NetworkWorld has a short piece with a few testimonials from teachers who have successfully been using Linux and other open source software in the classroom. Carla Beard points out that students appreciate tthe opportunity to use open source and offers an excellent metaphor for describing the conversion process:

It's true that when my tech coordinator broached the possibility of switching to Open Source a few years ago, I wasn't receptive. When it was forced on me, though, I discovered that it wasn't a big switch. It's like driving someone else's car: at first things seem strange, but once you get used to it, you find you can still get where you're going. The students had almost no trouble making the adjustment. Some especially appreciated the opportunity to load the software on their home computers, legally and without cost, so that they could continue their schoolwork at home. I am now telling everyone how good this experience has been.

So true. Some cars are faster. Some have more features. Some are less expensive. Some require more maintenance. Others save us gas. But Linux is like Mac OSX and Windows. It can get us where we need to go.