prompt 4

I did not see any of the 3 schools as being as successful as a regular high school, or at least high schools that I am used to. But of the 3 I think Cupertino was the most successful. This school was in the center of a very wealthy community and because of this it was able to provide the latest technology for its students. One of the problems with Cupertino was that it did spend so much money on technology that it lacked in other areas like teachers and the other departments of the school. I find this to be a big problem, especially having inadequate teachers. While technology is great, you cannot learn anything from it if you do not have the proper instruction. There are also many other areas in school that deserve just as much attention as technology. For example, students in Cupertino were very comfortable on the computer, but they lacked skills and knowledge in English.

To me a high school should be a welcoming place and somewhere that student can feel safe. This was one of the major downfalls with the school in Texas. This school was filled with gangs and there was graffiti all over. Trying to learn in this kind of environment would be very stressful and much more difficult, and it shows by the extremely high drop out rate. As for technology, most of these kids never have a chance to work on a computer until they are in 12th grade. I cannot even remember when i first used a computer, but to not have access to that technology until you are a senior in high school would put you at a huge disadvantage. By the time you learned how to use a computer and even type on it, it would be time for college and that person would not have the capability to keep up with and compete with other college students.

Tech High was certainly an extreme example of a technology based high school. I do find that kind of a school to be successful in producing well-rounded students. Acquiring technological skills is only one of the many important areas of high school. By sitting in front of a computer all day how can you learn math or do lab experiments in science class? The biggest concern in my mind is that Tech High offers no extra curricular activities. Besides the fact of kids losing the opportunity to play sports or an instrument, they miss the opportunity to participate in social activities with their peers. There is more to high school than learning stuff out of a book (or off a computer screen). It is also an important time for students to mature socially and gain the people skills they will need to survive when they get out of school.