[OSGeo-Discuss] Sharing sad news from the web...

[Randal Hale]

If I can just chime in (I told my cat I wasn't).

The kicker in this is ESRI is deeply entrenched everywhere. They've 
entire groups of people just focused on "giving to schools". I was at 
the helm of rolling out a full ESRI rollout to a school in 2012. We had 
a 50 seat lab setup. I ended up moving them over to FOSS4G 2 years ago - 
and I need to go back and update their setup (they don't know how). The 
school is Title 1 (which means the school is very poor). The computers 
are better than what they normally get - BUT - they will be using them 
longer than what they need to. They will be unable to run the next 
version of ESRI Software. The computers can still run FOSS4G software.

The teachers here in the US (and I have no doubt this is the case 
everywhere) are stretched thin. That's what makes ESRI so nice. They 
show up and go "here is a curriculum (of sorts) and here is 'free' 
software". It's a short term win. They have people targeted to do just 
that.

So what would Randy do (and I've thought about this more than I care to 
mention) to introduce FOSS4G into the schools:

A bootable disk with FOSS4G software (I am partial to QGIS - other 
things exist) and not everything like the OSGEO Disk. A few select 
pieces of software with a purpose:

  * 10 lessons of 1 hour apiece to work through that are student
    oriented (maybe pick an age range - 12-16)
      o Start globally and work down to locally. Maybe we have different
        local datasets.
  * An explanation for the teachers. They don't understand like we do -
    they need us there for hand holding and encouragement. They can
    manage kids - We need to help manage the lessons. I'm not a teacher.
    I can teach adults - but not kids - it's a whole different  game.
  * A spot where teachers can get the lessons (NOT GITHUB) and the disk
    (maybe we combine all things into a bootable USB stick).
  * Help - a place where they can get help (NOT GITHUB). My town has 30+
    schools. If more than 1 does this I can't be everywhere. ESRI put
    out a call for Geomentors. We put out a call.
  * We have COMMUNITY - I don't believe ESRI currently does. They have
    an advertising budget. 20 years ago they had community. We have
    momentum now. Community is greater than an Advertising budget.
  * Advertise it. Ask for help from the teachers.
  * Update it.

I know I'm asking for a lot - it's time intensive - but I think it's 
100% doable. I go to speak at 2 colleges on GIS Day on nothing but FOSS4G.

We've got all the pieces to make this work except time. I'll carve out 
some time if this gets going.

I wished the cat had stopped me. Now I'm in it.


On 10/28/2016 09:16 AM, Jeff McKenna wrote:
> As if someone is reading this ha, a tweet just came across my desk: 
> https://twitter.com/GIS4Teachers/status/791981572991746048
>
> So, we need to also get into that huge K-12 market, plant the open 
> seed early :)  A challenge indeed.
>
> Think on this over the weekend,
>
> -jeff
>
>
>
>
> On 2016-10-27 12:36 PM, SERGIO ACOSTAYLARA wrote:
>> Sadly, only ESRI seems to exist for some in the USA...Imagine the
>> consequences of
>> this: 
>> http://www.pobonline.com/articles/100610-gathering-up-geospatial-pros-to-meet-massive-market-growth
>> ​
>>
>>
>> Sergio Acosta y Lara
>> Departamento de Geomática
>> Dirección Nacional de Topografía
>> Ministerio de Transporte y Obras Públicas
>> URUGUAY
>> (598)29157933 ints. 20329/20330
>> http://geoportal.mtop.gub.uy/
>>
> _______________________________________________
> Discuss mailing list
> Discuss at lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss

-- 
-----------------
Randal Hale
North River Geographic Systems, Inc
http://www.northrivergeographic.com
423.653.3611 rjhale at northrivergeographic.com
twitter:rjhale

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