The OS Wars are sooo over
Dan Hudkins - Director of Instructional Technology
The Harker School, San Jose, CA
2005 - Reproduction permitted with acknowledgment
Why Teach Tech Skills?
 Perceived Need
 Efficiency
 Standards
Tech Skills - Standards
NETS for Students - Technology Foundation
Standards for All Students
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Basic operations and concepts
Social, ethical, and human issues
Technology productivity tools
Technology communications tools
Technology research tools
Technology problem-solving and decisionmaking tools
Tech Skills - Standards
CSTA - Computer Science Teachers Association
1. Fundamental ideas about the process of program
design and problem solving
2. Simple data structures and their uses
3. Topics in discrete mathematics
4. Design for usability
5. Fundamentals of hardware design
6. Levels of language, software, and translation
7. The limits of computing
8. Principles of software engineering
9. Social issues
10. Careers in computing
Tech Skills - Standards
Information Literacy
Information Literacy is defined as the
ability to know when there is a need for
information, to be able to identify, locate,
evaluate, and effectively use that
information for the issue or problem at
hand.
ALA National Forum on Information Literacy
(1989)
Tech Skills - Standards
CSLA - Standards and Guidelines for
Strong School Libraries
9 Strands
3 Domains of Tech Studies
Information
Literacy
Information
Technology
Computer
Science
3 Domains of Tech Studies
 Information Literacy
 Library, Language Arts, Social Studies
 Information Technology
 Computer Studies, embedded everywhere
 Computer Science
 Upper School Department, embedded K-8
So What?
 Platform and application choices are
important
 But NOT more important than skills
 Focus on the product - NOT the tool
Choices






OS
Productivity
Design
Multimedia
Browser
Learning Environment
Options - OS




Functionality
Management
Resources
Internet
Options - OS
 Windows XP
 Mac OS X
 Linux
Options - OS - Windows
 Pervasive
 First to New
 No one ever got fired…
Options - OS - Mac OS X
 Simplicity
 Absence of Malware
 UNIX under the hood
Options - OS - Linux
 Price is right
 Higher order self-support skills
Options - Productivity
 Functions




Word Processing
Spreadsheet
Database
Presentation
Options - Productivity
 MS Office
 Open Office
 iWork
Options - Design
 Web Design
 Image Management
 Vector Drawing
Options - Web Design
 DreamWeaver (Macromedia)
 GoLive (Adobe)
 Nvu (Open Source)
Options - Image Management




Photoshop
Fireworks
IrfanView (Windows only)
Linux - ?
Options - Vector Drawing
 Illustrator (Adobe)
 Freehand (Macromedia)
 Linux - ?
Options - Multimedia
 Video
 Interactivity
 Multiple Outputs
Options - Multimedia




iMovie (Mac only)
Windows Movie Maker (Windows only)
MovieWorks Deluxe
Liquid (Pinnacle Systems - Windows
only)
 Linux limited
Options - Browser




Internet Explorer
Safari
Firefox
Opera, etc.
Options - Learning
Environment
 Objectives





Communication tools
Threaded Discussion
Drop Folders
Shared work space
Ad Hoc groups
Options - Learning
Environment
 Do it yourself




Network administration
Threaded discussion tools
Email tools
Etc.
Options - Learning
Environment





Moodle - http://www.moodle.org
My eDesk - http://www.myedesk.org
Blackboard - http://www.blackboard.com
WebCT - http://www.webct.com
Desire2Learn http://www.desire2learn.com
When?
 Ready
 Fire
 Aim
How?
 Pervasive computing
 Farther in the program - freer the
choices
Q&A