[K12OSN] Best Week Ever (My NELS Wrapup)

[David Trask]

Tim!  That's so awesome!  I remember the day (actually the moment) when my
wife first told me...and also when I heard about our second as well. 
Being a father is a blast!  Thanks for the kind words about NELS....it was
indeed truly amazing.  I was really pumped about the high school kids and
what they did during the SchoolTool development sprint (and yes....they
had root beer)  ;-)  Even I learned so much cool stuff....I always do.  I
hope to have some pics up on the NELS site in a day or two.  I'm really
looking forward to next year!  One of the coolest things was the addition
(at the last minute...actually we made the decision at Gould...a month
ago) of a "Teacher Day" at UNH.  The one at Gould was a resounding success
and so was UNH!  As I said at the conference....we need to be ready....the
teachers have arrived.   :-)

For those who are wondering about having a conference near you....Matt and
I could actually do one or two more during the summer....the biggest thing
we need in any location is a relatively low-cost overnight
location....such as a private school with dorms or a local university. 
Hotels are a possibility, but usually they're expensive.  NELS is designed
to be an immersive experience where you come and eat, sleep, and drink
Open Source and Linux.  The comraderie is amazing and the learning
experience is fantastic.  If you are interested in something for the next
year....let us know.  (soon)


"Support list for open source software in schools." <k12osn at redhat.com> on
Fri Jul 21 2006 at 11:25 +0000 wrote:
>I just had the best week ever.
>
>As many of you know the NorthEast Linux Symposium in NH started and ended
>this week. I was looking forward to it as I have never had the chance to
>attend ME NELS in the past (I always end up teaching at UMaine that
>week). I meet many people from all over who were as geeky about OS as I
>am. The first night I sat and had a couple of beers with Jon "maddog"
>Hall, Dave Trask, Matt Oquist, Dick Clark (no not that Dick Clark) and a
>very bright high school student interested in programming as a career. I
>sit back now and wonder where else I would have a chance to sit down at
>one table with a group like. The conversations were amazing.
>
>NELS offered everyone a chance to meet people the only know through
>email. I know I put a face to at least 10 people I knew from online. 
>
>I left NELS on wednesday an inspired man. The air at NELS was electric
>and I have so many ideas for next year that I am not going to get to half
>of them. My school already has a pretty big deployment of K12LTSP boxes
>and open source is an integral part of what we do in Glenburn, but I want
>to keep pushing to make sure the district doesn't sit on laurels. Seeing
>what others are doing and their excitement about OS has charged me to no
>end.
>
>I have to thank everyone I met and had conversations with. Thanks to Dave
>and Matt for putting on such a great conference. Literally the best
>conference EVER. I hope in the future we can get one going for every
>state in the union.
>
>And if that wasn't enough. I get home and find out my wife is pregnant. I
>AM GOING TO BE A FATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With all this week has brought I
>haven't been able to sleep as my brain will just not shutdown.
>
>Like I said best week ever. Thanks again to everyone at NELS. Here's to
>next year.
>
>Tim Hart
>Glenburn School District
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David N. Trask
Technology Teacher/Director
Vassalboro Community School
dtrask at vcsvikings.org
(207)923-3100