Changes

A [http://wubi-installer.org/ wubi] like dual boot option at startup with a simple downloader tool that pulls the needed Sugar parts onto the harddrive so that those who have old Windows machines can pull a Wubi like Sugar install and walk away while it does its thing... SoaS is a great idea but way too labor intensive (and temperamental in my experience) for anyone thinking big like 30+ machines old Windows machines, which by the way are cheap and widely available. And, as noted on the IRC, USB sticks are notoriously temperamental and prone to corruption.  

A [http://wubi-installer.org/ wubi] like dual boot option at startup with a simple downloader tool that pulls the needed Sugar parts onto the harddrive so that those who have old Windows machines can pull a Wubi like Sugar install and walk away while it does its thing... SoaS is a great idea but way too labor intensive (and temperamental in my experience) for anyone thinking big like 30+ machines old Windows machines, which by the way are cheap and widely available. And, as noted on the IRC, USB sticks are notoriously temperamental and prone to corruption.  

I can hear the students now... "My USB stick ate my homework!" And then the parents start calling. And the administrators get involved... no teacher wants those kinds of variables in their class and will actively work against such chaos. There's chaos enough in the classroom without malfunctioning technology... right?

I can hear the students now... "My USB stick ate my homework!" And then the parents start calling. And the administrators get involved... no teacher wants those kinds of variables in their class and will actively work against such chaos. There's chaos enough in the classroom without malfunctioning technology... right? Work some tech magic, if there is an internet connection then [http://www.samba.org/rsync/ rsync] or whatever the students' last changed work. Google Gears? Some other subscription animal? Make that an option... bluetooth it where possible into common file names. Something, anything, to back up the student work as grades are riding on that work... and parents and administrators go BALLISTIC/POSTAL when a student gets a bad grade because they didn't turn 'in their work because the XYZ techno system didn't work'. I've been at the front of a few of those blasts and its enough to want to quit teaching... who needs the hassle? Again, this is why computers have not been embraced in the classroom. Too many variables not enough reason to introduce all of this chaos, the costs out weigh the benefits.

The ideal school computer set up <b>minimizes</b> variables. Go run one for awhile, talk to a public school administrator... you'll know/hear what I'm talking about. Noone willingly creates more work for themselves unless they see it saves gobs of energy or time elsewhere... SoaS doesn't offer that yet, IMHO.

Go run a working school computer lab one for awhile, talk to a public school administrator... you'll know/hear what I'm talking about. Noone willingly creates more work for themselves unless they see it saves gobs of energy or time elsewhere or blows test scores out of the water... SoaS doesn't offer any of that yet, IMHO.

 

The ideal school computer set up is easy to install,<b>minimizes</b> variables, and maximizes ease of use and power.  

--[[User:Dennis Daniels|Dennis Daniels]] 15:36, 4 August 2009 (UTC)

--[[User:Dennis Daniels|Dennis Daniels]] 15:36, 4 August 2009 (UTC)