On Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 12:59 AM, Andrew Lentvorski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > One thing I stumbled on is the blog of somebody local. Is this the guy who > Tracy pointed out? > > http://dgmcintosh.edublogs.org/ > > Robert Donovan wrote: >> >> http://moodle.sandi.net/course/view.php?id=1042#open > > One thing from this link that was interesting is that they *are* using "word > processing appliances" called "AlphaSmart". Interesting, but it seems like > they are way overpriced given that these things seem very little better than > an old Tandy Model 100 (which should border on free with modern > integration). > >> >> http://www.edtech.sandi.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=177&Itemid=336 > > Here are the references from that: > http://www.edtech.sandi.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=177&Itemid=336&limit=1&limitstart=7 > > They are *very* thin. Sadly, as is most education "research". Sigh. > > > Actually, I love the "Key Components of the Recommended Laptop Initiative" > > http://www.edtech.sandi.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=177&Itemid=336&limit=1&limitstart=9 > > Provide extra time, extra trainers, extra money, and an on-site computer > admin, and it will likely succeed. > > Um, duh. > > Even Bill Gates admitted that almost *anything* will work if you dump a > whole bunch of new resource at the problem. It shakes up students, engages > parents and energizes teachers. It's *after* things become normal again > that you find out that it didn't stick.
I hear you. This is one reason, at NCAS, why we tend to shy away from getting the district involved in stuff like this too quickly, apart from getting an initial proposal approved. We instructors are working amongst ourselves to move our existing computer repair and networking curricula online with Moodle and recordmydesktop. Our current idea is that, once we get the thing up and running smoothly, we'll create a set of how-tos and offer it to the teachers at other schools. If we can get enough participation, we can then put together a detailed proposal, using real numbers from actual classroom use, and take that to the district. One can do this with OSS because it doesn't cost much to experiment with these things. The problem is that it tends to be slow, because we're doing everything in our spare time. The trouble with too many people at the district level getting enthuiastic about anything is, first, that the enthusiasm will ebb and flow depending on the current education cause celeb, and the curent budget and who has the ear of the person controlling the purse strings. Adult ed in particular tends to be the ugly stepchild of the education establishment that way. Secondly, you can have the best, most cost-effective idea in the world, get the district involved too soon, and, unless you are lucky enough to be the rare person given full management control, a huge buracracy tends to grow around and get grafted onto it over time, making it cost-ineffective and unfocused to the point of ineffectuality. I think this has happened somewhat to the Always-on initiative. Robert Donovan -- KPLUG-List@kernel-panic.org http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
