Summer 2005 Open Source in Education Notes

News and helpful tips from the world of Linux and
Open Source for the K12 community.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eSchool News Special Report on Open-Source Software
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A seven-page report on the dramatic impact that
open-source software can have on schools, featuring
K12LTSP (the K-12 Linux Terminal Server Project).

Online Editor Daniel David says: "People sometimes
assume that the only benefit of open-source
software is that it costs less--much less--than
licensed products that dominate the current network
landscape. While reduced costs are a major benefit,
the buzz surrounding open source is about more than
saving money. That's because many people see open-
source software as faster, more reliable, less prone
to viruses and security threats, and more flexible in its
ability to adapt to new technologies than the
operating systems most schools are currently
running."

The site requires a free registration to look at this
article.

eSchool's "Open-Source Software" article... -
http://.eschoolnews.com%2Fnews%2FshowStorysr.cfm%3FArticleID%3D5662

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Highly-Anticipated (and Debated) Becta Project Report
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Becta, the British Educational Communications and
Technology Agency, released last Friday their much-
anticipated report on "Open Source Software in
Schools." Their study of 48 schools looks at
effectiveness, TCO (total cost of ownership), support
costs, and the future for Open Source software in
schools.

Most controversial: "For OSS [open source software]
schools, cost per PC at primary school level was half
that of non-OSS schools..."

"Open Source Software in Schools" from Becta... -
http://www.becta.org.uk%2Fcorporate%2Fpublications%2Fdocuments%2FBEC5606_Full_report18.pdf


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Microsoft (tm) Announces WinXP Thin Client in the Works
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Microsoft (tm) announced this past week that they
are working on a thin-client version of Windows XP
(tm) that will work on used computer equipment.

Code-name: Eiger. Only in its initial development, but
with plenty of publicity, it would appear that Eiger is
a response to the growing awareness of Linux thin
client technology.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resource Corner: New "Linux in Classrooom" Website
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shawn Powers, the Technology Director at Inland
Lakes Schools, has created a new website "dedicated
to helping teachers use linux in their classrooms."
This is a wonderful idea that we hope will help with
the non-technical aspects of using Open Source
software in schools.

We encourage those of you on the front lines--
teaching Linux in your schools--to visit this site and
help build the body of non-technical, curriculum-
oriented resources for teachers.

Visit Linux in the Classroom... -
http://linux.inlandlakes.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resource Corner (Continued): K-12 Win CD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Luis Montes, has just released version 4.2.1 of the
k12wincd.

This CD provides "an image of software that parents
may wish to install for their children that go to a
school using K12LTSP. It can be thought of as a
take home companion CD for students using Windows
at home, but k12 linux at school."

Download from this site... -
http://k12wincd.sourceforge.net

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
K12LTSP/LTSP Demonstrations: Illinois, Iowa, & Missouri
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday, May 24th, 7:00 pm at the Linux Users of
Central Illinois (www.luci.org)

Wednesday, May 25, 1:00 pm at the Center for
Business and Industry Services, RiverPark Place, 610
North 4th Street, Room 103, Burlington, IA 52627.
To register and for more information, contact:
Bruce Huddleson (bhuddleson@scciowa.edu).

Thursday, May 26, 6:30 pm at St. Charles [County]
Linux Users Group (STC LUG)
http://www.sluug.org/~stclug/

Here's to affordable, reliable, and stable computing in
schools!