2008/12/8 Ros Meadows <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ros.meadows@gmail.com">ros.meadows@gmail.com</a>></span><br><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
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<font face="Calibri">I am sorry if I started a bonfire!<br>
>From reading everyone's posts, there are obviously very varying
opinions.<br>
<br>
Ultimately you only need to look at what Roland has achieved at
Westall, in a school which is not rich (in monetary terms), and must
deal with the same security issues as the rest of us. Yet given the
opportunity to adopt a new idea, application or online website, Roland
does not question with "Will this work? "What is the educational value
of this?" "Will this compromise the security of my system?" or "will
this be adopted by students and/or staff?"<br>
<br>
No, he thinks "that would be cool" and therefore dives headfirst into
the latest and greatest "stuff" on offer, giving his students and staff
choices in what operating system, software, search engine and online
apps they use.<br>
<br>
I admire and envy you so much Roland - you create more educational
opportunities for your students by giving them more options, than other
schools who have so many more (financial) resources.<br>
<br>
Someone said to me at the conference 'Microsoft, the drug dealers of
the software kingdom - "your first hit is on us kiddies"' - and so our
kids pirate MS software so they can have it at home, because they think
they need it, but can't afford it - not good! Show them there are legal
and free alternatives such as Google docs or Open Office and they won't
be guilty of software piracy!!<br>
<br>
Cheers<br><font color="#888888">
Ros<br>
</font></font><div><div></div><div class="Wj3C7c"><br>
</div></div></div></blockquote></div>I agree - three cheers for Roland.<br>
Great stuff<br>Peter<br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Free and Open education for all<br><br>Peter Ruwoldt<br>Grant High School<br>Hosking Avenue<br>MOUNT GAMBIER SA 5290<br><br>P. 08 87263128<br>F. 08 87250173<br><br><a href="mailto:ruwoldtp@granths.sa.edu.au">ruwoldtp@granths.sa.edu.au</a><br>
<a href="http://www.watiwara.com">http://www.watiwara.com</a><br>