microsoft helps Philadelphia build a "school of the future"

[WickedLou9]

This is pretty cool. I would like to see more businesses give something back to the community.

Philadelphia opens high-tech school of the future - Yahoo! News

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Philadelphia on Thursday opened a public high school where students work on wireless laptops, teachers eschew traditional subjects for real-world topics and parents can track their child's work on the Internet.

Called "The School of the Future" and created with help from software giant Microsoft, it is believed to be the first in the world to combine innovative teaching methods with the latest technology, all housed in an environmentally friendly building.

The school, which cost the school district $63 million to build, is free and has no entrance exams. The 170 students in the inaugural ninth-grade class were selected by lottery from 1,500 applicants.

Three-quarters of the students come from the surrounding West Philadelphia neighborhood; 95 percent of the students are black, and about 85 percent come from low-income households, the school district said.

Philadelphia School District Chief Executive Paul Vallas told students they would be scrutinized by other schools around the world.

"You have become instant role models," Vallas said. "People are going to be ... watching you."

Student still sit in classrooms, but lessons rely heavily on information found on the Internet and on interactive software. Students will be allowed to learn at their own pace. Homework is done on computer and sent to the teacher for grading and parents can access the school's network to read teacher feedback on their child's progress.

TRADITIONAL EDUCATION OBSOLETE

Traditional education is obsolete and fails to teach students the skills of problem-solving, critical thinking and effective communication, which they need to succeed in the 21st century, principal Shirley Grover said in an interview.

"It's not about memorizing certain algebraic equations and then regurgitating them in a test," Grover said. "It's about thinking how math might be used to solve a quality-of-water problem or how it might be used to determine whether or not we are safe in Philadelphia from the avian flu."

David Terry, 14, said he was hoping to "turn over a new leaf" after discipline problems in his previous school left him with an "average to really bad" academic record.

"This is a great opportunity for me," he said. "In other schools, I would not get this kind of education."

Christopher Green said he was "ecstatic" that his daughter Meray was selected to attend the school. "She's a cancer survivor, and this is her second wind," he said.

The school's environmental enhancements include natural lighting, windows made of photovoltaic glass that generates some of the building's power supply, and cabinets made from trees removed from the site during construction, officials said.

Microsoft, motivated by a combination of altruism and self-interest, was closely involved in planning the school and providing its technology, said Mary Cullinane, group manager for the company's Partners in Learning program and the school's "technology architect."

"We have a vested interest because we need to hire the kids who are graduating, and we want to make sure we have created a blueprint that other folks will be able to use," she said.

Microsoft sees the project as a way to give the poor majority of the world's population an education that is more relevant to the world of work, said Craig Mundie, Microsoft's chief research and strategy officer.

"If we want to continue to see the global economy expand, we need to find a way to lift 5 billion people out of their poor environment," he said.

[JaJae]

Bill Gates is a good man. He spends more of his personal time on stuff like this than making himself richer.

[WickedLou9]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Bill Gates is a good man. He spends more of his personal time on stuff like this than making himself richer.

but it is also a strategic business move if you think about it. they are using all microsoft products. These kids will be using microsoft forever now. It also sets a great example and improves the brand equity. People will see what MS has done and they will feel all warm and fuzzy when they buy something that has the microsoft logo on it. Maybe they will even pay a premium price for it.

[motivez]

What Wicked said is my main problem with this, it's perpetuating the cycle of Microsoft products dominating the market, a lack of real choice in operating systems, etc, etc..

We have kids growing up on nothing BUT Microsoft operating systems now because they lobby hard to provide computer software to schools

It's not a bad thing, but I'd like to see some diversity in what we are teaching our kids to use.. without it, there's just going to be another generation of people too stupid to use anything remotely complicated

It's nice to see Microsoft make an effort to make education better in one school though, they do a shitload for communities and I think they're a good company.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by motivez

What Wicked said is my main problem with this, it's perpetuating the cycle of Microsoft products dominating the market, a lack of real choice in operating systems, etc, etc..

We have kids growing up on nothing BUT Microsoft operating systems now because they lobby hard to provide computer software to schools

It's not a bad thing, but I'd like to see some diversity in what we are teaching our kids to use.. without it, there's just going to be another generation of people too stupid to use anything remotely complicated

It's nice to see Microsoft make an effort to make education better in one school though, they do a shitload for communities and I think they're a good company.

Odds are they would have been using Microsoft operating systems anyway. My highschool didn't have anything but decade old macs. Macs are too expensive and schools are on a budget.

Saying you have a problem with Microsoft building an inner city school because they use Microsoft (the common and universally known operating system on the planet) seems a bit strange.

I guess they could always have used Linux and dealt with people not knowing how to use them or service them. Or they could have bought Mac OSX and gave money to a competitor.

That's like faulting Steve Jobs for building a school and using all Mac software when Microsoft has become the standard. I dunno, just seems like a strange "problem" to have with a guy.

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Odds are they would have been using Microsoft operating systems anyway. My highschool didn't have anything but decade old macs. Macs are too expensive and schools are on a budget.

Saying you have a problem with Microsoft building an inner city school because they use Microsoft (the common and universally known operating system on the planet) seems a bit strange.

Yeah I disagree with motivez on this, giving them macs isn't any sort of solution, and there really is no comparable OS out there besides Macs...

[thomez]

that's pretty sweet

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ft huge w

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

Yeah I disagree with motivez on this, giving them macs isn't any sort of solution, and there really is no comparable OS out there besides Macs...

Holy cow. We agree!! AND!! you disagreed with motivez. This is amazing. Screenshot!

[thomez]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Holy cow. We agree!! AND!! you disagreed with motivez. This is amazing. Screenshot!

seriously, I'm like having a major WTF moment and I think a hair turned gray in my nose all at once

[WickedLou9]

The really great thing about all this is that they are doing this primarily for the kids in West Philly. West Philly is in pretty rough shape these days. there are like 2 or 3 killings a day. it's just real bad. This is the sorta thing that could give those kids some pride and maybe lift them above the mess.

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

The really great thing about all this is that they are doing this primarily for the kids in West Philly. West Philly is in pretty rough shape these days. there are like 2 or 3 killings a day. it's just real bad. This is the sorta thing that could give those kids some pride and maybe lift them above the mess.

it's a little less than 2 killings a day in the entire philly area

and Northwest...really North Philly, is the worse part

driving around sometimes, i have to take alternative routes through north philly because a street is closed off as a crime scene

Northwest Philly > West Philly >> South Philly >>>>>>>> Northeast Philly

[thomez]

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

The really great thing about all this is that they are doing this primarily for the kids in West Philly. West Philly is in pretty rough shape these days. there are like 2 or 3 killings a day. it's just real bad. This is the sorta thing that could give those kids some pride and maybe lift them above the mess.

empowerment, hope, and ownership =! violence

I read a sweet section of "The World is Flat" last night to this effect... people with hope for a better future want to do everything they can to succeed, to move up, to improve - they don't want to kill people and bring everyone else down to their level.

[WickedLou9]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

it's a little less than 2 killings a day in the entire philly area

and Northwest...really North Philly, is the worse part

driving around sometimes, i have to take alternative routes through north philly because a street is closed off as a crime scene

Northwest Philly > West Philly >> South Philly >>>>>>>> Northeast Philly

Statistics aside, you get my point though. These are some seriously underprivledged kids.

[motivez]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Odds are they would have been using Microsoft operating systems anyway. My highschool didn't have anything but decade old macs. Macs are too expensive and schools are on a budget.

Saying you have a problem with Microsoft building an inner city school because they use Microsoft (the common and universally known operating system on the planet) seems a bit strange.

Don't mistake what I said for something else.. I am to Microsoft for helping build a new school and help increase education for kids in the inner city.

However, I disagree with these near-hidden methods of perpetuating their operating system as the "only solution out there" to future generations. It's not just in this instance, but this is a convienent thread to bring it up in.

I'm not diminishing this contribution, I just have issues with some of their methods of "helping."

I guess they could always have used Linux and dealt with people not knowing how to use them or service them. Or they could have bought Mac OSX and gave money to a competitor.

Distros like Ubuntu are very user friendly (for Linux), have a great support community, etc.. and they're free. Hell, even with an "Enterprise Edition" of Linux like we're running for the Liberty Lounge site ( ) or SuSE linux is MUCH cheaper for school districts than running Microsoft products.

In every single study by every government agency, here or in Europe, has stated that they could save money by switching to open source software.

There's really no reason not to aside from "oh no, I'd have to learn something new". Isn't that what school is all about?

God forbid we ask teachers to learn something new as well.

That's like faulting Steve Jobs for building a school and using all Mac software when Microsoft has become the standard. I dunno, just seems like a strange "problem" to have with a guy.

I'm against government waste. Paying Microsoft assloads of money when there are free, viable alternatives out there is government waste.

I'm also a huge proponent of open source software and free software, which has tons of advantages to closed source programs.

[thomez]

Originally Posted by motivez

I'm against government waste. Paying Microsoft assloads of money when there are free, viable alternatives out there is government waste.

me too... but nobody is paying MS to donate computers or software here

[motivez]

Like I said, this is just a convienent thread to bring up the issue in

It's still an issue with this situation, just less so considering why the district has the computers in the first place