Re: [IAEP] SoaS Breakthrough!
On Wed, 2012-01-11 at 03:21 +0100, Rubén Rodríguez wrote: The method I think would be a breakthrough for a school is to use a thin client environment. One server is enough to run a typical school, you only need to manage one standard GNU/Linux computer, the clients need no software or configuration, and they can keep whatever they already have in their hard drives untouched and usable. Also all the students data are in an easy to backup spot, installing an activity in the server makes it available for everyone instantly, and you can also combine it with class management software like iTALC. This sounds useful. (For reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_client ) So, if an enthusiastic volunteer had demonstrated Sugar on a Stick to a school's IT person who has no previous sugar or linux experience - what would need to be on their learning curve, to set up such a system? Regards, Iain, aka inkyfingers ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
Re: [IAEP] SoaS Breakthrough!
2012/1/13 Iain Brown Douglas i...@browndouglas.plus.com: On Wed, 2012-01-11 at 03:21 +0100, Rubén Rodríguez wrote: The method I think would be a breakthrough for a school is to use a thin client environment. One server is enough to run a typical school, you only need to manage one standard GNU/Linux computer, the clients need no software or configuration, and they can keep whatever they already have in their hard drives untouched and usable. Also all the students data are in an easy to backup spot, installing an activity in the server makes it available for everyone instantly, and you can also combine it with class management software like iTALC. This sounds useful. (For reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_client ) So, if an enthusiastic volunteer had demonstrated Sugar on a Stick to a school's IT person who has no previous sugar or linux experience - what would need to be on their learning curve, to set up such a system? Probably rewardingly tricky. ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
Re: [IAEP] SoaS Breakthrough!
Maybe http://en.opensuse.org/Sugar can be something that might work for some of what we can use. 2012/1/13 Iain Brown Douglas i...@browndouglas.plus.com: On Wed, 2012-01-11 at 03:21 +0100, Rubén RodrÃguez wrote: The method I think would be a breakthrough for a school is to use a thin client environment. One server is enough to run a typical school, you only need to manage one standard GNU/Linux computer, the clients need no software or configuration, and they can keep whatever they already have in their hard drives untouched and usable. Also all the students data are in an easy to backup spot, installing an activity in the server makes it available for everyone instantly, and you can also combine it with class management software like iTALC. This sounds useful. (For reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_client ) So, if an enthusiastic volunteer had demonstrated Sugar on a Stick to a school's IT person who has no previous sugar or linux experience - what would need to be on their learning curve, to set up such a system? Probably rewardingly tricky. ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep -- Im moderate on extroversion. http://caltek.net/blog School 2.0 http://etoolkit.org ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
Re: [IAEP] SoaS Breakthrough!
On 01/12/2012 11:21 AM, Iain Brown Douglas wrote: On Wed, 2012-01-11 at 03:21 +0100, Rubén Rodríguez wrote: The method I think would be a breakthrough for a school is to use a thin client environment. One server is enough to run a typical school, you only need to manage one standard GNU/Linux computer, the clients need no software or configuration, and they can keep whatever they already have in their hard drives untouched and usable. Also all the students data are in an easy to backup spot, installing an activity in the server makes it available for everyone instantly, and you can also combine it with class management software like iTALC. This sounds useful. (For reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_client ) So, if an enthusiastic volunteer had demonstrated Sugar on a Stick to a school's IT person who has no previous sugar or linux experience - what would need to be on their learning curve, to set up such a system? From the link in Projects/Toast on sugarlabs wiki: https://trisquel.info/en/wiki/configure-ltsp-server Sounds possible. Also ask quidam on #trisquel? Tom Gilliard satellit_ on #sugar Regards, Iain, aka inkyfingers ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
Re: [IAEP] SoaS Breakthrough!
So, if an enthusiastic volunteer had demonstrated Sugar on a Stick to a school's IT person who has no previous sugar or linux experience - what would need to be on their learning curve, to set up such a system? We plan to publish that server system as a live cd with everything set up, so it shouldn't be much harder than installing a typical live cd. ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
[IAEP] SoaS Breakthrough!
Hi Folks, I called Tom Gilliard today during his ski vacation (oops!) to get some help prepping for showing SoaS at SCaLE 10X Jan 20-22. After we talked about several things I told him I had a wild idea that I thought the average non-techie teacher could handle. Why not run SoaS from a Live CD and then save all the files you want to keep on a separate usb stick? This could include additional Activities downloaded from the Sugar Labs website that don't live on the Live CD. Each kid could have their own usb and take it to any computer with the Live CD, run SoaS and open the files they saved. If it works on an XO (it does, I have tried it), why not with a Live CD? Tom is amazing! He took time out from his ski vacation to add this to the Sugar Labs wiki soon after we talked. You can find it here: http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Creation_Kit/sck/Backup-restore#Backup-Restore_files_from_the_sugar-journal_with_a_2nd_USB-stick I haven't tried it yet... want to make a new Live CD first, but I'll bet it will work fine. Maybe some of you would like to test it too. If all is well, it will be shown both in the OLPC/Sugar Labs booth and my Sugar presentation at SCaLE 10X. I am probably one of the few people, if not the only person, on these lists who has extensive experience teaching our target audience (the average classroom teacher) how to overcome their fears and feelings of anxiety (believe me, there are plenty of these) and to actually use technology in their own classrooms. IMHO this could really be a breakthrough for getting Sugar into classrooms that can't get XOs. Give it a try. Share your experiences. Have your kids/grandkids try it. See how it works. Let me know! Thanks! (and thanks again, Tom) Caryl P.S. If it doesn't work right... lets work to make it work right! ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
Re: [IAEP] SoaS Breakthrough!
I called Tom Gilliard today during his ski vacation (oops!) to get some help prepping for showing SoaS at SCaLE 10X Jan 20-22. After we talked about several things I told him I had a wild idea that I thought the average non-techie teacher could handle. Why not run SoaS from a Live CD and then save all the files you want to keep on a separate usb stick? This could include additional Activities downloaded from the Sugar Labs website that don't live on the Live CD. This should work out of the box in TOAST -without extra activities-, you just need to format the usb drive in ext2(-4) and label it home-rw. Then, if you have it plugged during the live cd boot, it will be mounted as /home and keep any user changes, downloads, activities, journal... In any case, how is that an improvement over having both the system and the home in the usb as usually? IMHO this could really be a breakthrough for getting Sugar into classrooms that can't get XOs. I think live usb systems are nice for some tasks, but not for serious deployments. The live usb persistence methods can -and do- fail, specially if you don't shut the system down properly, as impatient kids tend to do. The method I think would be a breakthrough for a school is to use a thin client environment. One server is enough to run a typical school, you only need to manage one standard GNU/Linux computer, the clients need no software or configuration, and they can keep whatever they already have in their hard drives untouched and usable. Also all the students data are in an easy to backup spot, installing an activity in the server makes it available for everyone instantly, and you can also combine it with class management software like iTALC. ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
Re: [IAEP] SoaS Breakthrough!
Hi Ruben and All, Tom has warned me that the persistent usbs really are persistent and that eventually they fill up and fail! Not good. That would not be a problem with a Live CD as nothing is written to it. Therefore, the extra usb for file storage... journal items, extra Activities and the like. Again, please remember we are talking about the average non-techie educator who wants to bring Sugar to their students on whatever old machines they may have. While most schools do have a person in charge of technology, in many cases it is a regular teacher who just knows a little bit more than other teachers and has the time to do it. They may get a tiny bit of training, a small stipend, and a special title to go with the job, but that is about it. In the real world, the latest buzz is all about using smart phones, iPod touches, and all sorts of tablets with students. Nothing wrong with that, I guess, but having the Sugar Activities available would be nice and gladly accepted... if we can make it easy to do. Tell the teachers they need a thin client and they may start looking for a skinny student! Getting a whole school to buy into something like Sugar is a stretch. It is a battle that has to be won, one teacher at a time. Maybe when the others see it in action in some of the classrooms interest will reach a level where a school wide adoption would be feasible. So enough with the cliches (sorry I used so many), I need to find out how to make a Live CD to test this. The instructions are either gone or buried in the wiki (I guess that is one reason why we are refreshing it). So here is the information I need: 1) What is the most up-to-date build you folks would recommend? 2) Where can I find the instructions for making the Live CD? 3) Would it be better to put it onto a DVD since the price is so similar these days? 4) What type of CD or DVD works best on a wide variety of intel computers (PC and Mac)? (Brand, R, RW or ???) 5) Can the Live CD be easily cloned with a DVD Rewriter? (I will probably want to make at least 100 copies) 6) What other things I haven't thought of should I know? 7) Anyone want to stand by to give advice if I get stuck? (Skype call or irc if you must... I do not type well) Thanks,Caryl Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:21:37 +0100 From: ru...@gnu.org To: cbige...@hotmail.com CC: iaep@lists.sugarlabs.org; test...@lists.laptop.org; support-g...@laptop.org Subject: Re: [IAEP] SoaS Breakthrough! I called Tom Gilliard today during his ski vacation (oops!) to get some help prepping for showing SoaS at SCaLE 10X Jan 20-22. After we talked about several things I told him I had a wild idea that I thought the average non-techie teacher could handle. Why not run SoaS from a Live CD and then save all the files you want to keep on a separate usb stick? This could include additional Activities downloaded from the Sugar Labs website that don't live on the Live CD. This should work out of the box in TOAST -without extra activities-, you just need to format the usb drive in ext2(-4) and label it home-rw. Then, if you have it plugged during the live cd boot, it will be mounted as /home and keep any user changes, downloads, activities, journal... In any case, how is that an improvement over having both the system and the home in the usb as usually? IMHO this could really be a breakthrough for getting Sugar into classrooms that can't get XOs. I think live usb systems are nice for some tasks, but not for serious deployments. The live usb persistence methods can -and do- fail, specially if you don't shut the system down properly, as impatient kids tend to do. The method I think would be a breakthrough for a school is to use a thin client environment. One server is enough to run a typical school, you only need to manage one standard GNU/Linux computer, the clients need no software or configuration, and they can keep whatever they already have in their hard drives untouched and usable. Also all the students data are in an easy to backup spot, installing an activity in the server makes it available for everyone instantly, and you can also combine it with class management software like iTALC. ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
Re: [IAEP] SoaS Breakthrough!
@lists.sugarlabs.org; test...@lists.laptop.org; support-g...@laptop.org Subject: Re: [IAEP] SoaS Breakthrough! I called Tom Gilliard today during his ski vacation (oops!) to get some help prepping for showing SoaS at SCaLE 10X Jan 20-22. After we talked about several things I told him I had a wild idea that I thought the average non-techie teacher could handle. Why not run SoaS from a Live CD and then save all the files you want to keep on a separate usb stick? This could include additional Activities downloaded from the Sugar Labs website that don't live on the Live CD. This should work out of the box in TOAST -without extra activities-, you just need to format the usb drive in ext2(-4) and label it home-rw. Then, if you have it plugged during the live cd boot, it will be mounted as /home and keep any user changes, downloads, activities, journal... In any case, how is that an improvement over having both the system and the home in the usb as usually? IMHO this could really be a breakthrough for getting Sugar into classrooms that can't get XOs. I think live usb systems are nice for some tasks, but not for serious deployments. The live usb persistence methods can -and do- fail, specially if you don't shut the system down properly, as impatient kids tend to do. The method I think would be a breakthrough for a school is to use a thin client environment. One server is enough to run a typical school, you only need to manage one standard GNU/Linux computer, the clients need no software or configuration, and they can keep whatever they already have in their hard drives untouched and usable. Also all the students data are in an easy to backup spot, installing an activity in the server makes it available for everyone instantly, and you can also combine it with class management software like iTALC. ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep ___ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
