February 15, 2009 at 00:53The fate of Linux in schools. Personal opinion of the teacher.
Good afternoon. More than a year has already passed since the memorable speech of Dmitry A. Medvedev regarding the transfer of schools to a freely distributed software product. The mechanisms of the state machine habitually spun and the process began ... But, as always, in isolation from real life. THOSE. Funds, corporations, information resources are being created, but schools do not know about them, and thank God.
Of course, there are results. And the main positive result can be called, if not strange, the activation of MS in the Russian segment. Huge work has been done to localize and promote MS products, very liberal licenses have been created and distributed, and there is a competent propaganda of solutions from MS. And, in general, if we exclude various semi-corrupt promotion schemes, all this activity deserves respect and praise. For example, the Russified Visual Studio made me doubt the usual “MS - Mazdai”. And, most likely, Russification was made with an eye on education - professionals will prefer the English interface.
And what about Linux?
First of all, it should be noted Alt Linux confidently ahead of competitors in the fight against the state feed. My first acquaintance and the first disappointment in Linux is connected with this company. The second way, too. And since the distance between them is about 5 years, I decided on the third experiment only after I found out that the project “ACT to schools” is supervised by this particular company. The result is the same. Of course, I downloaded the younger version for the weakest computers, but the design is generally below all criticism, with all the discounts on the flaw of my hardware. This is not even the embodiment of the thesis “Linux is dull crap”, it’s its apotheosis. Acquaintance begins with a huge rectangle crookedly placed on the screen to enter a login and password. The design is zero, the color scheme is disgusting (IMHO). Of course, older versions with KDE should be better, but than to make the system a BAD system for weak machines, it is better to completely abandon their support. The schoolboy focuses not on functionality, but on the interface. And scaring him away once in the second game doesn’t lure him.
Mandriva is my long affection. Qualitatively made product. Support for educational purposes in Russia, as I understand it, was undertaken by enthusiasts. And successfully.
Ubuntu. It is represented in the Russian segment by two companies.
For a long time I could not install it because of the default installation method - via Live-SD. Iron, I repeat, is weak. Especially since the initial design I was not particularly impressed. But the Infra-Linux alternative boot solution allowed me to reconsider. The design is amazing (in my unprofessional and not very spoiled look). But at work, the system didn’t become on more powerful machines than at home — it just didn’t boot from the CD and that’s it.
On this, my acquaintance with Linux systems is limited, but let me conclude on this modest basis - schools will not accept Linux. Why?
Schools are formally (according to the curriculum) interested in 2 things.
1. High-quality office package for the subject "Information Technology".
2. Pascal / BASIC programming system to choose from. With a quality development environment. (For the subject of computer science).
This is enough, and Linux and Windows can provide all this.
But in order to force teachers to switch from a familiar environment to another, it is necessary to offer a worthy alternative. + A lot of literature + approximate lesson planning, lecture notes, etc., etc. Otherwise, simply after the expiration of the Free Computer Assistance term, money will be collected from the parent committee, the Academician will buy a license and everything will go on the track.
In general, in order to overcome Inertia, an Impulse is needed. And I do not see any prerequisites for such an Impulse.
From the discussion I expect that someone will convince me.
This is the first. And secondly, I want to propose a solution, but for now I am shy, as you probably understood, and I have not enough experience and status in Linux.
PS Habr already that, and I, not IT specialist, I feel on it not absolutely comfortable. So if something goes wrong, please do not judge strictly. I just want to hear a discussion of this issue from experts.
Of course, there are results. And the main positive result can be called, if not strange, the activation of MS in the Russian segment. Huge work has been done to localize and promote MS products, very liberal licenses have been created and distributed, and there is a competent propaganda of solutions from MS. And, in general, if we exclude various semi-corrupt promotion schemes, all this activity deserves respect and praise. For example, the Russified Visual Studio made me doubt the usual “MS - Mazdai”. And, most likely, Russification was made with an eye on education - professionals will prefer the English interface.
And what about Linux?
First of all, it should be noted Alt Linux confidently ahead of competitors in the fight against the state feed. My first acquaintance and the first disappointment in Linux is connected with this company. The second way, too. And since the distance between them is about 5 years, I decided on the third experiment only after I found out that the project “ACT to schools” is supervised by this particular company. The result is the same. Of course, I downloaded the younger version for the weakest computers, but the design is generally below all criticism, with all the discounts on the flaw of my hardware. This is not even the embodiment of the thesis “Linux is dull crap”, it’s its apotheosis. Acquaintance begins with a huge rectangle crookedly placed on the screen to enter a login and password. The design is zero, the color scheme is disgusting (IMHO). Of course, older versions with KDE should be better, but than to make the system a BAD system for weak machines, it is better to completely abandon their support. The schoolboy focuses not on functionality, but on the interface. And scaring him away once in the second game doesn’t lure him.
Mandriva is my long affection. Qualitatively made product. Support for educational purposes in Russia, as I understand it, was undertaken by enthusiasts. And successfully.
Ubuntu. It is represented in the Russian segment by two companies.
For a long time I could not install it because of the default installation method - via Live-SD. Iron, I repeat, is weak. Especially since the initial design I was not particularly impressed. But the Infra-Linux alternative boot solution allowed me to reconsider. The design is amazing (in my unprofessional and not very spoiled look). But at work, the system didn’t become on more powerful machines than at home — it just didn’t boot from the CD and that’s it.
On this, my acquaintance with Linux systems is limited, but let me conclude on this modest basis - schools will not accept Linux. Why?
Schools are formally (according to the curriculum) interested in 2 things.
1. High-quality office package for the subject "Information Technology".
2. Pascal / BASIC programming system to choose from. With a quality development environment. (For the subject of computer science).
This is enough, and Linux and Windows can provide all this.
But in order to force teachers to switch from a familiar environment to another, it is necessary to offer a worthy alternative. + A lot of literature + approximate lesson planning, lecture notes, etc., etc. Otherwise, simply after the expiration of the Free Computer Assistance term, money will be collected from the parent committee, the Academician will buy a license and everything will go on the track.
In general, in order to overcome Inertia, an Impulse is needed. And I do not see any prerequisites for such an Impulse.
From the discussion I expect that someone will convince me.
This is the first. And secondly, I want to propose a solution, but for now I am shy, as you probably understood, and I have not enough experience and status in Linux.
PS Habr already that, and I, not IT specialist, I feel on it not absolutely comfortable. So if something goes wrong, please do not judge strictly. I just want to hear a discussion of this issue from experts.