RE: [Fsfe-uk] RFC: Free software project grants

[ian]

On Fri, 2003-10-17 at 08:30, Chris Puttick wrote:
> I like. Might even find some funding for the right project - how about a
> software delivery system for the INGOTs?
> 
> http://www.irlcomputers.com/ingots/

Just an update on INGOTs as it might be relevant here. I have one EAZ
(Education action zone) started with training of an assessor trainer and
one school so far paying their £100 cheque which licenses them to train
all the staff as INGOT assessors. The idea is for the schools to work
toward every teacher being an INGOT assessor for Bronze and eventually
Silver. This then helps level up standards for teachers in basic skills
that were missing from the NOF training. I have another EAZ requesting
the same. I have also built targets into the specialist schools
applications of probably around 50 secondary and primary schools so far.
Although some won't come on-stream until this time next year I'm sure I
can persuade some to start early. Big problem for me is to follow up the
initial interest and make sure things happen. Once I get a little more
revenue in from INGOTs I intend to use it to pay someone I know to start
ringing round and chasing up the schools. This will then generate more
income which can then be used to chase up more participants. My instinct
is that this could well be really popular based on feedback, its just
getting schools actually doing it in among all the other pressures that
is difficult. If I had a bit more resource for development of the site,
the first thing that needs doing is to improve the database bit for
recording certification and to generate a more professional certificate
from the web site. It works at the moment but its not that brilliant.
Next I need to do the Gold and Platinum specifications and some sort of
on-line assessment would be useful for Gold but at the moment too
expensive to do. We could do some simple on-line assessment for Bronze,
but I'm wondering whether this might add a barrier to entry given the
hassle with LEA broadband. We could have it as an optional means of
assessment eg an assessor can use their judgement about whether they use
it or not as long as they are sure what the kids can do.

I also have two very good girls on work experience at the moment doing
OpenOffice.org Impress presentations to support the National Numeracy
and Literacy strategies. If we can develop a bank of these resources
free, we could make them available via the INGOTs site and Schoolforge
UK and OpenOffice.org Education pages and encourage other schools to get
kids to do this type of work for their coursework and submit it.

Obviously if I can get INGOTs to generate more income we could use that
income to then go to the DfES for say matched funding to generate more
software and resources focused on teaching and learning. Again its
tactics to an extent. If I go as a company to the DfES and say I'll
match fund a project, the symbolism of private sector funding might tip
the balance in favour of them going for it. If Sun had said StarOffice
was worth say £50 a license to schools and then used that to offer
sponsorship they could probably have sponsored just about every EAZ and
specialist school in the land and the schools would then have been
obliged to at least install the software to justify the sponsorship
which in the case of the specialist schools triggers up to £1m and more
of additional funding. Giving it away free is bad tactics because it has
not funding leverage. This is a real dilemma for free software in the
current way the DfES works, it has no value to the bureaucrats!

-- 
ian <address@hidden>