... as heard on NPR:

A much anticipated high-tech high school opened its doors last month in one of Philadelphia's poorer neighborhoods. Known as the School of the Future, the project was designed with help from technology giant Microsoft.

Microsoft Project Manager Mary Cullinane says the goal was to answer the question, "what if?"

"'What if a company like Microsoft and an organization like the School District of Philadelphia came together to build a school of the future? What would it look like?'" Cullinane says.

According to freshman Littleton Hurst, it looks "like Bill Gates' house," with a cafeteria like a restaurant and a gym "like an NBA-size basketball court."

The classrooms have the appearance of corporate meeting rooms -- complete with video projectors. Hurst laughs as he describes the coolest thing: "No pencils, no papers, no books. None."

Just laptops, which are standard issue at the school.

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The whole story:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6210622