FOSS in Schools

Aim

To take Free/Open Source Software to the schools.

How

By the sheer number of school students, schools have a decisive role in making the swatantra software movement a success.

Learn from the initiative in Kerala and West Bengal.

Coordination

http://groups.google.com/group/fci-education-discuss

Volunteers

1. Vikram Vincent

Participating Organisations

Please enter your contact information either by creating a user account and linking it or by adding your name and phone number.

1. Prajna : Cognizant FLOSS Corps (A.Prem Kumar, Prajna Mind Map, Orkut Community for Prajna)
2. Union Christian College FOSS CELL

Resources

Source: http://mm.gnu.org.in/pipermail/fsug-bangalore/2007-August/001312.html

Some links you might find useful (FLOSS in education):

• FOSS Education (Wikibooks) http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/FOSS_Education

• Comics... to teach FLOSS? http://www.linux-magazine.com/issue/82/Hai_Ti_Comics_SchoolNet_Namibia.pdf

• Skolelinux 3.0 Terra available for free http://www.skolelinux.no

• Roadmap for next merging of LinEx and Debian-Edu: http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu/LinEx2DebianEdu-Roadmap

• Tech to the aid of autistic children: Recent research has shown that computer/digital technologies can help children with autism (and other disabilities) learn and communicate better. A computer training workshop for parents and children was held recently at Bangalore. Shuchi Grover reports. Mehta and colleagues shared various software and hardware by which children could communicate with the computer through non-traditional means. Also shared were several other software tools such as a 3-D and role-play software developed by C-DAC, simple visual programming environments such as Scratch (recently released by MIT Media Lab), simple image and audio manipulation using everyday Windows software, and Edubuntu â?? a free and open source Linux-based operating system designed specially for children that comes packaged with several child-friendly games and educational software.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ilug-goa/message/16049

• TELECENTRES IN THE MADRASA: The school based telecenter

project of RI SOL has launched internet-enabled telecenters
in two Bangladeshi madrasas (Islamic religious schools), in
Khulna and Dhaka. See Khulna Alia Madrasa Advocates for an
Inclusive Information Society on World Information Society
Day Link to the news story and photos of the celebration:
http://www.connect-bangladesh.org/content/view/418/101/
Source: Nazrul Islam <nazrul07 at gmail.com>

• Richard D'Souza is based at St Paul's in Belgaum, with the

mandate to extend the school's computer centre there. This
educator is very pro-GNU/Linux....
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ilug-goa/message/15830

• Create a comprehesive set of education tools customised for

Indian environment. This include localization, improving
features, adding new features, developing new tools... The
project is co ordinated by FOSS Community India
(http://fci.wikia.com)
http://sarovar.org/projects/foss-edu-in/

• Reclaiming ICT education: why free software is a necessity

in schools? Tim Cowlishaw talks about education and free
software?and why IT education shouldn't be a how-to for
using the Microsoft suite. Read more...
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/blogs/reclaiming_ICT_education_why_free_software_is_a_necessity_in_schools

• "K12OS.org is all about open source news in education.

You'll find news, links, resources and discussion here to
help promote the use of open source software in schools."
http://k12os.org/

• Speaker Name, K. K. Subramaniam. Company. Type, Talk.

Scope, General. Slides, Click to download. FOSS tools in
primary schools.  This talk is aimed at FOSS enthusiasts
promoting its adoption in their local community,
particularly in primary education. It presents the
experience of deploying a FOSS desktop in a small public
primary school in Bangalore. It presents the initial
approach for FOSS deployment, the steps which worked and
those that didnt in getting the teachers in the school to
use FOSS desktop and tools like KDE, Kile and LaTeX to
enhance the quality of teaching and integrate a PC into
daily sessions in the school.

In India, most deployments of computers in primary schools
use canned 'games' software on PCs to teach students or
expect teachers to use office automation software. For
already overburdened primary class teachers, PCs became
just another distraction. In a grassroots experiment, a
FOSS desktop was offered to a small public school in
Bangalore to use it for any task of their choice. The
teachers had no prior experience with computers or software
and their medium of instruction was Kannada. Two teachers
in the school chose to automate preparation of term
question papers in Kannada and English as this was a
recurring and time-consuming manual process. The desktop
was provisioned with KDE, Kile and LaTeX (with Kannada
types and styles) but not localized in Kannada. Starting
from scratch, the teachers took over 100 hours to learn to
use the tools and complete the first set of
publication-ready term papers for classes I through IV. The
second cycle took them less than 20 hours and they continue
to improve on their time. The FOSS desktop has empowered
the teachers to generate their own content quickly and
easily without compromising quality. The system has worked
without a single crash/breakdown over eighteen months of
use by curious young children.
https://foss.in/2006/cfp/speakers/talkdetailspub.php?talkid=183

• The Family Guide to Digital Freedom will explain, in one

place and in normal language, what everybody should know
about software and other digital technologies, and above
all the real reasons why they should care: in this modern
world, our rights and quality of life heavily depend from
how software is being used around us. The website
associated to the book, http://digifreedom.net, is now open
to visitors: besides sample chapters of the book it will
also host related news, links to existing resources for new
users of Free Software and a database of Digitally Free
Schools. For further information, please read
http://digifreedom.net/node/73

• ClassroomCoders: Building Analytical Capacity through

Peer-Taught: The goal of this project is to create a
comprehensive curriculum for learners aged 8 to 18, which
develops their analytical skills through the use of
software and software engineering tools.
http://wiki.tsf.org.za/shuttleworthfoundationwiki/ClassroomCoders

• Linux Spreads its Wings in India: Windows is still No. 1,

but open-source software is moving into schools and
government offices.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ilug-goa/message/14196
http://www.businessweek.com/print/globalbiz/content/sep2006/gb20060921_463452.htm

• GOA: BASIL FERNANDES had a long and interesting discussion

on teaching young kids programming, the possibility of
encouraging schools to do the same, and whether schools
could have Computer Clubs that work on a build-them-young
approach. He is keen to get involved with such a programme.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ilug-goa/message/14172

• Kerala logs Microsoft out of schools

http://in.rediff.com/money/2006/sep/02microsoft.htm

• India State to Dump Windows for Linux

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ilug-goa/message/14060

• Riza's desktop... it's not just about eye-candy

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ilug-goa/message/14067

• OpenKiosk is an open-source multi-platform kiosk system.

OpenKiosk is ideally suited for use in locations where a
controlled computing environment is paramount such as
public access systems, libraries, school computer
laboratories.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ilug-goa/message/13846

• Content Creation competition for school and college

teachers: OSSRC is organising a competition for
school/college teachers in creating content. Details of the
event can be found at http://www.ossrc.org.in/c3t.html

• When Free Software ideas spreads to education... see the

first link
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ilug-goa/message/13234

• Site at School is a Content Management System (CMS) to manage

and maintain the website of a primary school. It is Open
Source Software, licensed under the General Public license.
Site at school main features are: * Manage a website without
technical knowledge. * Editors with a high "Word processor
look and feel" rate. * Pupils/teachers can have personal
pages on the website. Teachers can check pupil pages before
publication. * An intranet for teachers (not accessible by
the public). * E-mail alerts can be sent to admins when
pages are updated/created. * Comprehensive manual with over
300 screenshots. * Extensive number of available modules,
see Available Modules * Possible to create your own
template see downloadable example(s).
http://siteatschool.sourceforge.net/

• Linux in Education: Two Years Later by Peter D. St. Onge

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ilug-goa/message/12949

• Education... lessons from South Africa

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ilug-goa/message/12821

• Gnu and tux go to primary school....

http://www.ofset.org/freeduc-ecole