FLOSSIE Conference 2004

From Schoolforge-UK

Conference Proceedings

The FLOSSIE Conference took place on 18th February, with around 80 people gathered in the Jeffrey Hall at London University's Institute of Education, just off Russell Square.

The links below are to PowerPoint files, which can also be viewed using OpenOffice.org Impress. All the speakers' slides were displayed from a GNU/Linux laptop.

Ranged around three sides of the hall were exhibits FROM The Learning Machine, Parrs Wood Technology College, Hypercube Systems Ltd , TheOpenCD Project, European Electronique, Schoolforge-UK website, NetProject and Addison UK.

Ian Lynch opened proceedings at 10:15

Richard Rothwell, Chairman of Schoolforge-UK, welcomed everyone and gave a brief introduction to FLOSSIE through his experience of the pupil-led initiative to introduce LTSP Thin Clients at Handsworth Grammar School in Birmingham. Richard's slides can be downloaded/viewed by clicking http://www.schoolforge.org.uk/flossie/richard.ppt (23.5 KB)

Richard then introduced Professor David Hargreaves, Chairman of Becta, who delivered the keynote speech on "Innovation and ICT: a personal view". Prof. Hargreaves graphically contrasted various approaches to innovation, leading progressively to his vision of an open source network of schools and teachers that would produce a peer-to-peer system of knowledge management that is decentralised, distributed and disciplined. You can view Prof. Hargeaves' slides at http://www.schoolforge.org.uk/flossie/hargreaves.ppt (345 KB)

Among Prof. Hargeaves' answers to questions, he indicated that the DfES Innovation funds might offer a possible source of money for FLOSSIE projects, if appropriate proposals were put forward.

After coffee, Dougal Gill, Director of East Hull City Learning Centre, gave a talk entitled "GNU/Linux thin clients - a City Learning Centre Perspective". Dougal gave a comprehensive account of the Centre's activities, demonstrating how networked thin clients enable a small number of staff to offer maximum exposure to ICT for the Centre's visitors. Dougal's slides are at http://www.schoolforge.org.uk/flossie/dougal.ppt (1.7 MB)

Ian Lynch, Director of The Learning Machine, then described "Building a Language Teaching Laboratory Using FLOSS", an account of the equipment used at St Monica's RC High School, a Specialist Language College in Bury, Lancashire. The pupil workstations integrate audio and written interactions via networked thin clients, and Ian's talk illustrated clearly the savings that can be made by adopting FLOSSIE approaches. Ian's slides are here: http://www.schoolforge.org.uk/flossie/language_lab.ppt (4.0 MB)

Before lunch, Martin Jowett, ICT Co-ordinator at Wakefield City High School, talked about "Integrating FLOSS With Existing Provision", describing how the number of computer terminals at school had been increased FROM 25 to 100, using Education Action Zone funds and "old" computers. Martin's slides are here: http://www.schoolforge.org.uk/flossie/martinj.ppt (2.1 MB) (The answer to the final slide, by the way, is a clear "yes"!)

Lunch was provided in the form of a finger-buffet, which enabled delegates to eat whilst moving around talking to each other and the exhibitors.

The post-lunch slot fell to MJ Ray, representing the Association For Free Software, and Tony Whitmore, Network Manager at Regent Park Girls' School, who discussed "FLOSS in FE - Koha Library System and Wider Issues". You can view their slides at http://www.schoolforge.org.uk/flossie/koha.ppt (39 KB)

Between speakers, Dougal Gill made an impassioned plea for funds to develop the database component of [OpenOffice.org]. Subsequently, a project has been launched with participation FROM several bodies. Please contact [User:Ian Lynch|IanLynch]] if you are interested in this project,

The final talk was given by Steve Alexander, lead developer of "SchoolTool - a Shuttleworth Foundation funded project". SchoolTool aims to provide FLOSS platform for school administration that an be used in Third- and First-World countries. Development work is being carried out by a small programming team based in Latvia, using the Python language, and the project has reached a stage where Steve was able to give a live demonstration showing how basic school and pupil records are entered and retrieved. Steve's slides are a series of .png files contained in a .zip file: http://www.schoolforge.org.uk/flossie/schooltool.zip (386 KB).

For the closing session, a panel of speakers answered questions FROM the floor. The panel was moderated by Ian Lynch, and included Richard Rothwell, Eddie Bleasdale (Director of NetProject), Johan McKinnon (Deputy Head at Parrs Wood), Richard Allen (Liberal Democrat MP for Sheffield Hallam), and Tony Parkin (ICT Director at the Specialist Schools Trust).

Two items FROM the panel session stuck in my mind. Speaking FROM the audience, the Chair of Governors at Parrs Wood mentioned that any of their students can have a refurnished Linux PC to take home, just for the asking. And in response to my question about the future direction of Schoolforge-UK, the panel were very clear that this web site must be highly usable and teacher-friendly. Email me if you'd like to help with that in any way.

John Ingleby 2-Mar-2004