NECC 2005 Report

K12 Free and Open Source Software--News & More

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Welcome to NECC '05 Attendees
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A special welcome to all those who attended the Free
and Open Source Software Center at NECC '05 in
Philadelphia. (NECC is the National Educational
Computing Conference, the world's largest educational
technology conference for teachers and technology
coordinators.) The show was a great success, and our
thanks to all who contributed their time and efforts
to demonstrate free and open source software--with
special thanks to the folks at ISTE for all their
support.

Some photos from the show... -
http://www.technologyrescue.com/necc2005.html

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The Open CD - Open Source & Free Software for Windows
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Those who stopped by the Free Software Center at
NECC 2005 were able to pick up a copy of "The Open
CD," with free software for Windows users. This CD
includes OpenOffice, Firefox, GIMP, and much
more--all free to use and copy! If you didn't get a
copy or weren't at the show, you can download the CD
from the link below or call and we'll send you a copy.

theopencd.org - http://www.theopencd.org

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Ubuntu Linux - The Next Great Linux Desktop (and for free!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One of the most popular give-aways at the show was
the two-CD set of Ubuntu Linux. One CD allows you
to test out Linux by putting it in your CD-Rom drive
and rebooting your machine. The operating system
and programs actually run from your CD without
affecting your hard drive or installed programs.
The other CD is for the brave who decide to install
Ubuntu as your operating system on a PC (a great
choice).

We love Ubuntu here and think you will, too. The
link below will take you to their main website,
where you can download the CDs (Windows or Mac), or
they will send you the actual CDs for free. It
doesn't get better than that.

Ubuntu Linux Main Website - http://www.ubuntulinux.org

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Moodle: No Room at the Inn!
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Moodle is a course management system (CMS). It's a
free, Open Source software package to help educators
create effective online learning communities. And
gauging by the sold-out sessions at NECC, we're
going to hear a lot more about it this year.

We've recently installed Moodle on a server here in
our offices, and it was pretty easy. Not "brainless,"
but not "rocket science" either. And for those who
want to try it out without any work, there are
hosting services for as little as $5 a month for Moodle.

Moodle's Website - http://www.moodle.org


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Resource Corner: Linux Educational Application Index
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some 600 Open Source Educational applications for
the Linux environment, categorized by topic. From
Astronomy to Typing.

Educational Application Index - http://www.richtech.ca/seul

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Resource Corner: Table of Linux Replacements for Windows
Programs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
43 pages (printed out) of Windows-equivalent or
replacement programs that are available in Linux.
From technical to recreational, covering pretty much
everything you might want to find for Linux.
Regularly updated.

Equivalent / Replacement Table -
http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html

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Harvard Business School on Open Source Software
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The Simple Economics of Open Source," a working
paper by Josh Lerner and Jean Tirole, is summarized
by Martha Lagace, Senior Editor, HBS Working
Knowledge newsletter. "Why in the world would
anyone take the time to write complicated software
programs for
free?" she asks, and then describes their answers to
this question.

Harvard Business School Newsletter -
http://www.hbswk.hbs.edu/item.jhtml%3Fid%3D1503%26t%3Dtechnology%26noseek%3Done

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"Heart Transplant:" Linux to the Rescue in Utah Lutheran
School
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250 students, an annual technology budget of $15,000
(used just to keep the administrative and teacher
computers running), and 60 Pentium one and Pentium two
computers that are languishing in the classrooms...
what's a school to do?

Read how Principal Dennis Fangmann and Technology
Rescue resuscitated Grace Lutheran's computing
resources by installing a Linux Server, and turning
their old computers into cutting-edge thin clients.
And on a shoestring budget, no less!

Read the story... -
http://www.technologyrescue.com/gracesandy.html

Summer 2005 Open Source in Education Notes

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

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eSchool News Special Report on Open-Source Software
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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

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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


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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.

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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

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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

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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!