Subj : Re: WinXP
To   : JAY EMRIE
From : Alan Zisman
Date : Tue Sep 06 2005 10:02 am

-=> JAY EMRIE wrote to ALAN ZISMAN <=-

 JE> Some cut--------------------

 AZ> JE> The above is all well and good, but what are these kids that are
 AZ> JE> exposed to Ubuntu/Linux going to do when they get out in the real 
world
 AZ> JE> where Windows it more than 90% of the OSs in use?

 AZ>I don't see that as a major issue... the same complaint is sometimes raised
 AZ>about schools using Macs. But elementary school (where I teach) isn't like
 AZ>vocational training... I want them to learn generalizable skills-- 
keyboardin
 JE> g,
 AZ>efficient web searching, how to create an on-screen presentation that they 
ca
 JE> n
 AZ>talk about, etc.

 AZ>Once they learn those skills, they can apply them to any computer platform, 
a
 JE> nd
 AZ>any software package. There's not the same need need to use systems and
 AZ>software versions that are identical to what they will be using on the job.

 AZ>After all, I'm using Win98SE and OpenOffice... most of these kids have 
(sorry

 AZ>Charles A), WinXP and MS Office at home-- and they handle those transitions
 AZ>without too much problem.

 AZ>And it will be anywhere from 8-15 years before any of the kids I'm teaching 
a
 JE> re
 AZ>in the workforce... who knows what sorts of computer operating systems and
 AZ>applications they will be using?

 JE> I forgot that you were teaching grade school. I was thinking high
 JE> school. Mea culpa!

THough I would make many of the same arguements (and I taught secondary up 
until my present job, 8 years ago)... It's more important for students to learn 
to apply general principles well-- to produce presentations that offer a clear 
outline of topic and don't overuse eye candy than they learn to use a specific 
version of a specific program.

Powerpoint (to take just one example) has changed so much between versions that 
no matter what version students learn on it will almost certainly be different 
by the time they have to use it in the work force.... and will change during 
the time that they are working with it.

Students can (and should) easily learn to work with a variety of software 
interfaces; that's better training for 'the real world' than becoming overly 
dependent on just one way of doing things.
.... Inet mail to: alan at zisman dot ca
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