[K12OSN] Linux cut off

["Terrell Prudé, Jr."]

Hello KJ,

You're right to duck like that.  The reason is that we are educators of 
*concepts* in K12 schools.  Having come from corporate myself, I don't 
see any justification for turning fourth-graders into "Good Little 
Employees" ready to be trained monkeys on specific applications.  
Children don't learn how to write on just Avery-brand paper.  They learn 
how to write.  Period.  Same with math--we don't teach them how to add, 
subtract, multiply, and divide only on HP calculators.  Rather, we teach 
them how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, period.  Same with 
cars.  The auto shop in every high school I've ever seen that has one 
teaches the kids how to work on cars, not just Fords, not just Chevys, 
not just Toyotas, etc.  They teach *automobiles*.

What we should be focusing on is the *concept* of word processing.  Same 
with using a spreadsheet--any spreadsheet, or any presentation 
software.  I don't want kids only being able to use Microsoft products; 
they're no good to me in my shop, and I won't--and can't--hire them.  
Several educators have found that, when children are exposed to multiple 
implementations of the same concept, they get that concept a whole lot 
better.  I have found that to be true of myself even to this day.

Schools do not have the same goals as corporations.  Corporations care 
strictly and only about the bottom line for shareholders.  The mission 
of schools, by contrast, is to get a young mind to develop and open up 
to new ideas.  K12 schools are not Voc-Tech institutes like ITT.  
They're centers of general mental development, teaching children of all 
ages how to learn.  Am I opposed to children learning about Microsoft 
Windows and Office?  Not really.  Am I opposed to children learning 
about *ONLY* Microsoft Windows and Office?  Yes!

If you think I'm wrong here, then, one corporate person to another, I'd 
like to know your thoughts.

--TP

KJ wrote:

> I hate to say this, but the business teachers are right <duck>.
> <slowly lifts head back up> Now before anyone kicks me off the list, 
> let me explain and give a quick anecdote.  I spend 98% of my working 
> time consulting with companies in the manufacturing sector, mostly $50 
> million/year and smaller (US dollars).  M$ is the defacto standard.  
> However, I have found some very good and interesting uses for OSS 
> (mostly Linux) in the backoffice.  One of my clients has saved his 
> small company somewhere between $150,000 and $200,000 (US) in 
> licensing fees by installing Linux/Samba/Winbind servers to handle 
> file storage.  I think this is a fantastic idea AND it shows 
> management that IT really does care and wants to help save where they 
> can, AND that OSS is stable and ready for the "big time".  I realize 
> that I'm probably speaking to the proverbial choir, but I had to toss 
> in my coins.
> best to all,
> KJ
>
> Jason wrote:
>
>> The business teachers seemed convinced that M$ is the status-quo when 
>> I think they should be exploring other operating systems.
>
>
>
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