[Linux-aus] Grant Request: To Present at ACEC2006

[Grant Diffey]

On Thu, Jul 13, 2006 at 10:09:42PM +1000, Donna Benjamin wrote:
> Hey Everyone :)
> 
> This is an important forum, because this is where teachers go to refresh
> their thinking on using ICT in education. Advocating the use of free
> software in a world where proprietary software is heavily subsidised can
> seem like an uphill battle, but unless we engage in dialogue with
> teachers, and talk with them about the educational outcomes of using
> FOSS, we won't make an impact in this critical sector.  I would also
> like to take the opportunity to promote the education mini-conf of LCA
> to those teachers who indicate a genuine interest and commitment to
> further exploration of Free and Open source Software.
> 

I think that haveing free software advocates speak at conferences such as this a critical step in growing the use of free software in the Education system.  Asside from reducing the ICT deficit the synergies between free and open source software are obvious to everyone with exposure to both communities.

One of the critisms to come out of the educational miniconf was that the educators for the most part arn't going to come to us as if we're some kind of oracle of IT knowledge we need to go to them in the places where they're comefortable and talk their language in order to achieve greater use and acceptance of free software in the educational sector.

As a LA member I fully support this bid for funding and belive it provides excellent long term benifits to the australian free software community.

--
Grant Diffey aka "nevyn"
http://www.luv.asn.au/
http://melbourne.wireless.org.au/
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