Re: YaST Education Module

Heya

On Mi 06 Mai 2009 15:40:38 CEST James Tremblay aka SLEducator  
<[email protected]> wrote:
>> If we need improvements here, I see the following options:
>> * improve the current patterns (available in our SVN resp. in the
>> Education repository as packages patterns-education-desktop and
>> patterns-education-server)
> Only two patterns is educationally USELESS.

Thanks for bringing this up!

http://www.opensuse-education.org/mantis/view.php?id=70

Please see my remark #189 and request for help from 2008-08-05! I see  
no progress from anyone helping to split the current patterns into  
peaces. Yes, I've done the initial patterns so please call me a an  
idiot not having your solution in mind at that time. But as I already  
noted: "I'm not the one to decide finally which package has to go into  
another pattern file => this should be something for the mailinglist"  
- So please do so -NOW! /me is waiting for your proposals...


> Using the "Build Studio" to build and store subcomponent\specialized
> "task disks" is a much smarter idea.

What is the "Build Studio"?


> Think about shipping physical media to the masses and
> education for all children. get openSUSE the Distro then get
> openSUSE-EDU the add-on , This delivers our system on two disks and that
> means low postage and download costs for the "total solution".

And who pays for the pysical media and shipping costs?


>> My original idea behind the YaST-Education module:
>> * first provide a solution for home users
> The 3 age groups still exist.

Well: kkirill has done a great job adding an age group to each  
application in our wiki - but what do you mean with "still exist"?


>> * afterwards think about improving the module (if needed) for a
>> complete school
> Giving children access to what they have in school helps build
> confidence in their computing skills. Think school first (eight hrs per
> day), home second (6 hrs per day), more importantly think TOTAL
> SOLUTION!  The NASCAR \ INDY crew chief respects the car designer but
> listens to the driver. What would the teacher want? Parents and Teachers
> usually share the same goals but teachers are trained to deliver them.

As you are our leader: just give us a direction, give us  
specifications and we can try to follow with the implementation. As  
long as nobody stands up and tells me what we *really* wants, I'll  
drive me direction...
If I think "Schools first" - what's the most important thing that's  
currently missing?


> Studies show that leaving a computer in a child's room is detrimental to
> their performance in school. That all computer usage should be in a
> family room area. This way questions about their school work can be most
> easily be answered. This also helps the child to interact with the
> parents for as long as possible every day.  These same studies show that
> having a TV in a child's room is also detrimental even when the parent
> can control content and play time. it's emotionally and physically
> isolating which is bad for anyone.

^^^ so we should create a package which destroys a computer in a  
child's room and leaves it intact if it's in the family room?
Please: I'm technician, I need instructions and no adolescent psychology ;-)


>> So from my point of view, here's a list of requirements. Main goal:
>> provide parents with a way to control settings for their children in
>> openSUSE!
> All that takes is for the kiosk tools to work. I have had a running bug
> report on Sabayon for two years
> https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=483240 search "Sabayon" in
> the main bugzilla  for more.

Yes - and the history tells us that you better should start a fork of  
Sabayon (and a successful one, please) to get this fixed. But maybe  
there are other ways of limiting system usage for normal users (like  
"chgrp nochilds /usr/bin/*") which work independent of the  
windowmanager?


>> Includes (this is not final):
>> * activate a "kiosk like" desktop (Sugar?) to simplify the kids desktop
>> * set system restrictions to allow only launching specific applications
>> * limit the access to the PC for a set amount of time per day or week
>> * include "Bedtime" limit (don't use the computer at night...)
> All good in the "Primary" or k-6 pattern.

Do we need restriction/application management for the Sugar desktop?
Should the "access time" be part of the YaST-Edu module?


>> * restrict internet connection:
>> ** use squidGuard for blocking/filtering URLs (or use whitelists)...
>> ** use Firewall settings for blocking/filtering Email, IRC, Chat, ...
>> ** Use a logfile or a "popup" to show kids and parents that (and why)
>> a webpage is blocked - and "relink" them to a (YaST-) Module to allow
>> that page (temporary).
> Good as a choice on all patterns , however , should have the ability to
> be disabled when using an LDAP or other authentication service. This way
> schools can manage these things from the infrastructure with group or
> object associations.

Right. Even possible with a special homeuser pattern ;-)


> In both Active Directory and Novell e-Directory schools these settings
> are managed with network tools like Zenworks and Group Policies and can
> be in Linux networks too with combinations of tools like group
> memberships and Sabayon or the kde kiosk tool. Forcing network protocol
> management into the desktop patterns would just mean more to shut off
> for the team of people (usually teachers) who manage the PC's using
> network based desktop management tools. If the network manager or parent
> can go into a tool(sabayon) and add students\children to a new group
> that gets access to xyz application, isn't that much easier and useful.

ACK. But I'm thinking about a unique tool (YaST-Education?) working  
independend of the used windowmanager. (Think about teachers having  
great Sabayone settings - and students using KDE or console... ;)

With kind regards,
Lars