[plug] suggestion: PLUG 4 Schools

[Jacqueline McNally]

>Brian wrote:
>Ironically, real improvements in LT ("Learning Techonolgies" for those not
>associated with teachers or the e-Chalk list) can only be achieved with LT..
>and that input will have to come from external to the Education System and
>in a way that the system will understand.

I am on the ECHALK list :) I joined because my Mam is a pre-primary teacher 
and not into computer stuff, but has two computers in her room. One donated 
by the pre-primary parents and another one that has recently turned up 
sourced by the school, because the donated computer for the children could 
not be networked with the school.

I also checked the donated computer because my Mam was experiencing 
difficulty running an assessment programme as required by the DOE for two 
classrooms. As an aside, I was horrified that this information was on a 
computer that was played on by the children and that the programme crashed.

I have assisted some teachers to use their computers, and even attended 
some PD days with my Mam. The couple of PD days that I have attended have 
been absolutely useless for my Mam and other teachers. The presenters 
assume knowledge and skills that the teachers do not have or wish to 
pursue. Very few adults like to admit that they cannot do something, and 
often they do not have the computer or specific application on which to 
practise at school or at home. And like my Mam, most teachers want to be 
able to use the computer as a teaching aid, they are not interested in 
computers for any other reason.

I think training and support will be crucial to the success of the project 
that you have identified. It is made the more difficult, because you are 
already dealing with a great number of teachers who do not know (or care) 
that Linux is not anymore difficult than Windows, just that they are 
finding computers difficult and it is something else they have to do that 
does not involve being in the classroom teaching.

All the best
Jacqueline
http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/users/zenryaku/

Community Contact, Australia/New Zealand
OpenOffice.org Marketing Project
(www.openoffice.org)

Are you a computer angel? (www.ca.asn.au)