In the Sails Pavillion. I kind of like this setting for a session, it is very open and there will be a lot of noise, but it is sunny and airy, not at all like the usual stuffy conference room. Dr. Thornburg begins by talking about the platform agnostic nature of open source. Has written a book called When the Best is Free. A benefit of open source is that it tends to get updated a lot. The cost benefit can be impressive. Edubuntu is the only operating system that was designed for schools. Now playing a game. Contestant picks a card, the card reads Audacity. Talks about what Audacity can replace (Sound Forge). BTW-The session is packed with people standing around the edges. I have a feeling open source is going to be a huge topic at the conference.
Now the program he is demonstrating is Inkscape. Line art drawing tool comparable to Illustrator.
(I just realized I left my extra battery at the hotel, doh!)
Next up is NVU, it is a wysiwyg web editor. Now in the game is NetLogo. It is a free Logo software, but not open source yet. The next software is Blender. It is a 3-D modeling tool that can also do 3-D animation. He will not demonstrate Blender but is showing a film that was created using Blender. Blender has been used in feature films, notably Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Dia is a diagramming software comparable to Visio. The SRO crowd has stayed pretty much intact. I am a little surprised as the session has moved a little slowly, at least for my taste.
Final software is Tuxpaint. It is a paint program for kids, comparable to KidPix. This has been an informative session, but again could have moved a little faster.
necc necc2006 theeducationalmac
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