What is Digg?95 Comments
- hakrzcode, on 10/12/2007, -1/+35Learn from the Internet, and at your own pace. Sounds like they got sex education covered. Now how about the other subjects?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2385% of the student population are from low income families. Read the article and stop being bitter.
- dustedbunny, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14If you lived in the philadelphia area you'd think this school was a godsend. The children had to be chosen from a lottery because so many parents wanted them to go to this school. It really is awesome that these kids are getting this kind of opportunity. It's people like you that can really ruin a good story like this. Dont be a troll.
These are inner-city kids who probably havent touched a computer in their entire life. - bluehensam, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Yeah, please read before you write. I live in Philly and drive by this school almost every day. I can vouch for the fact that it is in a really bad neighborhood. Low income, very high dropout rate, very high crime. When it was being built, I was wondering what in the world the "School of the Future" was all about. But I'm pumped about it. Yet another exciting development in "America's Next City"! West Philly is making some big strides with this and all the cool stuff going on around UPenn.
- theone3, on 10/12/2007, -3/+15Problem: "Our education system sucks. Our teachers are clueless and our students worse, because the citizens are dumbasses."
Solution: "Computers! The Internet, a blob of information will give these students the education that the education system can't"
Call me old fashioned, but a good teacher can do more for a person than a computer ever could. There's more to education than knowledge. Or, at least, there should be. The US should take its efforts out of making its citizens fearful and creating war, and put it into education, pronto. - SteelChicken, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14Thats great. Lots of snazzy words, lots of tech, lots of dollars.
But do the kids learn anything? - surf314, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Honestly I think the kids will have a much better chance of learning. One of the biggest issues I had in high school was that there was little see-able correlation of what we were learning to what we faced in the real world. In college it was different, we studied in specific areas and were given, for the most part, real world problems. I did much better in college than I did in high school (graduating almost with highest honors versus pretty much middle of the class in high school). A lot of these kids don't have the same advantages I did and it's even harder for them to get motivated or to see any use in what they are learning. Plus this will allow the students to specialize in topics of interest to them and fields they will probably be working in which is much more beneficial than teaching a mechanic or engineer Shakespeare and a journalist calculus. I mean people should be well rounded to an extent but that really needs to be tempered with reality. Spend all your time trying to teach math to someone with no math skills and you will lose them in the rest of the areas too.
- EBFoxbat, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12Ladies and Gentilemen....
MS High School RC 1 - ifoundgodot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10Um, OwenX, if you read the article (or even the caption), you'd see that this is about a lot more than merely giving everyone in the school a laptop.
- dustedbunny, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7This isnt a PR move. It's more of a godsend and a gift to these kids. Philadelphia school systems are pretty crappy, and this really, in my opinion, will begin a new trend of learning and educating kids in my area (im in the philadelphia region).
- Firemeboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7But what is the point? Even if this works brilliantly, it doesn't scale. How many school districts have 63 million laying around. So far this school has spent about a $370,000 per student. That is an expensive experiment. Other countries spend less, and end up with better educated students.
- drm237, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Good call. Lets break out the slide-rules, or will those corrupt people also? Hell, lets go back to one room school houses; that will teach these kids. Learning is not the responsibility of the teachers? Are you crazy? What the hell are they there for? It might not be 100% their responsibility, but they're part of the equation.
The point is that the way we have been teaching kids is off. Kids don't learn as much by sitting in a room staring blankly at a board for hours while teachers moan about how great they are for molding the young children's minds. This new concept prepares them for the "real world". - ThePharaoh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6@Everyone who goes to a school "just like this"
How many of your school have a large population of students who come from low income families? Most of the students who are going to this school have probably had little if any exposure to computers. This type of knowledge is now a requirement to get anywhere in life. This school is giving these kids the opportunity to learn and be successful with technology, something that they wouldn't have been able to do in the past.
That's fine if your school has always done this, but show some compassion and let them be successful. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8From TFA: "teachers eschew traditional subjects for real-world topics"
That's great! Not only will we be graduating illiterate students...we'll be graduating students that are dumber all the way around! Brilliant! "Everything I need to know about life I learned on eBaumsWorld." God help us.
@CaptainWow - "I don't know about that. I think most kids learn more from each other."
Yes. And from what we can see that passes for news here on Digg, our students will be learning *valuable life lessons and information* from each other. /sarcasm
Technology is nice, but TEACH THE DAMNED BASICS OR WE WILL FALL EVEN FARTHER BEHIND IN THE WORLD (education-wise). - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Um... I think there's only 4 or 5 of us here on Digg that even *remember* Fame.
That said: I about pissed myself laughing at the joke. :) - mrmontrose, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I also live in Philly and it is not a nice nieghborhood at all, these kids parents have no money and this gives them a chance to get an eduacation. Also maybe this won't be for all students but maybe for the students who do not do well in trditional schools this maybe perfect, it is instant feedback. All we need is our city wide wi-fi in philly
- cardwell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Well, in my day we had to play Oregon Trail on an Apple 2...uphill, both ways....and in the snow.
- doolittle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@zoombusa - you're right if they use "video professor" to teach them how to use microsoft windows or train them to use MS office correctly in their future MBA degree. Somehow I doubt that is the primary focus of their tech-based curriculum.
>"Learning is the responsibility of the kids and their parents. Not the teachers and technology."
So when did home-schooling become the primary education provider? - KevinWPeters, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4In Mississippi, they were doing just that. http://www.oss-institute.org/
A joint effort between Ole Miss and Southern Miss. They chose a few schools, gave them a yearly budget, and told half to use Linux and the other half to use Microsoft. Really good way to show the education system the power of free software. - mamasu4u, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4...and they will travel from class to class using jet packs, and they will be able to use mind-bullets to accomplish amazing tasks!!!
- huggiesmiff, on 10/12/2007, -6/+10I hope its like Fame. Were students can dance. and sing. even while online. We all miss Leroy and Cocoa
- thepeacemaker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Technology no doubt helps. But speaking as someone who has attended schools in different countries (US/UAE/India), I think the poor performance in the US has more to do with the mindset than anything else. The level of competition, seriousness, and discipline is just not there and I doubt technology will make much of a dent in that respect.
- JamesBond007, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I just hope they teach them Linux.
["...teachers eschew traditional subjects for real-world topics"] That's the best part of this school. All of that poetry and literature, paper and pencil math, and history when I went to high school didn't do much for a career in the future. - Desslok, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Despite the fact that it's an obvious publicity grabber for Microsoft, it's also a good idea. HOWEVER I think their plans for it are a bit too extreme. Eschew traditional subjects? I think math, reading, and writing are the absolute keys to being able to understand any other subject. You can't toss them aside just because a new shiny thing appears.
Computers and the Internet are fantastic tools to assist in the learning process. but they are just TOOLS, not SOLUTIONS. Rote memorization does, in fact, serve an important purpose in education, and the basics are still the key to success. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3This is not uncommon. It's kind of like the MS student software programs set up at tech schools where students can get free copies of just about any MS productivity application produced, in exchange for the school using windows or other MS software on all of the computers in all (or a very very high percentage) of their computer labs.
hosting their email is just taking it a step further.
"Windows Live@edu, as the service is called, will allow university students to keep their existing e-mail addresses but use Windows Live Mail as their client. Better yet, students won't have to deal with ads because Microsoft has agreed to turn them off for those specific accounts, at least until the students graduate."
I'm sure that the school administrators are not forcing students to install this on their personal computers. There is really no way, short of blocking an entire domain, for them to stop people from using any webmail client. The only difference is that their xxx@xxx.edu email address is hosted by MS. Most kids have at least 3 or 4 email addresses, and would rather stick with their own personal gmail, yahoo, or whatever, than use the edu address. - bobothn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@OMGWTFROFLMAO
The problem with that is teachers wont use your personal email they only email out to the .edu domain. as well as all anouncements and some home work assing ments all go out over the .edu acount. i work at cleveland chiropratic college (in it) so i know this is how people do it. - RationalAntaxia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3California has already been doing this for the past couple of years in Silicon Valley. Now they are popping up all over the country, and I am involved in one in New York. These are great for our country, because were are being dominated by other countries, mainly Japan. We need to start educating our youth at an earlier time to ensure our future in the technology race.
- schestowitz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I thought that Microsoft urging OEM's to design machines that are
Vista-lookaline was bad enough, not to mention stories like this:
Welcome to college, here's your Windows Live account
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft, in an attempt to spread the word about Windows Live, has struck
| a deal with 72 colleges all across the world. And what is this said deal?
| The colleges have agreed to let Microsoft host their students'
| e-mail accounts.
`----
http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2006/4/23/3719 - titlesaysitall, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@hakrzcode, I hate you, your joke was so funny it made me almost choke on the bagel I was eating.
- mfratt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Supported by Microsoft, huh? *Gentoo CD*
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@bob
you have a point. If I remember correctly, in the classes I took where professors did send email announcements (instead of just updating their web pages), they were sent by default to our school addresses.
All personal emails I sent to friends and family came from the yahoo account I had established while in high school. I still have an active college email address, but it is used primarily as a spam box now. - RationalAntaxia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3They are not putting English, History, and other subjects aside. They are being included within the projects that the students will be doing. They will have to incorporate their writing and other skills throughout the course of their projects. Their other skills will not suffer as a result of this type of learning.
- JimV, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5They aren't going to learn anything more than a "traditional education". Probably less. What these kids need is good teachers, and parents who give a rip about their kids' education. My parents (emphasis on the plural) were on my ass all the time about getting good grades, and guess what? I got good grades! All this high tech bs is just, well, bs. And a waste of money. They should be putting that money to hiring (and retaining (and attracting!)) more/better teachers.
- zediker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3so in four years we will know if we have either a successful graduation class, a worthless and useless graduating class, or something not too much different from today.
- surf314, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@firemeboy
Yes but the point is that if it's successful then they can start mass producing them and get some economies of scale. If they made them in a factory somewhere and airlifted them to the school district they might be able to get it down to like $200,000 per student. Now that's progress! - surf314, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5@texpundit
From TFA
"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."
Maybe you didn't realize there was more than one page here, maybe you just like stirring controversy, but FROM TFA I gather there is a lot more going on than what you described. I personally fail to see the problem in applying the skills kids are supposed to be learning in school to real world problems instead of just trying to get the right number on the correct side of the equal sign. - bluehensam, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6I'm sorry, but it's a little hypcritical of you to sit there and preach about being "old fashioned" as you tap away on your laptop on Digg.com. Of course there's more to learning than gathering information, but access to information via technology is still critical. Since you digg, you must agree. We are talking about giving poor kids from West Philly from REALLY rough neighborhoods a chance at learning technology and accessing information early on, instead of playing catch-up later. These are kids that definitely do not have computers at home.
- surf314, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2When I was in business school we had a basic "weed out" course in which we had most of the financial formulas and analysis techniques crammed down our throats. While I did well I remembered very little as I was literally just cramming for the tests. Later on when we had a class that strictly had us take existing company's financials and analyze them and give real world structured presentations on problems and possible solutions with the companies financial make-up. It was only then that I was able to see the benefit of these formulas and techniques and was able to remember them (or at least how to use them after looking them up). Ideally you would teach a principle / formula / rule and then immediately apply it while its still fresh in the mind I think that's what this school is trying to do.
- Cthalupa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2JimV, the problem is, you're assuming grades are actually indicative of intelligence or learning. There were times I made horrible grades but learned a ton of stuff, and times when I made amazing grades but learned nothing.
Quite often the smartest kids are actually in the middle of the class. They won't do their homework because it bores them, but they pass all of the tests easily.
Honestly, I think the whole grading system needs to be scrapped and some other form of measurement implemented. Of course, the entire education system is in dire need of a reform, as all it is currently is a factory where they impress largely useless junk just so they can pass the standardized tests so they get more money, while all the while telling the kids it's so they can get into a good college - Which is a load of ***** in the first place. A kid who did poorly in high school can go to a community college, and then end up transfering into a top school, while kids who did well in high school can end up applying to that same top school, and not make it in. But scenarios like this are never explained to the kids, of course. - mobilehavoc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Did anybody see the picture in the article? - the girl looks confused and the kid next to her looks bored as *****. Not exactly the right poster for this kind of thing..
- m0nk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I think at this stage it's all experimental. We'll need to wait a few years after the first batch of kids graduate to actually see whether or not they actually learn what they need to know. I have a feeling that just being in the program will help inspire some of them enough to learn what's being taught, but whether that information is as relevant and important as the creators of the program think has yet to be seen.
- bobothn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2the lot of you are all lucky. there is no way in hell my school could aford that stuff. there is less thene 1 computer for 5 students in my school. you guys get a goverment grant or something? then again we only get about halve of the money per student then the inercity school districts.
- thomashallock, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I've seen what happens to technology in schools. You need excellent teachers to really excite kids about this stuff, otherwise, it's going to turn into Philly's biggest lan party / day care facility ever.
- zeiben, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Yeah the laptops and smartboards are great, and teaching real-world problems is pretty obvious, but having everyone's face in a notebook all the time is definitely not a great goal. Kids need to learn personal responsibility ( "yay, mom and dad can track my work for me...") and how to interface with human beings ( "yay, I can e-mail my work to my teachers and save the discomfort of actually talking to them about it"). Kids graduating with THOSE skills are the ones Microsoft needs to be hiring.
- drwatson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I know someone who was working on the network there, apparently they have 2 classrooms that rotate 180 degrees to create the auditorium. Also theres 4 wireless AP's in each classroom, a bit overkill I would say.
- jfanaian, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I went to a school exactly like this in Florida. It started 5 years ago, luckily on my 9th grade year. Its a public High School which offers Dell Laptops to EVERY student. Upper classmen usually get the "Fresh" new laptops, each year they recycle the old ones. There was high-speed wireless connection throughout the whole school. Each classroom was equipped with what they call a SmartBoard (a projector screen with touch sensors) so teachers just plug in their laptop and display a power point, write on the smartboard and erase it. There was also a huge list of IT related classes available from programming and design, to hardware. It was amazing I must say. I sure loved the school.
The school's name was Crooms Academy of IT. The weirdest part of it though, was that it was right in the middle of the ghetto in Sanford, FL. Odd but it was still a good school. - thomashallock, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Great idea for a school. I hope the use it as effectively as the possibly can. I question their requirements for admittance... "you must be poor". What about "you must be able to make the most use of the tools we give you".
- LogicalThinker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's amazing that with all the advanced technology available in the US, this country still lags behind most other country when it comes to public education grades K thru 12.
Having technology such as WiFi, laptops might motivate kids to study, but it does not equal better education. You still need quality educators who really care about children to be teaching and inspiring kids.
Personally I think it's really stupid that individual States control their educational programs. I mean who the hell cares if California has better educational programs than Alabama, when this country is ranked so low compared to other nations. American public schools needs to compete with other countries, not with each other. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Info on the exact opposite is available at http://n3p.se/en.php
N3P offers a brand new, contrasting and intrepid two-year college level training in how to become a successful Project Entrepreneur in Open Source. Our students will learn not only the technical possibilities, but also how to exploit new business opportunities, manage profitable ideas, and create flourishing businesses. - benb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1While I think that having good technology in schools is a positive thing, it still needs a reason to be there. It is silly to think that you can toss everyone a laptop and then everyone's SAT scores will go up. Knowing how to effectively use technology is important, but so is knowing how to read, write and do basic math.
Sometimes I read these stories and they make it sound like it was a miracle that anyone managed to learn before the PC was around. -
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