Teacher Confiscates Linux Discs, Claims There is No Free Software- Switched I'm sorry, but you can't really be this stupid and get a teaching degree..... can you?
Read the follow up: http://linuxlock.blogspot.com/2008/12/character-assasinations-aint-us.html Though it's the comments that worry me. Assuming no software can be free is a scarily widespread misconception.
But a disruptive student isn't a story... A straw poll in any school in the UK or USA will find you a majority of staff who've never heard of Linux. A straw poll on any forum will find a majority who take their first impression of a story as fact without thinking or looking for any other data. They are the sadder group.
Is that directed at me? If so, I'm referring to her massive generalization of "there is no such thing as free software". Nothing else.
They dont teach you linux in teaching school, and you dont find out about linux unless you are contemplating what many options you have for your next operating system! Most people don't care that much.
why on earth would you expect her to know anything about linux?? If the story had been about and teacher that tough computing or IT, then i would have been surprised.
Unfortunately the head of our school has twigged on to the fact that Linux is 'free' and wants it on Netbooks as a cheap way of expanding our network. He, doesn't really understand the differences between it and Windows, only the difference in price. I have nothing against Linux, but Netbooks (eee701)+Linux on a Windows (RM CC3) network as a cost cutting exercise? They'll want to run all the same software on the 701 as well; so that's Photoshop, FrontPage (>.<), et al.
Actually i think teaching kids that there's no such thing as a free <anything> is a very wise lesson. In that respect, open source software is very unique. Usually giveaways like that are bad, especially in the schoolyard. So from my viewpoint: kudos for initial reaction. The teacher overreacted though, she should have at the very least investigated what it was that was on the disks. Legal or illegal, as a teacher you need to know what's going on.
Exactly, what she did at first is precisely what she should do. But she is supposed to be teaching kids to think, to not even bother having a quick search as to what this was before going of on one at the maintainer is pretty much what i've come to expect from the education system which teaches kids how to sit exams and learn by rote but now how to apply what they have learned.
how the hell does one run photoshop on a 701? The head of your school is an idiot, the 701 or any small screen eee (the 10 inch one is relatively more comfortable and better to use over long periods of time) is nothing more than a internet browsing and internet messaging computer.
