[K12OSN] Linux cut off

[Robert Arkiletian]

Terrell this is a SOLID and CONCISE argument you have put forward. I was 
so impressed I walked into my VP's office and asked him to read it. He 
read it online and I explained the community support concept of the list 
to him. Well done Terrell!!

Robert Arkiletian


Terrell Prudé, Jr. wrote:

> 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