iSean

Ubuntu is going just swell. the biggest annoyance of switching over is that i didn’t have all of my bookmarks and i had to set up my mail account in evolution mail . . . and none of my contacts were there. this stuff is no different than getting a new computer. if i had wanted, i probably could have exported my contacts and imported them into my new email. and, i could do the same thing in Firefox. as annoying as it was to not have that stuff, starting from scratch gave me a chance to cut the fat. my kids have used it and they have no clue that they’re not even using a Mac . . . it’s just a computer and it’s doing what they want it to do.

in other news, i borrowed a netbook — ASUS Eee PC running linux. this is a small little machine at 8.9″. i was borrowing it to see if i wanted one. i used it for about 10 minutes and realized that this is not the machine for me. i am not a big guy by any stretch, but this tiny keyboard is nearly impossible for me to use. i can’t make it more than 2 words or so without a typo. the keys are just too tiny. i gave it to my kids and my 7 year old son just absolutely loves it. perhaps this would be a way for schools to save money??? at least in elementary schools while the hands are still small.

i have been a strong proponent of having schools switch to open source over using Macs or PCs. the money saved on operating systems for each computer in a building would be significant and then add the software like Open Office versus MS Office. switch the whole district and our tax dollars can start going towards other academic pursuits. i started writing a letter to the editor of our local newspaper about this very topic today when i realized that i’ve only fiddled with Ubuntu from time to time, but i’ve never really made it my working operating system. i thought i should be able to speak from experience. so tomorrow i am switching to Ubuntu and using it for a whole month on my Macbook (via Parallels). i am already exploring some extra apps to add to Ubuntu to make my experience more enjoyable. once i use it for a month then i’ll feel much more confident in making the recommendation to area schools . . . even though i know of schools that have done it successfully already.

so, now that Obama is going to be president, what does that mean for those of us in educational technology? i had to search through many archives to find him address technology in the classroom and came across this:

“Without a workforce trained in math, science, and technology, and the other skills of the 21st century, our companies will innovate less, our economy will grow less, and our nation will be less competitive. If we want to out-compete the world tomorrow, we must out-educate the world today,” Obama said.

He added: “While technology has transformed just about every aspect of our lives–from the way we travel, to the way we communicate, to the way we look after our health–one of the places where we’ve failed to seize its full potential is in the classroom.

“Imagine a future where our children are more motivated because they aren’t just learning on blackboards, but on new whiteboards with digital touch screens; where every student in a classroom has a laptop at [his or her] desk; where [students] don’t just do book reports but design PowerPoint presentations; where they don’t just write papers, but they build web sites; where research isn’t done just by taking a book out of the library, but by eMailing experts in the field; and where teachers are less a source of knowledge than a coach for how best to use it and obtain knowledge. By fostering innovation, we can help make sure every school in America is a school of the future.

“And that’s what we’re going to do when I’m president. We will help schools integrate technology into their curriculum, so we can make sure public school students are fluent in the digital language of the 21st-century economy. We’ll teach our students not only math and science, but teamwork and critical thinking and communication skills, because that’s how we’ll make sure they’re prepared for today’s workplace.”

this is encouraging. this was said back September. as we all know, much has happened since September and there are MANY priorities that supersede educational technology . . . as if it was ever a priority. sigh. but eventually the stimulus packages will pass, the various appointments will be made, and the Iraq war will be addressed. perhaps some of these campaign promises will come to fruition. we can hope, eh? i certainly hope that our national educational efforts begin to realize the importance of information literacy in today’s economy. we continue to focus our big attention on the core subjects like math and English and science, etc. as these are what the No Child Left Behind tests in various states are measuring. however, knowledge workers (including teachers) are often required to use skills beyond the core subjects. for example, a teacher might find effective supplementary lesson materials via an online search. having a teaching workforce that is information literate is crucial to even begin thinking about bringing our students up to a proficiency level that is adequate for the future. i’ll be keeping a close eye on the progression of educational technology efforts from Obama, congress, and the Department of Education. in the meantime, you can share your feedback , advice, and concerns here.