Re: Software

On Thursday 11 April 2002 08:53 am, you wrote:
> On Thursday 11 April 2002 01:30 am, Lance Lane wrote:
> > I am a teacher on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona.  We have the same
> > story in that most of our teachers are scared of computers and can't work

>
> Desktop Apps on Linux
> This seems to go back to the old line of Linux makes a great server, but
> what else can it do?  KDE and GNOME have made some pretty impressive
> strides, but both lack the apps you're talking about(specifically school
> oriented.  KDE's Edutainment stuff is pretty darned nifty though.  I don't
> believe GNOME has an equivalent (I could be wrong, please don't flame me!
> :-)   The page www.edu.kde.org has the info from the world according to K.
>

Andrew I will answer your questions line by line:


> Questions
> 1. What would Standards based grading be exactly?  Are you referring to a
> standardized method for calculating grades?  We could address this with
> templates for KOffice and Open Office.  What would these standards be?

AN:  I am referring to Academic State Standards per Subject.  The ability to 
import your state standards into the gradebook and produce a rubric to be 
graded for each standard.  www.media-x.com produces a gradebook that can 
transfer information to a palm using a desktop base program (Based in 
Filemaker Pro)


> 2. Lesson Planning.  There are some project management tools for GNOME, but
> I don't know of any true lesson plan apps.  If one is developed it should
> be able to output to HTML.
> 3.  I'm not sure computers will help teachers communicate with parents
> unless they have computers and can get e-mail.  :-)

AN: Actually I am talking about a program that can produce forms from 
information from the gradebook on whether or not their student is meeting the 
state standard in a subject. A Progress report.  However,  some parent's do 
want e-mail notification on their childs progress.  Part of our school is a 
boarding school and many parents work hundreds of miles away and we can 
communitcate by e-mail.


>
> What language would be ideal for use in schools?  At Georgia Tech they use
> a non-language nicknamed Russ-cal after the guy who "invented" it. 
> Although, there are a couple of compilers out there now I think.  Anywho,
> what language should be taught in school.  Russ-cal is very simplistic
> (read: unlike C).  I think an interpreted language like Python on Perl
> would be best.  But, that's just my opinion.


AN: Me too.

>
> On the edu.kde.org site there are links to topic based programs.  What do
> you think is missing?


I think what I am looking for in particular is "decision making software".  I 
have used AGE OF EMPIRES and Civilization in class.  What I would like 
personally would be a program that puts students into historical situations 
and roles and let them try to make alternative choices:  Example:  Decision 
for Truman - Do we drop the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  What 
alternatives do we have?
>
>
> Oh yeah, if you don't have it, download KDE 3.  I finally got around to it
> last night and it rocks!
>
> Peace
> --andy

-- 
To unsubscribe, email: suse-schools-usa-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxx
For additional commands, email: suse-schools-usa-help@xxxxxxxx
For help, email: suse-schools-usa-owner@xxxxxxxx