Re: [Fsfe-uk] Pointers / help needed, please

[Clive Menzies]

On (14/05/06 20:41), Ian Lynch wrote:
> On Sun, 2006-05-14 at 17:30 +0100, Simon wrote:
> > Been a while since I posted here. My last post was about a
> > Linux/Computer club I was going to start in the secondary school I teach
> > ICT at. Been going very well. Thanks for the help.
> > 
> > I keep going on about Linux & FLOSS at school. The school has now been
> > granted ICT & Math Specialist Status and intends to spend a day next
> > month celebrating this. My Head of Dept, (ICT) has asked me to come up
> > with an idea for entertaining about 50 year 10s (14 - 15 year old) for
> > about 1hr - 1 1/2hr with "something to do with Linux". HELP!!! He wants
> > to show the kids that there is more out there that WinXP (as if he knows
> > any better $¬[)
> 
> First, are you a member of Schoolforge UK? www.schoolforge.org.uk. If
> not that would probably be a better place to ask since its the
> definitive place for those interested in free software in schools. 
> > 
> > We have a small budget available, almost unlimited support, a shed load
> > of WinXP boxes (bolted down by RM but possible to boot to a "Live CD")
> > and a cupboard full of our old Win'98 machines. I can do what I want
> > with them (within reason), but time is the major player for me.
> > 
> > Any suggestions would be very gratefully received.
> 
> You could give them the criteria from part of the Gold INGOT "setting up
> and managing computers". Gold INGOT will become a L2 VRQ next year if my
> current efforts with QCA keep on track so it will provide the equivalent
> of a GCSE in IT. Here are the criteria
> 
> I can install an operating system on a computer and get it working on a
> network.
> 
> I can install Office software applications on a computer and configure
> them appropriately for the particular environment.
> 
> I understand the need for regular back ups and how backup strategies
> work.
> 
> I can repair a computer with a simple hardware fault by swapping
> components.
> 
> 
> Get them in groups of say 4 to a windows 98 computer and show them how
> to install a linux distro. That hits most of the criteria :-)
> 

Good luck Simon and all power to you :) 

> Here is a story from Japan. See if they can see any parallels with the
> IT industry. Ask over at Schoolforge, they might have some better ideas.
> 
> A long time ago, there was a tree in a field close to a village
> This tree bore a lot of delicious fruit
> 
> The villagers harvested all the fruit because of its delicious taste
> 
> Many people liked the fruit so much that they would cut a branch off the
> tree and take it home
> 
> This was too much for the tree and it died after a short time.
> 
> In the village there was a clever merchant
> 
> He took a cutting from the tree before it died
> 
> He fertilised his cutting and produced a new tree, nurturing it and
> making sure it was strong and healthy. This took many years but he
> thought is was a worthwhile thing to do.
> 
> Then the tree bore fruit and he sold it and made a lot of money. 
> 
> But he was a real worrier and so he built a fence around the tree and
> guarded it day and night.
> 
> The merchant was not only a worrier, he was also a hard worker and his
> care of the tree made the fruit even more delicious so more and more
> people bought it. They made jam from the fruit and sold it.
> 
> The merchant had the only tree that had fruit good enough to make jam
> and so all the people who made jam had to buy their fruit from the
> merchant. This made the merchant less careful and his tree became
> infested with parasites.
> 
> When people said to him there are many worm holes in the tree he would
> not hear of it and said "the fruit is cheap, stop complaining".
> When asked if he used any harmful fertilisers he replied that it was a
> company secret and he would not answer the question.
> When another merchant asked to buy a branch from the tree he replied he
> did not want competitors and refused to sell.
> 
> More and more people bought the fruit, selling to others, making jam and
> the merchant became the richest man the village had ever seen.
> 
> The merchant increased the price of the fruit to make as much money as
> he could even though the price of other food was going down. He could do
> this because he had the only tree that made fruit suitable for making
> jam. 
> 
> A young man in the village who loved fruit was poor and could no longer
> afford the high price. So he found another tree that bore fruit but the
> fruit was sour and not good for making jam. The tree was older and had
> been neglected but the young man looked after it and over the years it
> became healthy and strong. He invited his friends to help and soon they
> had more fruit than they needed. 
> 
> They put a sign by their tree which said "Free Fruit" 
> Some people just took the fruit but some also helped to maintain the
> tree. The young man and his friends didn't mind because they had all the
> fruit they needed and enjoyed helping the tree grow.
> 
> More people came to help because they liked what the young man and his
> friends had done and understood that this tree would not die like the
> first one and the fruit was getting better and better all the time.
> 
> Soon there were more people wanting fruit than this tree could sustain
> so the young man let people take cuttings to grow their own fruit trees
> as long as they put the free sign next to their tree. The villagers paid
> the young man and his friends for advice on how to grow good trees and
> the young man and his friends were no longer poor.
> 
> All the fruit from these trees had the same delicious flavour as the
> fruit from the young man's tree but there were subtle differences that
> gave the people more choice and variety for making their jam. The people
> shared their ideas for improving their trees and there were no parasites
> so the trees grew strong and the fruit got better and better. The fruit
> became the most popular in the village and was used to make a rich
> variety of jams that people bought and sold throughout the village.
> 
> The villagers started to sell their fruit and jam to far off places and
> they were happy and content. The young man and his friends were pleased
> and continued to maintain the original tree because they really enjoyed
> their work and their help and advice was in big demand.
> 
> So what of the first merchant that did not share his tree? At first he
> tried to discredit the young man and his friends saying that their fruit
> was no good. If it was any good he would not be giving it freely to
> others. But eventually the villagers stopped buying his fruit so he had
> to change. At first he found it very difficult to be more open and share
> his tree and fruit but eventually he did and he still made enough money
> to keep his family. In the end there was no difference between the young
> man and his friends and the merchant. They all made money from providing
> advice on their trees and their fruit and the people enjoyed the best
> variety of fruit and jam that they could imagine.
> 
> Everyone lived happily ever after.
> 
Great story Ian, do you mind if I use this on my site?

Regards

Clive

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