FLOSS Your World--It's about free
Description: Receive a hands-on introduction to the collaborative world of free and open source software. You will create and share with others as you learn about free and open source software and learn how the Zeeland district is piloting the use of these tools in classrooms. Leave with a bootable CD packed with educational applications and the Linux Edubuntu operating system.
Presenter: Stephen Braunius, Director of Instructional Technology, Zeeland Public Schools
email: sbrauniu@zps.org
Time: 8:30A-10A
What is FLOSS (Free Libre Open Source Software) a.ka. Open Source software?
- Types of free:
- Food example
- eating out
- recipes
- cooking a steak
- Fun and educational
Why Open Source?
Operating System vs. Applications or Both?
Projects to watch
- LTSP - The Linux Terminal Server Project for thin-client computing
- OLPC - The project to provide laptops for children in third-world countries at $100-$200 a piece
- OpenCD - A project to put installers on a cd for easy browsing and installing of Open Source software
- PortableApps - Many PC open source tools that can be run from a portable usb drive
Macintosh, PC, other
Let's use the software:
- Edubuntu Live CD
- Edubuntu applications of note
- Applications > Accessories
- Applications > Education
- Kalzium: The Period Table kicked up a notch
- Kanagram: Anagram game
- KBruch: Learn calculating with fractions
- Kig: Explore geometric constructions
- KmPlot: Plot functions
- KPercentage: Learn to calculate with percentages
- KStars: Planetarium for your computer
- KTouch: Typing practice
- Kturtle: Logo application
- KVocTrain: An index card replacement for learning words (including foreign language
- Applications > Games
- Atomix: Build molecules (watch the direction of the connectors)
- Educational suite gcompris: Many activities for younger children including reading activities, water cycle, how locks work, puzzles, mathematics (Number Munchers), and more. Use GCompris Administration to customize which activities are a part of the system
- Tux Math: Game like missle command where you solve math problems
- Applications > Graphics
- Applications > Internet
- Applications > Office
- Applications > Sound & Video
- Applications > Add/Remove
- Installing other applications
- Applications > Add/Remove
- System > Administration > Software Sources
- Choose where you want to get software from:
- universe = community maintained
- main = canonical maintained
- multiverse = restricted or licensed software
- restricted = proprietary drivers from companies
- source code = source code for packages
- System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager
- Advanced program install and remove
Play the application finder game!
- Challenge 1: Instant message with a friend
- Challenge 2: Find the mass of Francium
- Challenge 3: Create a 3 slide presentation about the wonders of Open Source software
- Challenge 4: Plot a function on a chart
- Challenge 5: Make a triangle with a turtle
- Challenge 6: Build a methane molecule by playing a game
- Challenge 7: Navigate a boat through locks using a game packed suite
- Challenge 8: Display 78 cents on your screen using a kid-friendly painting program
- Challenge 9: Display the big dipper using a planetarium
- Challenge 10: Calculate a result in a scientific calculator (note: it must be scientific)
Connecting and Collaborating
- Use the software
- Etiquette for participation
- search for answers yourself before asking questions
- check mailing list archives
- search forums and wikis
- use Google
- ask question in the appropriate place
- give feedback to let others know the answer to the question
- help others
- Participate in the community - http://www.edubuntu.org/Community
- mailing lists
- forums
- bug tracking and fixing
- documentation
- wiki
- artwork
- irc - Let's do this
- Applications > Internet > Gaim Internet Messenger (now called Pidgin)
- Add an Account
- change protocol to "IRC"
- Buddies > Join a chat > enter in #edubuntu
- Click on the #edubuntu tab and start chatting
- money
- advocate
Question: You have just learned that the school district in your community is facing major budget cuts. As a parent volunteer who is an open source advocate, you need to outline 5 software packages that will have a direct impact on student learning that will also save the district money. Which ones will you recommend and why?
How is Zeeland Public Schools using Open Source software?
- Software available on all computers
- resSt project - we didn't get a chance to talk about this. Here's the summary:
- We are piloting some older computers that are only running Linux on them in 3 classrooms
- fourth grade classroom
- middle school science classroom
- middle school special ed classroom
- The ratio is approximately 2-to-1
- The acronym stands for Reliable Effective Sustainable Student Technology
- So far we have found good success in bringing the technology to our students and making just another tool for the teacher in the classroom. I wish we would have had a chance to share some of the stories from the project
Where to learn more:
http://www.theopencd.org/
http://www.ubuntu.com
http://www.edubuntu.org
http://mirrors.cs.wmich.edu/ubuntu-releases/edubuntu/
http://www.linuxreality.com/ - a podcast for beginners in the world of Linux
Places to find software:
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.