Re: [K12OSN] is it really free?

[anthony baldwin <anthonybaldwin snet net>]

My VB.net developer friends is also, oddly an IBM representative.
I am sending the following letter to IBM, in accordance with the posted 
guidelines for seeking grants or assistance from them.  I would find it 
ironic if IBM then asked Carl to be involved in assisting us, were they 
to acknowledge my humble petition.
(IBM Corporate Community Relations: 
http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives/grant/grantapp.shtml)
I've never written grants or anything of the like.


My letter:

Anthony Baldwin
Middle School Language Arts
Sterling Memorial School
1183 Plainfield Pike
Oneco, CT  06373
http://sterling.school-library.net
abaldwin sterlingschool org

January 19, 2004


IBM Corporation
Corporate Community Relations and Public Affairs
590 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022

Greetings:
	I am a Language Arts teacher in a small, rural k-8 school in a 
depressed area of Connecticut.  I'm seeking funds or donated hardware to 
provide improved access to technology for the middle school students in 
said school.  Students at Sterling Memorial School lack adequate access 
to technology.  There is but one computer lab serving the entire school, 
kindergarten through 8th grade.  This lab is scheduled for classes for 
the vast majority of school time.  It's availability otherwise is 
sporadic and unreliable.   I and the other middle school teachers (those 
serving 7th and 8th grade) have identified a need for greater access to 
technology.  Our courses across the curriculum would be enhanced by 
greater access to the internet for research purposes and better access 
to tools for the creation of a variety of multimedia projects.  All 
courses would benefit immensely from greater access to internet research 
tools.  Further, we've identified software that would be useful for 
numerous projects in both science and mathematics courses.  Our 
intention is to build a linux terminal server and 7 to 10 terminals for 
precisely this purpose.  We intend to use the K12LTSP project's software 
(http://www.k12ltsp.org) which contains all necessary server 
applications for a terminal server, appropriate office and productivity 
software and a variety of applications that would be useful in an 
academic environment.  I've used this software at home for two years as 
a desktop operating system, and I've built a computer out of scraps, but 
I do not believe that I have the requisite skills to build the linux 
terminal server lab without some support as I lack networking skills. 
I could lean on the local Linux Users Group, perhaps, and I know that I 
can count on the K12ltsp list-serv for support once the project is up 
and running.  All the same, I believe that your people could prove 
indispensable in assisting with the initial implementation of a lab if 
you were willing to offer such support.
	I believe that the entire project can be built for $3000 or less.  A 
server for such a small lab hardly requires more than a single 2.4ghz 
processor and 1024mb ram.  Such a machine could be built for around $600 
to my knowledge.  Thin clients can be built, to my knowledge, for around 
$200.  So, a server and ten thin clients could be built for around 
$2600.  The software is already in my possession, and, being GPLed 
software, requires no additional licensing fees.  The school 
administration has given me permission to build such a project, provided 
that I find funding for it, as the school board will NOT provide any 
funds for this purpose.  I could probably raise about $150 with a bake 
sale on a good day.
	So, I am largely requesting financial assistance or donated hardware, 
as well as possibly technical support for the initial implementation of 
the project.  Any assistance you can provide at all would be deeply 
appreciated.

Thank you,


Anthony Baldwin





--
Anthony Baldwin

http://www.School-Library.net
Freedom to Learn!