From d2f50f27097b2a5a3e873cc5c7ef8ccdc4ce8cd8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Jonas Smedegaard Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2016 13:45:40 +0530 Subject: Notes on IT@school meeting. --- blends/india2015.da.po | 8 ++--- blends/india2015.mdwn | 2 +- blends/it-at-school.mdwn | 89 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3 files changed, 94 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) create mode 100644 blends/it-at-school.mdwn (limited to 'blends') diff --git a/blends/india2015.da.po b/blends/india2015.da.po index 50d4aa0..5e90c13 100644 --- a/blends/india2015.da.po +++ b/blends/india2015.da.po @@ -85,12 +85,12 @@ msgid "SWECHA OS" msgstr "SWECHA OS" #. type: Bullet: '* ' -msgid "BOSS Linux" -msgstr "BOSS Linux" +msgid "[[IT@School|it-at-school]]" +msgstr "[[IT@School|it-at-school]]" #. type: Bullet: '* ' -msgid "IT@School" -msgstr "IT@School" +msgid "BOSS Linux" +msgstr "BOSS Linux" #. type: Plain text msgid "Thanks to the organizations and individuals hosting us on our journey." diff --git a/blends/india2015.mdwn b/blends/india2015.mdwn index 709b83f..d0ff456 100644 --- a/blends/india2015.mdwn +++ b/blends/india2015.mdwn @@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ Distributions we will look into - some more detailed than others - include... * [[Hamara Linux|hamara]] * NepaLinux * SWECHA OS +* [[IT@School|it-at-school]] * BOSS Linux -* IT@School Thanks to the organizations and individuals hosting us on our journey. diff --git a/blends/it-at-school.mdwn b/blends/it-at-school.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8c8879f --- /dev/null +++ b/blends/it-at-school.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,89 @@ +# IT@school + +[[!meta date="2016-01-21"]] +[[!tag debian blog]] + +Siri and I are on a journey through India and Nepal, +with the aim of learning about needs of Debian derivatives, +to improve Debian and encourage closer integration. + + +## Distribution + +IT@school is a distribution originally based on Debian, +later rebased on Ubuntu. + +Next release will possibly again be a direct derivative of Debian, +or maybe even - time will tell - a [Debian pure blend][blend]. + +[blend]: + "Debian Pure Blend - subset of Debian configured for a target group" + + +## Aim is education + +As its name indicates, IT@school is targeted at schools: +The system is used in 8th - 10th grades +of most (or all?) public primary schools in Kerala, + +Together with [KEK][] members Anto and Fayad, +Siri and I met with former and current key participants in the project +where we learned about its history and current status, +and discussed some differences between Ubuntu and Debian. + +IT@school has a strong emphasis on the educational aspect, +arguably setting it apart from Skolelinux/DebianEdu +which emphasizes the technical aspect of relieving teachers from admin tasks. +In the early years of deployment +the project faced many hardware issues +- e.g. in getting sound cards to work. +This was seen not as problems +but as beneficial learning for the teachers facing those issues. + +Kerala public school system has set the standard for other states in India, +but sadly political support within the state has been weak in recent years. +It is hoped that next election - this April - will bring a positive change. + +[KEK]: + "Hackerspace KEK - കോവളം എഴുത്തു കളരി (Kovalam Ezhuthu Kalari)" + + +## School book + +IT@school is accompagnied by a school book +written specifically for use of the included tools. + +No explicit license is applied to the book +(which means it defaults to classic copyright). +Possibly it will get Creative Commons licensed. + +If the school book gets a DFSG-free license, +several collaboration opportunities emerge: + +Currently the book is drafted in LibreOffice +but then - due to state procedures - finalized with PageMaker. +Would be interesting to setup an alternate process +using only Free tools - either with Scribus or XeLaTeX. +An important detail here +is to ensure that the process supports malayalam script. + +## Curriculum + +Work is in progress mapping FLOSS tools to the state curriculum. +I recommended to share that work publicly with a Free license, +to encourage comparisons across countries, +and invite collaboration e.g. with Skolelunux/DebianEdu. + +## Blend for SBCs + +Some Kerala higher education schools (sorry, don't remember which) +have bought some thousands of RaspberryPi2. +I suggested to create a Debian Blend for SBCs (Single Board Computers) +- we will see what comes of that idea... + +## Blend for education + +I also suggested to make a Debian blend around IT@school distribution itself, +with its strong focus on educational content +- i.e. not just as addon to technical tools +but the primary purpose pulling in tools as needed. -- cgit v1.2.3