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[school-discuss] Microsoft initiatives...
There's another angle to this. When we sought to get even tiny discounts
from Microsoft in the late nineties, it was unwilling to offer anything.
Now it realises that Free Software (FLOSS) can be a real challenge to its
dominance, starting with education, it seems keen to beat down the
competition. It is perhaps not without significance that the offer is
being made to areas of the globe from which reports have come up of the
deployment of Free Software in education.
My view is that the alternatives have to be kept alive, and not just that,
also strengthened. A whole lot of things are happening globally, and the
best part of the Free Software story is that it is so easily sharable and
replicable. FN
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2003 09:47:09 -0500
> From: "Daryl Martyris" <dmartyris@hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: Microsoft launches new tech training program for schoolsworldwide...
>
> I don't think this is so much of an issue with GSCP. We're primarily
> focussing on the 21 LTSP schools, then the 50 or so stand-alone Linux
> schools in that order...I doubt MS would be interested in these.
>
> Basically any MS program targetting disadvantaged schools in India
> would have to work through the state governments who are financing
> computers in schools these days. I don't see such an approach working
> easily.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Paul J. Dravis
> To: gscp@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Saturday, September 27, 2003 12:00 AM
> Subject: Re: [gscp] Microsoft launches new tech training program for schoolsworldwide...
>
>
> What is the interpretation of this news related to the GSCP effort?
>
> Frederick Noronha (FN) wrote:
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 16:09:52 -0400
> From: "George (s) Lessard" <media@web.net>
> Subject: [GKD] Microsoft Launches New Tech Training Program For Schools Worldwide
>
> 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)
>
>
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