MEDIA ADVISORY: Maine Computer Teachers to See Working Linux System Wednesday

What: Tour, demonstration and hands-on use of Linux system at Gould Academy for 35 computer teachers and administrators from across Maine

When: Wednesday, April 2, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Who: About 35 technology coordinators, teachers, and other technology specialists from school districts across Maine will be attending, as will Bill Portela, the Technology Education Specialist for the Maine Department of Education. The teachers and administrators are part of the part of the Association of Computer & Technology Educators of Maine (ACTEM)

Where: Gould Academy, where the state-of-the-art Linux system is in place, Bethel, Maine. Visit the Gould website for directions (www.gouldacademy.org; click on Quicklink and look for: Directions and Visitor Center)

Why: Linux is a free operating system that is quickly gaining in popularity among school districts as the matters of license cost, network manageability, and security grow in importance. The Linux system has been the operating system of the Gould Academy network for nearly two years and will serve as a model for the group. Although a private school, Gould has a history of serving the interests of the public schools in Maine with its programs, resources and close ties to the community.

Agenda:

-At 9:00 a.m. the teachers and administrators at the session will hear a presentation by Derek Dresser, Gould's technology director, on Linux. The seminar will take place in the McLaughlin Science Center building.

- Mr. Dresser will then build a Linux Terminal Server from scratch for the participants.

-Following this session, the Maine teachers will be taken on a tour of Gould's network facilities and labs.

- After lunch participants will have guest logins to the system and will be able to use the system's array of software as they consider the attributes of Linux.

Media: The day-long event is open to media at any time they wish to come, and would be ideal for media who cover technology, education or who are interested in new, ground-breaking computer systems in Maine schools.

Contact: Media interested in attending any part of the tour or seminar may contact Mary Gale at Gould Academy, (207) 824-7700. If you have technical questions about Linux, computers in schools, or the specific components of the seminar, call Derek Dresser at the number above.