The School of the Future cometh!

[Swordlady]

Philadelphia's "School of the Future" opened its doors yesterday for its first freshman class: http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/15469414.htm

I haven't seen this school for myself yet (probably will soon, since one of my clients is one of the new students), but I'm impressed by what I've read about it so far. It is offering a chance for children from low-income families to gain access to quality education and technology that the city's public schools lack. And I hope that it *does* make a long-term difference for both the students and their families. Time will tell...

 

[Makalakumu]

I'm sure it will be great! A clever teacher can do alot with the stuff that is offered at a place like that. I really respect Bill Gates for what he is trying to do for education in this country.

However, as long as our government is more intent on building bombs instead of taking care of our children, its impact will be limited. Bill Gates and all of his resources pale in comparison to what the combined social will of this country could produce.

 

[FearlessFreep]

FWIW - this was up on Slashdot a few days ago. Bill Gates and MS did not provide any money, they just provided MS 'management expertise'. All the money for the school came from the local school system, which seemed to irritate a lot of people locally in Philly because of the fiscal state of the regular schools there

 

[Kacey]

I find to be interesting, but I am not sure that it is really as good as many people are saying.

Okay, the school says it values diversity, but 95% of the population will be African American - that's not diversity.

Also, while laptops are great for college (I bought one for grad school that has saved me repeatedly; I take rotten notes by hand) there are other skills needed that you can't use a laptop for - reading textbooks and marking passages, for example.

I have students who do better with technological aids; I have others who do better with more hands-on learning - and that includes writing by hand. Lots of kids can type - but lots can't, and for some, typing is harder than writing. Spell checkers and grammar checkers are great - but if you can't choose the right homonym, then they become meaningless.

It's a nice idea - but think how that much in the way of materials could have been used to help the district as a whole, instead of a very small group of students - even if it is successful.

 

[Swordlady]

I find to be interesting, but I am not sure that it is really as good as many people are saying.

Okay, the school says it values diversity, but 95% of the population will be African American - that's not diversity.

I dunno, Karen. On the one hand, I appreciate this school "leveling the playing field" a bit for some of these low-income African American kids. But on the other hand...yeah, it really isn't "diverse" at all. These kids need to learn how to interact with *different* kinds of people, not just the same ethnic group.

Also, while laptops are great for college (I bought one for grad school that has saved me repeatedly; I take rotten notes by hand) there are other skills needed that you can't use a laptop for - reading textbooks and marking passages, for example.

How about textbooks in e-book format? Is it really different from reading the paper version?

I have students who do better with technological aids; I have others who do better with more hands-on learning - and that includes writing by hand. Lots of kids can type - but lots can't, and for some, typing is harder than writing. Spell checkers and grammar checkers are great - but if you can't choose the right homonym, then they become meaningless.

That is one of my concerns about exclusively using a laptop. Many of these students have poor penmanship and writing skills. I hope that is addressed. I also wonder how difficult it will be for some of these students who can't type well. Are they going to be able to keep up in class?

And yes, you actually need to have *some* idea of word usage to use stuff like Spell check and Grammar check effectively.

It's a nice idea - but think how that much in the way of materials could have been used to help the district as a whole, instead of a very small group of students - even if it is successful.

If I'm not mistaken, this school is a pilot program, which may lead to self-replication in the other area schools. Though I do agree that the greater focus *should* be on improving the existing schools. The Philadelphia public school system is a sorry mess.

 

[Kacey]

I dunno, Karen. On the one hand, I appreciate this school "leveling the playing field" a bit for some of these low-income African American kids. But on the other hand...yeah, it really isn't "diverse" at all. These kids need to learn how to interact with *different* kinds of people, not just the same ethnic group.

That's what I meant, yeah - these kids need to interact with people from other groups.

How about textbooks in e-book format? Is it really different from reading the paper version?

Having done it, I would have to say yes. I read more or less constantly, and took a Palm Pilot on my recent trip - purchased in large part so I could read books on it and not need to fill my luggage with a lot of books. Reading novels was... so-so. I had a lot more problem with light levels with the Palm than I did with a book. The light level is less of a problem on a laptop, but a laptop is harder to carry around than a book, and a lot more fragile. Sure, you can highlight text on a computer - but I find it easier (and less distracting) to read on paper than on a computer screen - and I bought my laptop specifically to use it for graduate school; lots of people say "hey, that's a great idea" but very few bring them with them - most people I go to grad school with prefer paper note-taking because: a) they're used to it, b) it's easier to draw lines from one point to another on paper, c) paper doesn't run out of battery power.

That is one of my concerns about exclusively using a laptop. Many of these students have poor penmanship and writing skills. I hope that is addressed. I also wonder how difficult it will be for some of these students who can't type well. Are they going to be able to keep up in class?

And yes, you actually need to have *some* idea of word usage to use stuff like Spell check and Grammar check effectively.

These are the kinds of things I would be concerned about with this program - and they are exactly the kinds of things that kids have trouble with, especially those who text alot and use abbreviated and invented spelling.

If I'm not mistaken, this school is a pilot program, which may lead to self-replication in the other area schools. Though I do agree that the greater focus *should* be on improving the existing schools. The Philadelphia public school system is a sorry mess.

The problem with pilot programs (and this applies to charter schools as well, although some of them get great results) is that the students in the school tend to be a preselected sample - to go to this type of school, the parents have to apply on behalf of their children, and be accepted into the program, and often have to sign contracts about their students' performance; students who don't meet these prerequisites, or who don't maintain the performance contract, don't attend the school (or not for very long). Thus, it's difficult to determine how much of the success of the program is due to the program, and how much is due to the nature of the group, which has been preselected for factors that lead to success. I'm not saying that technology can't have a positive effect on the educational system - I just think that this school is going too far in the technological direction, and while it will be good for some students, it will be less than optimal (and possibly detrimental) for others, who learn better in different styles than those a computer-based instructional model will force upon them.