The school is being touted as unlike any in the world, with not only a high-tech building – students have digital lockers and teachers use interactive “smart boards” – but also a learning process modeled on Microsoft’s management techniques.
Ugh… this means even more dangerous/vunerable patches for already vunerable software, BSODs from first party software, and monopolistic business practicies. -_-
Any thoughts?
Much as *(http://www.apple.com) to avoid Microsoft’s products, I don’t think this is such a bad idea. Sure, it’s got a little more technological glitz than the average school, but Microsoft hasn’t become as big as they have without knowing a thing or two about how to run an organization and how to train a group of people. If they’re willing to share some of that, I’m willing to let 'em.
Now if only the registrar’s office at USC would get that memo about students performing better later in the morning. (Stinkin’ 8:00 AM classes! I haven’t had classes that early since fifth grade!)*
Sounds dangerous.
Now lets see what the Linux run school looks like 
I would love to attend that school.
Just so I can install Ubuntu on the laptop for the school.
I guess this would be the first school closed due to a BSOD…
(I’m biased.)
The company is making an active, legitimate effort toward doing something about reforming a failing system of public schools and the best we have to offer for discussion is some ill-formed jokes about software crashing? Weak.
Even though Microsoft has its ups and downs when it comes to software, I would attend a school like this. Any corporation as large as Microsoft has the money and resources to help devise better ways to educate students. Even if these students are using Windows and Office software, the end result will be students who are much more competant in areas such as computers, business, leadership, technology, current events, etc. than other students the same age in other schools.
Sometimes in life you need to overlook the short term to see the long term potential. 
feel free to provide a discussion then 
I see this as another attempt to expand the Microsoft monopoly. They’ve already tapped the government, which then ran Windows in the school systems. This is just an attempt to further guaruntee Microsoft’s future by teaching students to rely on “Microsoft koolaid” as our team leader at TKC Communications likes to say.
Corporate sponsored schooling.
I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing.
It would be intersting for FIRST teams. They’d have built in sponsoring.
It is certainly a good idea that microsoft wants to help up the technology in schools but the problem is i know people. A High tech school is a playground for computer-able pranksters hackers whatever you want to call them. I know for a fact with the limited technology in my school(Just desktops in comp labs) students still find ways to cause problems.
It would be cool if the school had a shop, that’s for sure.
It seems to have lots of opportunity and potential, and students who want to be in the program. I’d like to hear from some of the teachers regarding the training and the expectations and how all of it is applied.
It’d be nice if we could have a shop at our school… 
Sounds like this school:
I met a kid from there- really, really smart. I think these schools are doing something right- not everything can go perfectly. Also is like the school Oprah did a special on that had a FIRST team.
But I agree- they should have a shop.
Perhaps, but that is a science and mathematics school, this is a corporation ran school. I go to an IT school that has all the comforts of a modern day corporate server room, but we’re ran by the government, not a software company.
Well done Microsoft for brining your products and excellent services to the Philadelphia school system. As their recent great advertising states, “Your potential, our passion,” you are fully determined to bring your award winning, easy to use software and products to let our kids meet their potential.
Thanks.
Hey, I like stereotypes!
Everything Microsoft does is wrong.
All Apple users wear black turtlenecks and sip Starbucks.
Linux users are arrogant snobs who are convinced their product is superior.
Lets just disregard the fact that Bill Gates is one of the largest philanthropists since Andrew Carnegie.
Sure windows Crashes.
If you want to blast Microsoft’s ability to do things then why don’t you find a copy of Vista and complain about that. This school is some thing quite different than any thing Microsoft (or to the best of my knowledge any other company) has done before. Microsoft is developing the curriculum for this school to help students develop in fields that they believe help people to be competitive in the world. If you want to try to tell me that Microsoft doesn’t know anything about being successful in the technological and business worlds then I would love to hear your argument. This forum is for FIRST, Dean tells us every time he makes a speech that something needs to be done to make our generation more competitive at the international level. Well it seems to me that Microsoft feels the same way and is doing something about it.
I would venture to guess that if the Segway crashed when people used it in unusual ways you would not start to talk about how FIRST was a bad Idea. Just because Microsoft’s software is not perfect there is no reason to assume that this school is a bad Idea.
Well, I’d start talking about how FIRST was a bad idea if the Segway started crashing frequently even when it was being used normally, a requirement of FIRST was that you rode one whenever you were building the robot or at competition, and you were only allowed to ride the Segway with Segway approved accessories excluding accessories that improved the Segway’s usage.
Putting the Microsoft monopoly aside, I still don’t believe it is a good idea to have a school system ran by a private company. You can just imagine what kind of problems you’d have with product usage if you look at private Christian schools, many of which require teachers to attend the church to teach at the school. Imagine being forced to use the company’s products as an example for the company to allow you to teach at the school.
However, I think a technology school on that scale would be wonderful. I would love to see a school DESIGNED with the technological planning and proposals from Microsoft (which we are already being forcefed their software) and leave the school management to the government under the public school system. Perhaps a project similiar to the jobs a government contractor would perform, having the school contracted to a private business for design and planning but leaving the management of the final school product to the government’s usage.
Our technology school is similiar to what they are proposing. We use smart boards in every other classroom, have a total of 25 computer labs with an estimated 450 3.0GHZ 1GB ram computers at our disposal, and an entire IT corridor. Our classes use Microsoft Windows on almost all computers except for a MacLab upstairs and a couple more personal Linux conversion boxes. The courses we teach, though, allow an expansive amount of software that we can use. For example, in computer art classes, there is the option to use either Adobe Photoshop or The Gimp if you are comfortable with it. APCS can use multiple IDEs such as JCreator or BlueJ. Classes have the option to use different products if different products are available.
This allows for broader familiarity of software to prevent becoming reliant on on products or series of products. I fear that Microsoft will limit their students to using only Microsoft “kool-aid”, limiting students to working with Microsoft in the future and continuing Microsoft’s firm lead in the OS marketplace.
Personally, I feel that it is important for students to learn what options are available to them. Eating pizza every day would not allow you to experience a world of other flavors, not to mention it would not be very healthy for you. I feel that third party software and open source software provide these other flavors. They also may give a better learning environment by providing more dynamic features that would not be contained in the Microsoft product (look at Firefox vs IE 6).
Just my .02 and I’ll let you guys discuss further.
This is one of those threads that I really don’t like to see, where people stick to their guns and beat an issue to death. When I first read this article I though “wow this is such a good idea” any company that committed to helping to build a better education system is great.
Now about Microsoft and the way they will be “forcing” students to use their software only. How is this different then any other company. Here are a few examples: Autodesk gives software to FIRST teams and as a result hundreds of people pick Inventor as their number 1 choice for CAD software. How about when any company gives a student discount…they are trying to get you to use their software; In fact many companies give tons of software away to colleges for this exact reason.
Basically what Microsoft is doing is not uncommon and is a very good business practice, not a monopoly. If you owned a business wouldn’t you want to get the biggest market share that you can?
When it all comes down to it in the end the education system in the US is really in trouble and if people can see the bigger picture they will realize that if any organization, FIRST, Companies, or individuals throws a lifeline to a public school system it is a good thing.
A school with no books? No rows and rows of shelves with glorious words written on paper?
While I think having the latest and greatest technology would be wonderful for today’s student, I still bemoan the idea that all research should be done online and that the hard copy encyclopedia is obsolete. And I cannot imagine cuddling up with my laptop to read a good story! 
I’ve tried that. It makes your eyes hurt after a few pages.