FLOSS Desktop Refurbishment and Distribution
- Description
- Working Group Mission
- Alignment to OSI Mission
- Communications
- Resources
- Deliverables
- Target Completion Date
- Ongoing OSI Support
- Project Page
Start date: January 2015
Working Group C0-Chairs: Katie Osterdahl & Kristopher Navratil
Working Group Sponsor: Patrick Masson
OSI General Manager: Patrick Masson
Initial members: James Derby, Robert Horan, Patrick Masson, Kristopher Navratil & Katie Osterdahl
Description
Each year school districts across the United States discard thousands of computers as the hardware moves off of commercial service warranties (typically after three or four years) or are no longer capable of running the latest proprietary operating systems and desktop applications. The majority of these computers are still functional (i.e. not broken or damaged). At the same time, many schools are looking for opportunities to increase STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) within their curricula. The availability of surplus equipment and FLOSS software provides a unique opportunity for schools, teachers and students to learn about computer hardware and software.
The FLOSS Desktop Refurbishment and Distribution working group will develop a program and resource guideline for creating student workshops (school clubs, groups, etc.) serving K-12 and potentially the broader community (senior citizens, libraries, community groups, etc.). These workshops will be open to school children and run by their faculty and/or community mentors in cooperation with their schools, providing access to a variety of project-based learning activities, including:
- Hardware refurbishment: Students will rebuild and bring to operational condition decommissioned computers from local school districts.
- Software Administration: Students will install and configure FLOSS software: operating systems and various desktop applications (LibreOffice, GIMP, etc.).
- Mentorship: Students will develop a curriculum and teach "desktop literacy" to their peers and other members of the community using the refurbished FLOSS computers. After completion of the course, the participants will be able to take the computer home.
- Peer Support Center: Students will create, manage and operate a "help desk" providing those who complete the course and using the refurbished computers a resource for ongoing support.
Working Group Mission
- Initially, provide Schodack School District's (the reference implementation) with professional development, educational programs and support services related to FLOSS for faculty, students and or staff.
- Create opportunities for districts in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) using existing and low cost, low barrier resources.
- Based on the initial activity and lessons learned through the Schodack Schools, document the program, develop resources and promote awareness for other districts across the U.S.
- Extend the awareness of FLOSS and the OSI within K-12 education and the institutions that support it.
- Create opportunities for regional "OSI Centers of Interest" to extend the OSI mission and resources.
Alignment to OSI Mission
In line with the OSI mission, raise the awareness and adoption of open source and build bridges between open source communities.
Communications
The group will primarily communicate via the working group wiki page and related discussion forum.
If you have questions about the group, please contact Patrick Masson, the sponsor or Katie Osterdahl & Kristopher Navratil, the working group co-chairs.
Resources
- Use of the OSI wiki to document our work and communicate through development.
- Communications through OSI channels (press releases, blog posts, tweets, etc.) related to the working group's activities.
Deliverables
- Press release explaining the OSI sponsored initiative.
- Program/resource guide for developing local FLOSS student groups / clubs based on the Schodack School District model.
- Hardware resource guide (how to obtain and manage donated equipment)
- Staffing (recommendations for teachers, aids, volunteers required to support students and projects)
- Policies (issues to be aware of and address for establishing and running the program).
- Learning objectives (goals for student learning through the project)
- Schedule (recommended topics, activities, etc. toward learning objectives).
Target Completion Date
- Program/resource guide: June 1, 2015
Ongoing OSI Support
It is expected that once the resources have been developed and distributed the working group can be dissolved. However, as the Schodack student group is expected to continue, and new districts may choose to participate, additional work may be undertaken in maintaining the documentation and updating materials based on ongoing practice, lessons learned and new inputs.