| Office Suite debate |
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| Written by Ken Task | |||
| Friday, 28 March 2008 02:13 | |||
It's not what a neighboring ISD uses/does that's important, is it? As we all know, solutions for a large district is not always a solution for a medium to small district. While quality is a major factor in software selection, so is cost and "the right tool for the job" (as well as other factors/considerations). As a consultant at an ESC, I got a peek at the AP test for Tech Apps. The authors of the test were very careful NOT to mention a vendor specific word processor, spread sheet, presentation tool, or a database. In every question it basically referred to a task to be accomplished by students using a "generic term". That's wise! Test won't become "out-of-date" anytime soon. Considering that persons now graduating from public schools might/will have up to 10 or so different careers in their life time, the best approach in education would appear to be one of a variety of experiences and exposure. That, folks, includes technology, tech apps (yes, even Office Suites), and usage. For who knows! Some of your students might land a job with the Navy (DoD) http://www.fcw.com/online/news/151858-1.html or NASA: http://www.fcw.com/print/13_11/news/98241-1.html So here is some info for research on your own as well as exploring and contemplating: OtherOffice vs MS Office http://www.linux.com/feature/118986 Note: just because it comes from linux.com, don't anticipate the outcome of the authors comparison. If you have Macs ... NeoOffice to MS Office 2008 and OpenOffice.org http://neowiki.neooffice.org/index.php/NeoOffice_Feature_Comparison Note: that NeoOffice and OpenOffice are free downloads. So see for yourself! ;) Now let's not forget that technology changes ... How about online office apps? Office Live vs. Google Docs http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/office_live_workspace_vs_google_docs_feature_by_feature.php I'd encourage every ISD to allow students to explore. Me, I'm a web-head! I don't really care about which desktop Office/Other app ... except when choosing a tool to create online content. And, hey, guess what ... I've discovered another player in the open source LMS world! http://www.sosoftexas.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=424&Itemid=204
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