Free and open source software is the catalyst for Penn Manor School District’s award-winning student learning programs. For one, they save the school district more than a million dollars on its technology budget. Besides fiscal savings are the open leadership principles that foster innovation among teachers and students, help to better engage the community, and create a more vibrant and inclusive learning community. Read… Read more →
2016 Technology Rewind
With 2016 slipping into the history books it is time to reflect on an exciting year of technology projects at Penn Manor School District. Here are a few highlights: The year started with a ring. In January, we unveiled a new automated attendance call notification system. When a student is marked absent, their parent or guardian automatically receives an alert… Read more →
Building Technology Aide Position
The Penn Manor Technology Team is seeking a building technology aide to provide students with friendly help and assistance. In this role you will answer day-to-day laptop questions, conduct student orientation and training sessions, repair laptops, troubleshoot minor issues, prepare laptops for distribution, and manage inventory. Excellent customer service abilities, superior communication skills, and a self-driven work ethic are essential. This part-time… Read more →
Mattermost – An Open Source Slack Alternative
The Penn Manor IT Team relied on a self-hosted IRC messaging server for many years. IRC is great for a technical crowd, but the old-school feel and cryptic conventions never resonated with students and teachers. We’ve experimented with IRC alternatives, but an affordable, school-friendly platform has been elusive. Slack was a promising option–and a few schools have tried it for… Read more →
District of Distinction Award – Open Source Laptop Program
Penn Manor School District’s open source 1:1 student laptop learning program has earned a District of Distinction award from District Administration Magazine. Every student in grades 7 through 12 receives a laptop computer running the Linux operating system, as well as dozens of open source learning programs. With 2,500 1:1 laptops in grades 7 through 12, and 1,500 Linux laptops in its elementary schools, Penn Manor supports the… Read more →
The Power of Open in Education
Penn Manor: The Power of Open in Education, a short documentary produced by Red Hat Films, premiered on the opening night of Red Hat Summit 2015. The film features our current and former student help desk apprentices, teachers, and staff. Footage and interviews were shot during a whirlwind three day filming schedule in May 2015. A huge thank you to the Red Hat Creative… Read more →