[K12OSN] Making K12LTSP 'school friendly'

[Les Mikesell]

On Thu, 2005-02-10 at 17:51, "Terrell Prudé, Jr." wrote:

> Actually, that was my original argument.  What's wrong with books, 
> pencil, and paper, and why is there such stiff opposition to their use 
> when they work so well?  I just don't see the justification for blowing 
> all that dough on Reader Rabbit, the Windows license required to run it, 
> the technician's time to constantly clean/disinfect/repair/reimage the 
> thing (times how many boxes in your school), and the constant threat of 
> a BSA audit, requiring staff to spend time maintaining all those 
> licenses.  I simply don't see the cost/benefit argument for that when 
> the combination of K12LTSP and actual books/pencils/paper works so well 
> for actually educating children.
> 
> Given my above argument, can you enlighten me as to why Windows-only 
> programs like Reader Rabbit make sense in a school?  If you can refute 
> what I've presented, I will, going forward, actively support Reader 
> Rabbit, etc.  In any case, I'm quite willing to listen.

I think the best argument for programs like that is that they are
more fun than flash cards, so it boils down to how much money and
effort you are willing to expend to have a good time.  If the answer
turns out to be 'none', you'll probably have a pretty unpleasant
environment.  One the other hand, being tied to any specific program,
hardware, or operating system is a bad thing for reasons covered
earlier - but it is also bad to not have a choice to use them.

How much does this issue come up in 'all Mac' schools? 

-- 
  Les Mikesell
   les at futuresource.com