The ITeachNet Way

  1. We are people-oriented and adjust technologies to people rather than the other way around. This is one of the real corner-stones of a sustainable learning technology program, and it is the first corner-stone of ITeachNet's sustainable learning technology offerings.
  2. Another corner-stone is a focus on the long-term. Unless we consider the effects of our decisions today, we cannot hope to lessen, let alone avoid, the undesirable ones. For this reason, we focus not on products, but rather on services. We offer subscriptions to Webbed services over time and courses in how to use them; our goal is to provide people-centered services that model for others the good effects of making a living by focusing on helping people; we are trying to make progress -- for everyone.
  3. The third corner-stone of our offerings is that they are Web-based; Web-based distribution ensures access for both the creators and also the users of information technologies. As such programs as the $100.00 laptop increase the potential for universal Internet and Web access, we are ready to provide content of high quality to all users interested in learning and education, whether through traditional classroom settings, extended traditional means (schools on-line) or through their own efforts to teach themselves.
  4. Access to Information is our final and most important cornerstone. Traditional and electronic books, language training and Linux, open source and cross-platform computer training are the tools of developing, using and fostering literacy. By supporting libraries, schools and businesses in their efforts to teach reading and writing, we support their efforts to teach people to teach themselves. We cannot control or predict what people will do with the power to read and write, but we can give them the opportunity to contribute to the creative struggle for progress.

Our specialization in open source and free software, Linux and teaching about and support for libraries and software in both English and local languages flows directly from these cornerstone philosophies.

Open Source

Plethora of DemandsIf you are interested in planning a school's technical future for the next few years, or just choosing a new tool to add to your existing mix, then there are a number of things you are probably considering. Their sheer number can be confusing and they can often have conflicting aspects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some can be combinedWeed out those that are least important or helpful. Then, as you consider them, you might begin to realize that some of them are related and can, therefore, be grouped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Groups namedBut what should you call these groups? They usually come down to categories similar to budget, security, values and people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Higher values get subjugated by lowerExperience says that in the short-term interested world we live in, budget and security take precedence over values and people. A call might be made, however, for a "long-term" solution which takes into account the higher as well as the more basic needs. This might be called a more wholistic approach.

 

 

 

Fulfilling these higher needs is difficult indeed in today's world. Software rarely fulfills any of the "Values" or "People" needs, let alone all of them. This where, perhaps surprizingly to some, Free/Open Source Software (a.k.a. FLOSS) comes in.

Our experience is that FLOSS is not only more likely to fulfill these needs "out-of-the-box," but because it is adaptable, it can be made to fit them more easily than can proprietary software.

Let's take each of the main four groups of needs we've identified and see how FLOSS can satisfy them.

Open Source p.2 ==>


 

Isn't FLOSS Free?

If FLOSS is Free, Why Do We Need ITeachNet.org?

This is an important question to ask as you learn about the wonderful world of free (Free Software Foundation) and Open Source Software (Open Source Software Foundation. As you learn about them, you realize that they are a consumer's dream-come-true: As long as you don't prevent anyone else from enjoying the same freedoms you get when you use them, you won't be violating their licenses when you download them, share them, copy them, change them and, in many cases, sell them.

ITeachNet encourages anyone curious about free and or open source software and texts (and hardware) to try it. It's a learning experience and in many cases, turns out to be all or more than you need. ITeachNet.org offers training in the installation and use of FLOSS so you can do it yourself, but let us help you to get started.

So why on earth should you pay a company like ours for more than training? Isn't that a step backward?

The short answer is ... it depends.

The inventors of free and open source software compare it (them) to the law. Everyone knows the advice given to the person who considers defending him or herself in a court of law: don't do it. Sure, the law is open and free, and you can participate in changing it, but using this as license to defend yourself in court is dangerous. The law can be very complicated and difficult to navigate. There can also be a great deal to lose, such as your liberty. Lawyers are useful for both their depth of knowledge and their experience in using it practically. They can keep you from sending yourself to jail.

Likewise, free and open source software is/are available, but installing it/them can be both complicated and also difficult. People with greater depth of knowledge about free and open source software than the rest of us and more experience in using it are worth hiring -- if anything important depends on that software.

Of course, if, on the one hand, you've got time to learn and your mistakes will hurt neither anyone else's job nor your own, then by all means, install, analyze, change, and generally have fun with the software. After all, the capability granted to you to explore the software yourself is what makes it perfect for use in schools: it's philosophically compatible with what education is all about.

If, on the other hand, you don't have time to explore and jobs do depend on the dependability, strength, security, price ... or any other aspect of the software ... then you should consider getting help.

You've done your part. You investigated the software options and discovered the value of FLOSS to an educational institution. Still, you have neither the knowlede nor the experience with -- nor the spare time to install, configure and monitor -- FLOSS to ensure that data is safe,the software works (is configured) correctly, is adapted as needed (customized and/or localized); or that the necessary data is input and updated regularly. There are so many things that need to be done in order to make your choice successful. Are you willing to risk your job, that of others, or worse: time, money and creativity of all involved?

If you have no thought for your own peace of mind or physical well-being, then, by all means, go ahead on your own: dive into the code and make it your own. If, however, you do have a care, then Contact ITeachNet. We're here to help you to the degree you wish to be helped. You'll save money, lots of it, in the long-term. We've been where you are and will help you get where we are and beyond. We're waiting to hear from you.

Sustainability

Sustainable Software is like sustainable environmental development. For example, the survival of the "Big Five" animals in Africa (buffalo, elephants, leopards, lions and rhinoceri) depends on maintaining a sustainable balance between them and their food sources (plants and animals). Likewise, the sustainability of a school's technology program is dependent upon the ratio of its costs in terms of time and money to its benefits in terms of security, dependability and utility. If costs are more than the environment can afford, in terms of animals and plants in the first case, and in terms of time and money and frustration in the latter, then it becomes unsustainable.

Many schools have adopted unsustainable technology solutions; they are paying more than they can afford in the long-term in money, time and frustration. Often, however, they do not realize that they have made a mistake until it is too late; nor do they realize that there are ways to make technology for schools affordable without sacrificing power, utility, security or dependability. These depend on finding solutions that do not lock you into a single vendor, platform or programming standard, that contain unpredictable costs, or that work with artificial barriers between you and the programmers/maintainers. If you can find a way to fulfil these requirements using software, then you've found sustainable software. One of those ways is to combine FLOSS (Free/libre Open Source Software) with people who know both education and complex software. This is exactly what ITeachNet does and would like to share with your school.

But We're Rich!

Ah, this is so very commonly heard. 

  • Are you so rich that you wouldn't raise morale and keep better teachers longer if you paid more or gave them more benefits?
  • Are you so rich that you couldn't use extra money for other things than software?
  • Are you so rich that you can afford to pay high licensing fees and buy the latest hardware, white boards, projectors, audio-visual peripherals . . . instead of building/maintaining atheletic equipment or buying musical instruments or science lab equipment? 
It isn't hard to add to this list.  Intelligent, carefully planned adoption of free and open source alternatives is a journey, not a product that you can buy and be done with.  You should have a guide that will be there for the long-term, even when you are no longer at the school.  ITeachNet.org is the safe way to begin this journey.

The Big 5 School Web Applications

Click on the links to the animals in the menu (top or bottom) to see examples of software that will improve your school's survivability.