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List:       kde-edu
Subject:    Re: [KDE-EDU]: ideas for applications
From:       Eduardo Sanchez <csanche2 () calvin ! edu>
Date:       2001-07-16 3:34:39
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Hi everybody,

I would like to add two ideas:

1. Perhaps we need to design some content management system, i.e., the engine 
that powers CD-ROM encyclopaedias, and provides services such as find, 
anotate, add essays, outline, and so on. This Content-MS should be able to 
deal with most MIME data types that may be useful for education.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: There is already such a system 
that we may well adapt for a broader educational target. BibleTime 
(http://www.bibletime.de; http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/bibletime) has 
such a system, though now limited only to rich-text, and is oriented to 
Christian and Jewish sacred text studies. This may be a strength, however, 
because the project has to deal with very large amounts of text and very 
diverse modules. And it is GPL'd.

2. There is also a need for a teacher management system. Some years earlier, 
I've stumbled across the ThinkWave website (http://www.thinkwave.com). They 
offered for FREE an aplication (MS-Windows, sadly) that just did that. The 
catch was that the application was able to connect to the ThinkWave website 
for providing online services, such as parent reports, assignments, and so 
on. I do not think we need those. And sadly but understandably, they no 
longer ofer freebies.

My idea is that we may well be able to develop such a system, in which the 
teacher manages his/her course. Teachers may be able to develop a syllabus, 
draw class objectives and lesson planning, design test and quizzes, assign 
papers, grade each element of the educational process and weight them 
accordingly to the teacher's wishes, and so on... well, you get my idea. 
This, and given the i18n friendly nature of KDE, may well be a breaktrough in 
many developing and underdeveloped countries, and a nice alternative for 
developed ones.

Eduardo

On Sunday 15 July 2001 17:55, Eva Brucherseifer wrote:
> Hi,
>
> in the attached file you'll find some ideas for applications for schools we
> can make.
>
> I also talked to my parents about that. They are teachers and my father is
> principal of a school. Unfortunately my father has similar arguments as
> Kristian cited. The other problem is, that he already knows Windows and
> hasn't the time to learn linux since he is the only one doing the system
> administratioin at his school. At the moment they are using Windows 2000 -
> but I am working on that ;-). But he wants to support us by giving ideas.
>
> I asked him about commercial software they are using. They have Mediator
> 6.0 at the school, but he said, that it is quite complex to use. They also
> have several programs by publishers of school books. The disadvantage with
> these is, that they are totally fixed to the content of the school books
> and don't give the freedom to teachers to change to content so that it fits
> to the pupils knowledge.
>
> Also on Windows there is not very much software that supports teachers to
> easily prepare material for lessons. Many teachers have a lot of material
> at home, so it would be great if they can use this material and share it
> with other teachers. Also we don't have the ressources to set up apps with
> huge knowledge databases, so why not getting the open source idea in there.
> My father suggested a napster-like system.
>
> When developing apps we have to bear in mind, that many schools are not
> equiped with good computers yet and that the computer room is not always
> accessable. So an app for e.g. "fill the gap" (in german: Lückentext)
> should have several features:
> - to prepare the content
> - offline use: to print work sheets (without color - work sheets need to be
> copied) with 2 versions: one for the pupils, the other one with the answers
> for the teacher
> - online use: so that children and youngsters can use it on the computer
> during a lesson or at home (the correct answers must be locked then).
>
> So far,
> eva

["edutainment.txt" (text/plain)]


-- 
Eduardo Sánchez
Th.M. student, Calvin Theological Seminary
---------------------------------------------------------
"Ierusalem, Ierusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum!"


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