[K12OSN] My vision needs feedback.

[David Trask]

"Support list for opensource software in schools." <k12osn at redhat.com> on
Friday, September 23, 2005 at 7:26 AM +0000 wrote:
>Not saying the idea doesn't have merit.  But how do you address the issue
>of laptops that get either broken and/or stolen, regardless of the OS
>running on them?  In my district, we see that issue with the adults;
>they're always dropping the things on the floor and breaking them, or the
>laptop might grow legs.  Then you have what Andy Fisk points out in
>another post in this thread, that children are much harder on these
>things than are adults.  Children will, unfortunately, rip off things
>quicker than adults will.
>
>David, if you know of a way to successfully mitigate these issues, then I
>would *love* to hear them!  Laptops ain't cheap to either fix or replace.

first of all...stealing a laptop with an open firmware password makes it
impractical and almost impossible to use anywhere else as you can't boot
from any other device like the CD....USB...etc.  without the password. 
Thus unless you take it apart...it's not possible to reimage it or bypass
any of the passwords.  In fact, here in Maine...one school had 16 of them
stolen....less than a week later they arrived back on the schools doorstep
(literally) in a box...as they obviosly found them useless.  All of them
are tagged with asset tags identifying them by name and barcode that they
are property of the State of Maine and are all entered in a database
(asset manager) making them easy to track....the data includes serial
number (which is also on a rom on the mobo) airport MAC, ethernet
MAC....etc.  Secondly....education.  We meet with the kids at the
beginning of the year and go over all the ground rules....care and
feeding....as well as how not to abuse it.  Accidents do happen, but
rarely.  We've had 2 broken screens in 5 years....we have about 150-200
laptops depending on the class sizes.  We also meet with the parents each
year....students can take them home, but if they do the parents buy
insurance....costs $31 per school year.  Parents have to insure band
instruments that cost the same as a laptop....I know as my daughter plays
saxophone.  We've had no laptops stolen in 5 years...and very few claims
for damage....all accidental.  90% of the issue is attitudes....the adults
need to act like adults and be responsible....  I don't know about you,
but my laptop is fine and has been for many years....I've never broken a
screen....I take good care of them.  Once the adults act the part....the
kids will to.

Remember...ATTITUDE toward the project is 90% of the game....if people go
into it with the expectation that kids will steal and break laptops...then
they will....if you simply expect them not to and model that same
respect....you'll get it in return.  The damage rates and theft of units
in Maine has been miniscule compared to the scope of the project.  

David N. Trask
Technology Teacher/Coordinator
Vassalboro Community School
dtrask at vcsvikings.org
(207)923-3100