Re: SEUL: Introduction

[Douglas Loss <dloss@csrlink.net>]

I forwarded the original message from the seul-pub mailing list and am
replying to it here because it seems clearly to be meant for seul-edu.

>>>DK == David Kirtley <sabecon@sabecon.hiline.net> wrote at Sat, 14 Nov 1998
 17:58:18 -0400 :

>I don't think that a grade book would be the HIGHEST priority for
>computers in education. Different districts and campuses have such varied
>requirements that nobody would be happy anyway.  Better to just have
>available pre-built spreadsheet templates and maybe macros that could do
>as much and more than a specialized gradebook program.
>
You're probably right about the varied requirements, but as so many people
seem to think that having a Linux gradebook is very important I think we'll
keep at it.  I hope we can design it modularly so that many variations can be
 accomodated.  It'd probably be a good idea if we get input from teachers in
many school districts in many countries to see what similarities and
dissimilarities exist.

>First of all is to translate basic howto documentation into simple
>informative tutorial/cookbook references. Anyone read the Monitor-Timing
>How-To lately?  :)
>
Not lately, but it was a Godsend when I had to set up this fixed frequency
monitor I'm now using.  Anyway, isn't that what the Linux Documentation
Project is for?  I'd hate to duplicate efforts, especially when there are so
many unique needs to be met.

>Production of materials to educate the people making the decisions for
>purchases and implimentation of computers in education. Most do not even
>have a decent idea of what computers can or should be able to do in
>education let alone why they should choose linux to do it.
>
This sounds as though it would go along with the Linux Tutor idea, maybe.  At
 any rate, Wayne Earl is currently working on an educational software HOWTO;
that might be the kind of thing you're looking for.  When he posts his alpha
version in a few days (how's that for an off-the-cuff random deadline,
Wayne?) we'll be able to see if it might meet your needs, and if not maybe we
 can come up with something based on it.

>Planning Software such as ical or korganizer modified/hacked to fit
>lesson planning.
>
In an earlier message where I listed all the gradebooks I found on the
internet, I mentioned that two (from ThinkWave Software and EduSolve;
<http://www.thinkwave.com> and <http://www.edusolve.com> respectively) seemed
 to be complete administrative systems.  Could you take a look at them and
let us know if either of them have the elements you're thinking of?  I was
thinking that our gradebook program could benefit from being integrated into
a larger framework.

>Probably until a better protocol is introduced, html based models for
>instructional materials and evaluation/testing allowing for cross-platform
>use of exisiting hardware and software.
>
Bruno Vernier has mentioned the use of XML for these kinds of things (correct
 me when I'm wrong, Bruno, OK?).

>Championing at least another HTML tag to allow ratings of pages to
>disallow inappropriate content. The schools are having to have such
>draconian firewalls and site blocking that you can hardly do anything from
>a school net.
>
But wouldn't that require all the sites that might potentially be visited to
be using the tag?  I'm afraid firewalls and security audits will be with us
for a very long time.  But these aren't specifically educational issues.  I
think we need to focus on a few identifiable needs and work on those for now.
  Once they are well underway we can look into taking on new tasks.

--
Doug Loss            An idealist is one who, on noticing that
dloss@csrlink.net    roses smell better than cabbage, concludes
(717) 326-3987       that they will also make better soup.
                        H. L. Mencken