A Conversation with Robert Arkiletian on K12LTSP in Schools

A conversation with Robert Arkiletian who, in addition to teaching physics and computer programming at a secondary school in Vancouver, has created fl_TeacherTool, a program for K12LTSP installations which allows the teacher to view, control, broadcast to, and communicate with individual student desktops.

We discuss the barriers in schools to implementation of Linux thin client and how he overcame them. Robert also describes in detail the features of fl_TeacherTool. Will only really be of interest to those working with LTSP or K12LTSP, or thinking of it.

One of the most interesting things to me about the interview was Robert's description of how he was effective in getting approval for his Linux thin-client lab--and why many such labs have required an "inside" champion. He describes:

1. How helpful it was to show that if the lab didn't work out, the server he was going to purchase could be used for some other purpose;
2. How he set up his workstations as dual-boot machines, so that Windows could be used if there was dissatisfaction with Linux;
3. How helpful the K12OSN email list has been for technical support.

These are options that only an "insider" can really effectively provide. But even as an "insider" at a school, and showing the tremendous cost savings, it can still be difficult to get approval for a Linux thin-client lab. I think, in large part, this is because Linux is unfamiliar, and it is unrealistic to think that schools will be willing to take the risk of trying a technology that is not well known. As more publicized installations of Linux take place in schools (Indiana, for example), and as Linux is seen as a viable desktop alternative, then the tremendous cost savings will then have an opportunity to become a compelling factor.

It has been interesting to watch, however, how some schools have been able to overcome the barriers to implementation of Linux. I would argue that these are typically schools that just don't have the money for traditional computing resources, and have to look outside of the box through sheer desperation. At that point, I think they are somewhat shocked, and then pleasantly surprised, to find out how inexpensively they can provide basic productivity computing.

I continue to be interested in the compelling story that is beginning to emerge more publicly related to computer use in schools:

1. Schools have spent a lot of money on computers, and had to cut other programs because of funding issues--now their computers are getting old and they're being asked to spend comparable amounts again;
   
2. Schools haven't seen academic improvement because of computers, and most students get limited time on computers each week;
3. Schools that have installed less glamorous, inexpensive computer solutions are able to give the students and teachers a more significant opportunity to integrate the computer into their curriculum;
4. Where the computer is able to be actively integrated into the curriculum, there is student and teacher enthusiasm, and there are reports of significant academic improvement.

It should be interesting to see how this plays out.

Exploring Wikis in Education with Vicki Davis and Adam Frey

Thursday night Vicki Davis from Westwood Schools and Adam Frey of Wikispaces and I explored the uses of wikis in education. I came away, again, with the conviction that while blogs are more immediately popular because they are easier to use, that wikis also have a tremendous place in transformative educational experiences.

Adam does a great job in explaining wikis in simple terms, and Vicki continues to amaze me with her ability to be both prolific and insightful. She is also an extraordinary organizer, as evidenced by her ability to understand, categorize, and then teach new technologies to her students. Vicki divided the use of wikis in education into two broad categories: organizational and educational. From the organization standpoint, she sees wikis as a high-tech "toolbelt" that lets you organize and present other material or media. As an educational tool itself, the wiki has five uses in her classroom:

• Lessons summaries
• Collaboration of notes
• Concept introduction and exploratory projects
• Dissemination of important classroom learning beyond the classroom
• Individual assessment projects

As you listen to the interview, she discusses each of these areas.

For my part, I'm continually interested in my own response to wikis, which seem to fit my own work style so well. I joke that I have IIADD--Internet Induced Attention Deficit Disorder. I feel pulled in so many directions for so many years by email, instant messaging, and just the general availability of news and knowledge that I have to really work hard to block out extended periods of time for reflective and focused learning or tasks. But most of the time I am working on about 10 things at once, and using wikis as a respository for notes, ideas, and collaborative projects allows me to quickly and easily make small improvements or notes here and there without getting too distracted.

Some other insights that occurred to me as a part of preparing for and holding this interview:

• Wikis are valuable because collaborative efforts are generally better than individual efforts. (One of my favorite books is The Wisdom of Crowds.) While I often think I know best, it always amazes me how other perspectives improve results.
• Not only are wikis valuable because they are collaborative, but they seem to match some of the "continuous improvement" business philosophies that I was so taken with early in my career, when I was more focused on manufacturing methods. A wiki, unlike a blog, or even a regular "static" website, encourages and makes easy small, incremental improvements over the course of time.
  
• I haven't been as excited about a technology as I have about wikis since I learned about relational databases 15 years ago. I remember staying up two nights in a row trying to get my head around Borland's Paradox relational database program, and I remember the sense that I was learning something that would dramatically change my ability to think about what I was doing at work. Not that it would just make my work tasks easier, but that I would do different kinds of work because of relational databases. And that was certainly true. I feel the same way about wikis. And already the ride has been fascinating. I had the idea for SupportBlogging.com one night, registered the domain name the next day and spent two or three hours working on outlining and organizational structure for the site, and then watched several others pick up the ball to flesh it out (including Vicki in a big way!), and then seven days later having a national educational magazine call and interview me about the site. It was an incredibly eye-opening experience.

I hope you enjoy the interview. Please do note that we have started a wiki (of course!) at www.EducationalWikis.com to start to build a resource for the use of wikis in eduation. Please contribute!