSU! lol sorry if ive been not postin... im here!
On Fri, 2003-02-07 at 23:04, John Hebert wrote: > Sue, > > Sorry for the delay in responding to your excellent email containing your > suggestions for the CCCC Linux class. Busy fighting new email client... :P > > I've responded with comments interspersed in your original message below. > > On Fri, 31 Jan 2003 22:45:45 -0600, Sue Smith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > At that meeting, I said I would send to the list some thoughts I had on > > topics to cover, especially on finding Windows equivalents. All week at > > work I've been jotting down ideas, I typed them up this evening, then > > found that I'm probably taking the cake for extreme wordiness. Okay, it > > won't be the first prize I've gotten for that, so here goes my 5 1/2 > > cents' worth: > > > > Suggestions for a curriculum for new Linux users: > > > > Start with simple easy things. Show them early on that they can get into > > Linux and be productive without having to be a supergeek systems admin > > or programmer and without having to totally abandon Windows. (They may > > arrive at any or all of those later on their own.) > > Agreed. The suggestion was made that we use Knoppix > (http://www.knoppix.org/en) as the Linux distro in the class. A short > description of Knoppix is that it is a bootable CD that runs Linux off of > your CDROM drive without having to install anything on your hard drive. > > We can easily make copies of the Knoppix CDs and give them to class > members, in return for a blank CD. The students can then take them home and > try them out on their home PCs and possibly do practice exercises. > > Knoppix would allow the students to be immediately productive, as it has > Open Office, Gimp, and many other tools, games, etc. It can even auto- > detect network cards and modems and make it easy to connect to the > Internet. > > Are there any comments on this idea? Unless I hear of a good reason not to > use Knoppix as part of the classroom materials, I will assume it is > mutually agreed upon. > > > Hold off on teaching how to install and tweak the OS until an > > intermediate level or on a separate track for intermediate to advanced > > users. Windows users nearly always buy a new computer with the OS and a > > lot of apps already installed. Let's get them productive as fast as > > possible, then start installing things. > > Again, agreed. However, I am realizing it is harder to teach the seemingly > simpler concepts about Linux, and easier to teach the harder ones. :) > > I think it would be best to start out with a beginner's level class and > guage the interest towards the end of the classes in a more advanced class. > > > I found two articles on the Internet in the past few days that give some > > ideas for our classes and helping new users: > > > > "How do I do (insert task here) in Linux?"at > > http://users.netwit.net.au/~pursang/dtil/ > > <http://users.netwit.net.au/~pursang/dtil/> . This one has a new users > > guide that is pretty well written. > > > > Experiences in helping a new Linux user, at > > http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT8221013471.html > > <http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT8221013471.html> . This is > > rather wordy, but illustrates how someone who knows and cares zip about > > any OS can work happily in Linux with a little help from a mentor. > > > > I found these at http://www.linuxdailynews.com/ > > <http://www.linuxdailynews.com/> . This and similar news sites would > > be good to point out to students at all levels as a way of keeping > > informed. > > Very good sites, and there are many others as well. I like the idea of > using existing content on the web as class materials; it shows the class > members that the Linux community is about helping each other and will > encourage them to look for more information and answers to their questions. > > Another good resource to use in class is the RUTE Guide: > http://rute.sf.net. Tim Fournet and I discussed the Linux class and the > RUTE guide at length at Perk's recently and determined that not all > sections of the guide would be useful to beginner's, but it still contains > lots of useful material. > > We even came up with a rough outline for the class. You can view it at: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cccclinuxsig/files/sections.txt > > After reviewing it just now, I realize that we were still aiming way over a > beginner's head. I'd like to redo the outline in light of your suggestion > to cater to a complete beginner. > > > It might be good to arrange the classes either (1) as one long track, > > from beginner to advanced over the whole period that is planned, or (2) > > as two tracks, one beginner to intermediate with an emphasis on typical > > consumer apps, and the other as intermediate to advanced with an > > emphasis on working more with the OS, networking, etc. The intent in > > either case is to give both beginners and advanced students their own > > classes without boring the other. > > Two or more classes makes more sense. The task now is to determine what > will constitute the subject outline for the first "beginner's" class. > > > A topic that I think needs to be covered well, possibly to some extent > > in many different sessions, is "what's in it for Windows users" > > hopefully without aggravating Windows lovers too much. Security, > > stability, reliability, use as an Internet gateway, server for all the > > computers in the house, free and low-cost software, and other topics > > like this can be mentioned often. > > As well as the ability to run an Internet capable OS on hardware only > suitable for Windows 3.1. ;) You are definitely right on with these ideas. > I'll bet the Internet gateway and firewall capabilities would interest a > number of people. > > > Early sessions for the newest users might be something like this, > > assuming that the OS and applications are loaded, and peripherals are > > attached and working: > > 1. Survival 101: How to turn it on, log in as a user, find most commonly > > used apps, open and close them, and end a session (what to do inside > > the app probably needs its own class). The need to work as a user rather > > than at root. How to power down safely. When to power down and when to > > let it run. > > Good ideas, but if we use Knoppix, there won't be any logins. Sure, > teaching students about logins is important, but the advantages of using > Knoppix outweigh teaching students about logins immediately. > > > 2. Survival 102: What's all the rest of this stuff on the screen? How to > > use four (or more! Wow!) screens? How to set up those screens for > > different uses. How to find and use the Help or User Guides. Open a > > terminal, and what the dickens is a terminal for? (add ...) > > I like it. Reading your ideas gives me more ideas. Initially, Tim and Doug > and I discussed a 12 lesson class, but now I'm thinking about just 3 or 4 > class sessions to teach a smaller, inter-related group of concepts about > Linux. > > I see that we need to approach the classes as if we were brand new to Linux > and were looking at the desktop for the first time. "What do I do now?" > "How do I run programs?" "How do I change the desktop?" etc. > > I think the first few lessons should be geared around getting newbies > familiar with the Desktop: > > 1. How to use the menus > 2. How to use the taskbar > 3. How to use system configuration apps/tools > ... > > > 3.Productivity 101: How to use email, Internet, a word processor, a > > spreadsheet program, and a game or two. How to print documents and make > > backups. > > However, users will have to know a little about networking and modems first > before being able to connect to the Internet. By having all students use > Knoppix, at least it would be easier to help students do so. > > > 4. Productivity 102: How to use software for loading digital images from > > camera or email, scanning and editing photos, sending photos through > > email. How to play music on the computer while working. Other office > > apps, depending on the interest shown and level of expertise. > > 5.New stuff 101: Installing new or revised software. Installing or > > connecting new hardware, like printers. Downloading software and > > installing it. > > 6.Productivity 201: More advanced graphics apps, like Gimp, or ...? > > Burning to CD music, photos, data backup, ... Using software for > > financial management, databases, genealogy, music editing, ... > > All great ideas. I'm realizing most Linux geeks don't worry so much about > apps and concentrate more on getting the OS to do things. For instance, I > barely know how to use Gimp, as well as a lot of other software in most > Linux distros. The attraction of Microsoft Windows is that it smooths out > the learning curves for basic networking, etc., so there is more emphasis > on user-friendly applications. > > > That's a start. Y'all help me out with specifics. I'm trying to picture > > a typical user, who does a fairly limited number of things, but whatever > > he does, he wants his computer and programs to work well without the > > old BSOD. > > We can certainly help out with the specifics. > > > At all levels, mention the Linux equivalent to Windows apps, or at least > > a way to accomplish the same thing in Linux that a specialized Windows > > app does. > > Good idea. Most (all?) of the students are going to be M$ Windows users. > > > At the intermediate to advanced level, include: > > 1.ways to use Windows apps in Linux , like Wine > > 2.dual booting > > 3.understanding the OS, what a beginner can do safely at root > > 4.managing files and directories as a user and at root > > 5.syncing with a laptop and a pda > > 6.using a Linux-based pda > > 7.downloading GPS data > > 8.... Y'all help me here... I'm running out of ideas. > > One of the strengths (weaknesses?) is that Linux has a _lot_ of differnet > ways to do things. For instance, there are many apps used to sync PDAs. It > all depends on which software is available and what is easiest to use. We > can certainly recommended what we know about from experience, but there is > way too much Linux software out there and being introduced all the time for > us to know the best app to use for a specific function. I feel we will have > to rely on our best judgement here. > > > Okay, last in a long message, my personal list of specific Windows apps > > that I would like to see in a Linux equivalent: > > > > WordPerfect Office, the whole thing, not just WP, version 11 > Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org) > KOffice (http://www.koffice.org) > AbiWord (http://www.abisource.com) > > Dragon Naturally Speaking > IBM ViaVoice for Linux (http://www-3.ibm.com/software/speech/news/20000825- > iw.html) > > Corel Draw and PhotoPaint, ver 11 > Gimp (http://www.gimp.org) > > Mapping software: ArcView, ArcGIS, ArcPad, StreetMap > GRASS (http://www.cecer.army.mil/grass/GRASS.main.html) > > Music software: Cakewalk > Lots! (http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/linux/) > > Games: Puzz3D (3d jigsaw puzzles), hundreds of versions of solitaire > Too many to list. Google for "linux" + whatever game you are looking for. > There are also many linux game sites out there. > > (from various sources) > > Norton Utilities (hopefully not needed, considering the strengths of > > Linux!) > Not sure how to answer this exactly, but I will say that yes, you are > correct; newbies won't have to worry about needing utilities like defrag. > > Financial software: Quicken > GnuCash (http://www.gnucash.org) and others. > > Genealogy software: Family Tree Maker and Personal Ancestry File > Ftree (http://www.vjet.demon.co.uk/ftree/) and others. > > > That's enough for a start. There's a lot I want to learn about using > > Linux, but wherever I can help in this endeavor, I will. I hope this > > flies. > > Cool. Thank you so much for taking the time to write up these ideas. They > have been very helpful. > > The idea of organizing and teaching this class seems kinda overwhelming at > first. I keep thinking "where do I start?". So, you have helped us a lot. > > > Sue > > Thanks Sue! > > John Hebert > > ps: Doug, see below. > > > At 07:14 AM 1/28/03 -0800, you wrote: > > I want to thank John for taking over the Libranet install for me when I > > had to leave the install fest last night! I hope it went well after I > > left. > > Unfortunately, I didn't finish it. I hope to finish installing Linux on > Sue's computer at a later time. > > > At the meeeting we discussed a focus for the class. The general feeling > > seemed to be a class focused on how a user accustomed to Windows 95, 98, > > or XP can accomplish similar tasks with Linux. > > > > Some frustration with a lack of standardization was expressed as well as > > a desire to understand how to configure the menus and desktop to suit > > personal tastes. > > > > Any suggestions for particular tasks and focus. > > > > John also mentioned that this is being sponsored by the CCCC, and that > > memebers will get their seats first. If you are not a member of CCCC, > > now might be a good time to join. > > > > Warmest Regards, > > > > Doug Riddle > > -- > John Hebert > System Engineer > I T Group, Inc. http://www.it-group.com > > _______________________________________________ > General mailing list > [email protected] > http://oxygen.nocdirect.com/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net >
