EDTECH MICROSOFT LAUNCHES NEW TECH TRAINING PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS WORLDWIDE
Microsoft has launched a new program that will help train teachers and students to integrate technology into the curriculum. The Partners in Learning program will provide $250 million in cash grants, discounts on Microsoft software for participating schools and free software to some developing nations. It will also establish Microsoft IT Academy Centers, which will provides services such as IT skills certification, teacher professional development, curriculum and assessment tools, school-based technology support and research. Microsoft will specifically target disadvantaged primary and secondary schools. According to Microsoft, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Brazil, and Italy have already signed up for the program. Although it seems most support is favorable, some critics consider the program just another strategic business decision for Microsoft. "I can't believe Microsoft has anything but profit in mind as it rolls out the Partners in Learning program," said Doug Otto, superintendent of the Plano, Texas, Independent School District. "If the company was so intent on helping schools, it would have provided deep discounts for school districts and also not been so Scrooge-like with its licensing agreements." SOURCE:eSchoolNews; AUTHOR: eSchoolNews staff and wire reports http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=4646 (requires free registration) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (c) Benton Foundation 2003. Redistribution of this Internet publication -- both internally and externally -- is encouraged if it includes this message. Communications-Related Headlines is a free news service posted Monday through Friday by the Benton Foundation (http://www.benton.org). This service will keep you up-to-date on important developments and policy issues in communications, the Internet, edtech, community technology, journalism, public media, regulation and philanthropy. Headlines are compiled, summarized and edited by Andy Carvin ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), Jennifer Hill ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) and Shani Smothers ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) -- we welcome your feedback. Based in Washington DC, the Benton Foundation's mission is to articulate a public interest vision for the digital age and demonstrate the value of communications for solving social problems. Projects at Benton include: The Digital Divide Network (http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org) Digital Opportunity Channel (http://www.digitalopportunity.org) Media Ownership (http://www.benton.org/initiatives/ownership.html) OneWorld United States (http://us.oneworld.net) Sound Partners for Community Health (http://www.soundpartners.org) To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your settings, or view the Headlines Archive, please visit http://owa.benton.org/archives/benton-compolicy.html ------------ ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>
