Mid-Hudson Valley Linux Users GroupWelcome to the Mid-Hudson Valley Linux Users Group Wiki Web Page!
MHVLUG is dedicated to promoting Linux in the Mid-Hudson Valley area. We've been a part of the Mid Hudson Valley since March of 2003, and are going strong with over 140 members on our mailing list.
Next Meeting: June 4th @ 6pm
Topic: K-12 and beyond: Scratch, Etoys (OLPC), and Alice
Computers are now part of School from Kindergarten though college. But how is the computer used? Is it taught as a device or as a tool? Is the computer a tool to solve math and science problems or just a host for the web browser and word processor?
This talk will try and answer those questions by demonstrating OSS tools that can be used in the classroom (on MS-Windows, Apple and Linux based systems) to teach math science and programming. I will discuss my experience teaching 60 kids from 3th grade to 5th math and science ( all within 15 minutes per group ). The programs that we will explore are:
Scratch Scratch a wonderful introduction to programming a computer.
Etoys which is part of the “One Laptop Per Child” project, and the main focus of the talk
Alice A visual programming language for High School and first year Collage courses.
Please request additions to this talk here.
Two 5-minute "Lightning Talk" slots are available. If anyone has a "wow I found this new cool app" and would like to just get up and give it a 5 minute talk, this is the place to do it. Please consider speaking up.
Open CD available
We still have some copies of the Open CD available. This is a compilation of some great Open Source software for people stuck on Windows machines. A list of what's on the disk: OpenDisc
Latest News
Games for Change Festival, June 3rd
This June, the only festival dedicated to the exciting new movement using Digital Games for Social Change will explore real-world impact, the latest games and funding strategies. Hosted in New York City by Parsons The New School for Design, the 5th annual Games for Change Festival will take place on June 2 - 4, 2008. Expert practitioners -- academics, activists, non-profits, funders -- will be called in to examine the impact of current games, evaluations planned and the ongoing work to build the field. You will have a chance to see a variety of new games in development first-hand, festival-goers can play the latest state-of-the-art games. Join us!
Check out the festival site here: http://www.gamesforchange.org/conference/2008/index.php
Registration for the 2008 Fifth Annual Games for Change Festival is now available!
Leading scholars Jim Gee and Henry Jenkins will open the festival with a keynote conversation on June 3rd at 4:30pm. We are pleased to announce our closing keynote this year will be the Honorable Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, scheduled for 4pm on June 4th. Featured panelists include: Jim Gasperini, creator of Hidden Agenda, and Chris Crawford of Balance of Power and Balance of the Planet fame; Ken Eklund, creator of World Without Oil; Michael Levine, Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center; Shelley Pasnick, head of the Center for Children and Technology, Mary Flanagan Director of the Tiltfactor Lab, Tracy Fullerton of USC's EA Innovation Lab, and representatives from Participant Productions, the MacArthur and Knight Foundations, PBS, and Electronic Arts, among many others. You will find our usual excellent blend of provocative panels, informal working groups, funders meetings, ample networking opportunities and the ever-popular Expo Night where you can see - and play - the new games firsthand, sponsored by Microsoft.
And don't forget the pre-festival workshop for newbies on June 2nd. We are happy to announce that this beginners workshop for non-profits new to the field. Let The Games Begin: A 101 Workshop for Making Social Issue Games was a MacArthur Foundation DML Competition award-winner out of more than 1000 applicants! A separate registration for that day is now available from the festival site here: http://www.gamesforchange.org/conference/2008/101.php We are thankful for the generous contributions of our sponsors AMD and Microsoft, as well as Parsons the New School for Design.
What We Do
MHVLUG is an informal organization of enthusiasts of the Linux Open Source Operating System. We do a number of activities to provide our members with the ability to exchange knowledge and further educate themselves on all things Open Source. These include:
Hosting the MHVLUG Website - you're looking at it
MailingLists - an email list for discussing Linux and Open Source software. This is the place to ask questions of the whole group, and get some good answers. All meeting and event notices are posted to this list, so please join if you are interested in the group.
IRC - A less formal online "hang out". Many members of the group sit on the IRC during the day. We use #mhvlug on irc.freenode.net
MonthlyMeetings - hosting Monthly meetings that include a technical lecture relating to Linux or Open Source. Directions to the meeting can be [MonthlyMeetings found here].
LinuxHelpDay - hosting periodic Linux Help Days where users can bring their computers in to get hands-on help in installing or configuring their Linux systems
- MHVLunch - we do a get together (typically the 3rd wednesday of the month) at the Oriental Buffet in Poughkeepsie for Lunch. Times and dates are a bit flexible here, so if you are interested get on the mailing list to get notices for this.
History - Where we came from...
As an informal organization, there are no fees of any kind associated with membership. If you are on our MailingLists, you are a Member. We encourage you to be an active contributor to the group, as we exist entirely through the volunteer efforts of our Members.
Links of Interest
PublicityMaterial - Get your posters and pictures.
MHVLUG Cafe Press - MHVLUG Swag! T-Shirts, Cups...
LinuxLinks - Links to your favorite Linux resources.
BookReviews - Reviews of books that have been given to MHVLUG.
PeoplePages - List of people wiki pages on the LUG site.
NetCafes - List of area businesses with internet access, free and for pay.
SwapPage - Got any parts or stuff you want to sell, swap, or just give away?
ReuseRecycle - Don't toss old equipment in the landfill!
TechTips - Any technical tidbit that might be helpful to others.
Learn About Wikis
WikiCourse provides a great introduction to how to use a Wiki. Please check it out and then go to town!
How do I edit this page?
A wiki is a collaborative website that anyone can contribute to. In order to edit a page in the MHVLUG Wiki you must first create an account by going to the UserPreferences page. After you have registered your account, you can click the Edit link on the sidebar of any page to edit it.
If you want to practice first, check out the WikiSandBox. WikiCourse is also a very good introduction to using Wikis.