[K12OSN] Software to do X

["Terrell Prudé, Jr."]

Shawn Powers wrote:

> Bill Kendrick just made a good point on a different thread regarding 
> open source alternatives.  I am in a spot at school that staff members 
> are asking for the "evidence" of the claims about great free software 
> to do their tasks.  Since places like Sourceforge are overwhelming, 
> I'll start this thread to ask about some needs I need to fill soon.
>
> I think it's fair to offer web-based alternatives, as long as the lack 
> of sound in flash is taken into account.
>
> So, what do you suggest for:
>
>
>
> 2) "Math-Type" -- I guess this is a program that creates tests for 
> math teachers.  Are there any test-creation programs available that 
> work well?  I'm talking printed-out tests, not online or computer 
> based tests.  (To me, just using OpenOffice seemed to fit the bill, 
> but apparently the teachers are used to some specialty program 
> designed for such a thing)
>

Yes, there is.  Have you ever considered using LaTeX for this purpose?  
A friend of mine at the University of Washington converted the entire 
Math Dept. there over to using LaTeX--remember, these are all ego-maniac 
Ph. D. professors here--and not only did they convert to using LaTeX, 
but they now swear by it and won't consider anything that isn't as 
good.  They use it for everything--exams, worksheets, you name it--even 
books (some of them have written their own mathematics books).  Before 
that, they'd used Microsoft Office for this purpose, and their attitude 
was, "I don't have time to learn any 'new technology'; I have to do my 
research and teach!  I've got a *job* to do!"

Here's how my friend did it.  He, being a math instructor himself, made 
up some student worksheets for the calculus classes, and he showed them 
to a couple of math professors.  The profs said, "Wow, that's pretty 
cool.  How long did it take you?"  My friend said, "Oh, about 5 
minutes."  Then he went and showed them how he did it.  Sure enough, 
five minutes later, he'd made another worksheet with some good calculus 
problems (definite integrals and such).  After picking up their jaws, 
the profs said, "Can you show us how?"  He again did, and the rest is 
history.

If it's good enough for ego-maniac university professors, I don't see 
why classroom math teachers wouldn't fall in love with it at first 
sight, and for the same reasons that the professors did.

--TP