Abarbarian
Acruncher
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2005
- Messages
- 11,023
- Reaction score
- 1,223
Read the following with your adult head on and you will see why I keep going on about Linux.
Penguins in school – Now
Municipality of Noormarkku, Education Services
Principal Esa Kohtamäki
(e-mail address removed)
tel. +358 400 901512
During the last three years, we have improved the computer education we provide and our school
network using open source software and LTSP technology. This has dramatically increased the use and
effectiveness of computers at our school, and we have managed to reduce costs to a fraction of what
they used to be. We have created a website that is open to everyone so that anyone can share the
benefits and contribute to developing the expanding network with other interested people.
Using LTSP technology, we have built a network in our school (500 students and 40 teachers) with
more than 90 remote terminals (i.e., we have achieved the target student-to-computer ratio defined in
the Information Society Programme).
All students and staff members have a personal username and password they can use to access a
personal desktop, home folder (with unrestricted size), e-mail, web, office applications (OpenOffice),
image processing (Gimp) and educational and training software.
As a result, the need for computers has increased so much that we will add another computer room to
the currently existing two computer rooms and one media/library room. Moreover, there is at least one
terminal in each classroom. In other words, computer use has increased dramatically compared to the
time before this project when the computer hardware we had was barely usable. We used to suffer from
recurring software malfunctions, computer instability, excessive size of software and limited funds for
updating hardware and software, pranks by students, etc. As a result, the teachers were increasingly
unwilling to use computers, the computer teacher had to spend his spare time at the school, and the
cost of continuous maintenance was heavy on the schools finances.
Thanks to our development work, however, all this is behind us now.
Today
The computer teacher needs only four weekly hours to maintain and update the school's computers,
train staff and do the same to the 25 computers of the school next door and its staff, too!
We have placed our old computers back in use without needing to invest in updating them. We have
also helped schools in neighbouring municipalities (Pomarkku, Siikainen) to reach the same stage in
development and they have been able to set up their computer rooms simply by acquiring a server
(EUR 2,500) and a low-cost switch. They have hooked up their old computers to the new server at a
very low cost: for example, a new network adapter costs EUR 7.
The Satakuntaliitto, the Regional Council of Satakunta, provided the municipality of Noormarkku with
EUR 42,000 to launch the project. We used the monies to initiate a project to introduce open source
software to Satakunta's schools. We have just recently created a website (www.antarktis.fi) and will add
material during summer. In the autumn we will contact decision-makers and schools in Satakunta to talk
to them about the successes achieved in this project.
[font=arial,sans-serif]Page 4[/font]
4
During this spring, we helped to create corresponding systems in the municipalities of Nauvo, Paimio,
Valkeakoski and Eura. During last year, 28 different groups visited our school to see and learn about
our system. Some of them have already set up a corresponding system in their school (for example in
the new Vitikkala school in Jämsänkoski).
The development project has been largely managed by Alpo Välimaa and Janne Karjanlahti.
Link:
- Antarktis (project site)
- Finpyy school, Noormarkku
Jury's judgement
Drawing upon the local resources, the practice makes efficient use of available software and
existing hardware to serve the needs of the Education Services of the municipality of Noormarkku.
The jury appreciated Noormarkku's active role in publicising the project within the public sector and
the fact that it has also assisted other municipalities in adopting and using the practice.
Penguins in school – Now
Municipality of Noormarkku, Education Services
Principal Esa Kohtamäki
(e-mail address removed)
tel. +358 400 901512
During the last three years, we have improved the computer education we provide and our school
network using open source software and LTSP technology. This has dramatically increased the use and
effectiveness of computers at our school, and we have managed to reduce costs to a fraction of what
they used to be. We have created a website that is open to everyone so that anyone can share the
benefits and contribute to developing the expanding network with other interested people.
Using LTSP technology, we have built a network in our school (500 students and 40 teachers) with
more than 90 remote terminals (i.e., we have achieved the target student-to-computer ratio defined in
the Information Society Programme).
All students and staff members have a personal username and password they can use to access a
personal desktop, home folder (with unrestricted size), e-mail, web, office applications (OpenOffice),
image processing (Gimp) and educational and training software.
As a result, the need for computers has increased so much that we will add another computer room to
the currently existing two computer rooms and one media/library room. Moreover, there is at least one
terminal in each classroom. In other words, computer use has increased dramatically compared to the
time before this project when the computer hardware we had was barely usable. We used to suffer from
recurring software malfunctions, computer instability, excessive size of software and limited funds for
updating hardware and software, pranks by students, etc. As a result, the teachers were increasingly
unwilling to use computers, the computer teacher had to spend his spare time at the school, and the
cost of continuous maintenance was heavy on the schools finances.
Thanks to our development work, however, all this is behind us now.
Today
The computer teacher needs only four weekly hours to maintain and update the school's computers,
train staff and do the same to the 25 computers of the school next door and its staff, too!
We have placed our old computers back in use without needing to invest in updating them. We have
also helped schools in neighbouring municipalities (Pomarkku, Siikainen) to reach the same stage in
development and they have been able to set up their computer rooms simply by acquiring a server
(EUR 2,500) and a low-cost switch. They have hooked up their old computers to the new server at a
very low cost: for example, a new network adapter costs EUR 7.
The Satakuntaliitto, the Regional Council of Satakunta, provided the municipality of Noormarkku with
EUR 42,000 to launch the project. We used the monies to initiate a project to introduce open source
software to Satakunta's schools. We have just recently created a website (www.antarktis.fi) and will add
material during summer. In the autumn we will contact decision-makers and schools in Satakunta to talk
to them about the successes achieved in this project.
[font=arial,sans-serif]Page 4[/font]
4
During this spring, we helped to create corresponding systems in the municipalities of Nauvo, Paimio,
Valkeakoski and Eura. During last year, 28 different groups visited our school to see and learn about
our system. Some of them have already set up a corresponding system in their school (for example in
the new Vitikkala school in Jämsänkoski).
The development project has been largely managed by Alpo Välimaa and Janne Karjanlahti.
Link:
- Antarktis (project site)
- Finpyy school, Noormarkku
Jury's judgement
Drawing upon the local resources, the practice makes efficient use of available software and
existing hardware to serve the needs of the Education Services of the municipality of Noormarkku.
The jury appreciated Noormarkku's active role in publicising the project within the public sector and
the fact that it has also assisted other municipalities in adopting and using the practice.
