[Linux-aus] Media Officer Now

[Con Zymaris]

On Wed, Feb 04, 2004 at 08:25:52PM +1100, Colin Charles wrote:
> On Wed, 2004-02-04 at 15:03, Paul Shirren wrote:
> 
> > I think the media is only part of the picture though. I just visited the 
> > education part of the OpenOffice site 
> > http://marketing.openoffice.org/education/schools/ courtesy of a 
> > linmagau reference. This really interests me. How to get a bunch of 
> > those colour fliers and an Openoffice CDs out to every school in the 
> > country...hmmmm.
> 
> In fact, if people are interested in doing this here (as in Australian
> schools sending CDs elsewhere), I'll be happy to make the match.
> 
> Or if some good corporate sponsor is willing to do something like this.
> Rock on!
> 
> Incidentally, OSV had a similar CD "giveaway" recently - it went to IT
> teachers iirc, but I'm not sure as to how successful this has been (i.e.
> has there been any feedback, do students have access to the CDs,
> etc...). Maybe Con can enlighten us a little.


1000 CDs with OO.o for Windows 1.1 were given out to Victorian IT teachers
when last school term finished. The new school term should be starting
just about now...

Guys, it's not enough to just hand out flashy-looking CDs though. Think
about it. How many 'free' CDs have you been handed out in the past 5
years? How many of those have you actually bothered to installed? I've 
lost count of the hundreds of free CD's that are piling up on my shelves 
gathering dust.

This has to be part of a multi-pronged approach. Getting the software out 
to practitioners is one thing. Getting them to install with impunity 
is another. Getting them to take the time to learn is yet another. 
Establishing the imprimatuer of authority necessary for schools 
(especially state schools) to deploy with 'comfort' is yet another.

Let's work through each of these now..

1) To get the software out to practitioners, you:
	need to give them CDs. (done!)

2) To get them to install, you:
	need to pique their interest (done! through demonstrations etc)

3) To get them to take the time to learn, you:
	need to prepare a series of lessons for official IT teacher 
	journals (done! to be published soon)

4) To establish official authorisation for schools to proceed with broadly 
   deploying OO.o, you:
	need to work with the state education department over many many 
	months, to make them versant and comfortable with FOSS and OO.o in
	particular. (done! Hey, we even got the CD to be held up for the 
	cameras in a smiling pose by the state government minisiter ;-)

-- 
_____________________________________________________________________________
Con Zymaris <conz at cyber.com.au> Level 4, 10 Queen St, Melbourne, Australia 
Cybersource: Australia's Leading Linux and Open Source Solutions Company 
Web: http://www.cyber.com.au/  Phone: 03 9621 2377   Fax: 03 9621 2477