Philanthropy: Jobs Vs. Gates - Who's Done More For Education?

From all that's been written in the last couple of days about Steve Jobs' impact on educators and schools (and on the rest of us, too) it might be easy to surmise that Jobs may have had more effect on public education than his counterpart at Microsoft despite his lack of focus on education philanthropy. So many kids and educators learned computers on Apple machines -- Apple has targeted schools with massive subsidies -- and the brand is closely associated with user creativity and design excellence.  Jobs' widow is on the TFA board. Etc.  Then again, he's been quoted as virulently anti-union (PCWorld) and there's no Apple or Jobs Foundation giving billions to help poor kids or fix public education (see here). Those who dislike the Gates Foundation's approach and programmatic efforts might prefer Jobs, but those less viruently opposed to all things Gates might say that Gates has done more.  

Comments

[Tom]

Does this calculation take into account the cost of Windows security problems and general bad design; e.g., what's the total cost of anti-virus software for all the schools in the country over the past two decades?

[Tom]

Does this calculation take into account the cost of Windows security problems and general bad design; e.g., what's the total cost of anti-virus software for all the schools in the country over the past two decades?

[Tom]

Does this calculation take into account the cost of Windows security problems and general bad design; e.g., what's the total cost of anti-virus software for all the schools in the country over the past two decades?

[CarolineSF]

All this would depend on the result of a calculation determining whether Gates' efforts have been a net positive or net negative. In that case, Jobs wins by simply not attempting to control our national education policy, even if he hadn't revolutionized communication and information.

[Abbygayle]

Jobs by far!

[Mark]

God bless both of them. Anything to counteract the 600 pound gorilla of American Politics - teacher unions.

[Aubrey]

It's impossible to deny the effect Jobs has had on how we teach regardless of his philanthropic views. We are talking about how to use the media coverage of his death as a way to implement media literacy as well as critical thinking,reading, and writing. http://www.wheretheclassroomends.com

[Aubrey]

It's impossible to deny the effect Jobs has had on how we teach regardless of his philanthropic views. We are talking about how to use the media coverage of his death as a way to implement media literacy as well as critical thinking,reading, and writing. http://www.wheretheclassroomends.com

[Mary]

I look back on Jobs' influence on my own education, and those dear to me.

My Sammy learned to write code when he was 7, playing "Rocky's Boots" on an Apple. His classroom was in a beautiful converted barn surrounded by apple orchards, actually. There were domes scattered around, for musical instruments and a pottery studio.

Jobs (and Wozniak) didn't try to capture regulatory authority over schools to shove "E-learning" down his throat. Nobody even imagined that was possible at the time, even in the midst of Gates' clawing battle for market share.

Gates "won", and nearly drove Apple under, but it's still (by far) the best system, especially for artists and musicians. They tell you so by choosing it, under no duress.

Sammy's got a PhD from Columbia in computational biology now, and drives a roomful of Crays. He put up a little tribute to the Woz, in his only recognition of Jobs' passing. Did you actually read the NY Times commentary Alexander cited? Jobs "knifed the baby" indeed, when he finally locked Apple itself into the industry's knowledge-choking market-share battle. Sammy chose a Droid. "Information wants to be free."

His little brother is a musician, with an undergraduate concentration in dramatic arts (don't sneer - he's SAG eligible). His cohort wants nothing but Apple, because they can record and mix and edit and publish everything they do.

My husband was a post-doc at Berkeley when the web first went up (Gore really did write the legislation that turned ARPAnet over to the world's universities). We'd gotten Sammy a PC long ago for his games, but it was on our Mac that we first dialed into the web, tracked a citation, and within minutes were planning a collaboration with its Japanese authors.

None of the analytical equipment in the labs can talk to an Apple, though, and he brings data home on a flash drive. So, it is on a PC that I write this, and I'm looking out at you through Windows.

If Gates had been willing to even let "markets" determine the role of his data-processing empire in education, his contribution to the education explosion that of the computer era would have been historic. I was inclined to believe in his good will (for a couple of years) until I actually saw what he's doing.

Gates has done incalculable harm to education. The children he trapped and "held accountable" to his monopolistic edudrivel are coming to me now in my classroom, barely verbal, let alone literate. Their entire childhood learning window was stolen from them by his data mongers, while they were immobilized and forbidden to even engage in the natural give-and-take of human interaction in their classrooms.

Jobs offered Macs to children in schools, with useful and engaging programs they could turn off whenever they wanted. I disagree with his labor philosophy, and think the outsourcing arrangements Apple has made should be illegal, but he never subborned or threatened my state legislators to expand his control. May he rest in peace.

[Online MBA Programs]

Steve Jobs was a great person, who brought about a revolution in the computer world. He will always be remembered.

[Steve]

i agree with last post