School of the future arrives: a partnership between Microsoft and the School District of Philadelphia brings about innovation.THE FUTURE ARRIVES IN WEST Philadelphia on Sept. 7, a first-of-its-kind building and concept in the world of how K-12 public school should operate. About 750 high school students, mostly minority and living below poverty level, will shuffle into The High School of the Future, which was made possible through a partnership between Microsoft and the School District of Philadelphia The School District of Philadelphia is a school district based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that includes all public schools in the city of Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the eighth largest school district in the nation. . It is just the beginning. The $63 million project--three years in the making-has been realized sporting three architecturally distinct levels with an underground performance center with two rotating lecture halls lecture hall n → sala de conferencias; (UNIV) → aula lecture hall lecture n → amphithéâtre m ; various green school features including a water catchment catch·ment n. 1. A catching or collecting of water, especially rainwater. 2. a. A structure, such as a basin or reservoir, used for collecting or draining water. b. system so rainwater is collected and used for toilet water and boilers; and a Flex Center The FLEX Center is a "school within a school" at Cholla Middle School in Phoenix, Arizona. Its current teacher is Randall Peterson, creator of the "Twilight Zone Project." It is a gifted program, and is interconnected with Flex Science, taught by Marna Coldwater. where staff go for teacher training, professional collaboration and project development activities. EDUCATION REFORM Students will benefit from one-to-one wireless computing with Gateway laptops; SmartBoards; smart cards Example of widely used contactless smart cards are Hong Kong's Octopus card, Paris' Calypso/Navigo card and Lisbon' LisboaViva card, which predate the ISO/IEC 14443 standard. The following tables list smart cards used for public transportation and other electronic purse applications. for everything from the cafeteria to an Interactive Learning Center or virtual library; and digital resources, with access to the Library of Congress or the Louvre Louvre (l  `vrə), foremost French museum of art, located in Paris. The building was a royal fortress and palace built by Philip II in the late 12th cent. ,
Nevels adds.
Open from about 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., but with school hours from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the school day will be project oriented, not based on the traditional seated time. Students will learn how to use scheduling software and attend classes, meetings and meals as appointments. Beyond Nevels, planners and administrators who made this happen are more than excited. Mary Cullinane, group manager for Microsoft Partners in Learning Program, points out the active directory solution, whereby everyone has a role on the network either as student, teacher, parent or administrator. "So when you log on in this school, it [the network] will know what information you will need to have access to" including who a parent should talk to about getting information and what a student's schedule looks like, she says. "It's a much more efficient environment." As exciting as this opening is, Cullinane says she gets frustrated frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: when people claim the school is a "miracle." "It shouldn't take a miracle," she says. "One message I hope we get across is that we all have to be part of the solution," she adds. Public/private partnerships must be used for future growth in education. She explains that many administrators still look for "the silver bullet silver bullet - magic bullet " in education. "We need to step back and we need to look at the holistic perspective," she says. "And see the individual pieces of the pie and see how they collectively have an impact." WHEEL OF FUTURE Microsoft developed a Competency COMPETENCY, evidence. The legal fitness or ability of a witness to be heard on the trial of a cause. This term is also applied to written or other evidence which may be legally given on such trial, as, depositions, letters, account-books, and the like. 2. Wheel, which depicts 37 Educational Competencies that are grasping grasping a similar equine neurosis to windsucking; the horse grasps a fixed object with its teeth, but does not swallow air. the attention of administrators. The wheel is designed to help educators develop professional skills and help educational organizations find the right candidates to fill key jobs. Here are six qualities needed to help districts succeed in the 21st century: 1. Individual Excellence: Achieve results by working effectively with others in various circumstances. 2. Organizational Skills: Ability to communicate within different organizations. 3. Courage: To speak honestly and with respect in difficult situations. 4. Results: An emphasis on goal-oriented action 5. Strategic Skills: To accomplish longer-term goals. 6. Operating Skills: Used for daily management of tasks and relationships, Angela Pascopella is senior features editor. |
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