The following is the text of Bill Gates’ remarks at the National Conference of State Legislatures. The Microsoft co-founder shares his ideas about “how federal stimulus money should be used to spark educational innovation, spread best practices and improve accountability” along with his belief that the “U.S. must improve its educational standing in the world by rewarding effective teaching and by developing better, universal measures of performance for students and teachers” (Source).
Tag: innovation
What Lies Ahead?
We’re living in exciting times! It’s still the (late) dawn of a new century. Innovation and scientific discovery abound. Digital technologies are changing the way we work, play and stay connected. The business world is evolving and there’s the potential for positive transformation in education. This is not a new conversation. It has previously been brought to light by Karl Fish, Clay Shirky
, Clayton Christensen
, and others. The following video is based on Charles Leadbeater‘s book, We-Think: Mass Innovation, Not Mass Production
, in which he explores the potential impact of the Internet. Watch this 4 minute video and then let’s discuss it a bit.
Here are a few phrases from the video that I like.
- “The audience is taking the stage.” What a picturesque (Ooh, good word!) way to describe the whole 2.0 thing.
- “Mass innovation comes from communities…it’s like building a bird’s nest where everyone leaves their piece.”
- “Equality because knowledge can be set free to help people who need it but cannot pay.” Isn’t this a paradigm shift?! (I know, I don’t like using that phrase, either…but it is!)
- “Freedom because more people will know what it’s like to be creative.” This one hits me right between the eyes. I started this blog to share resources and interact with K-12 teachers. I had no idea just how right-brain this would be. It has become a creative outlet in some ways.
- “In the past you were what you owned. Now you are what you share…How do we earn a living when everyone is freely sharing their ideas?” Are the freeconomists right?
Here are a few side thoughts.
- Video is emerging as a dominate form of communication and whole new language and literacy are evolving right before our eyes. The graphic design and music selections used in this presentation wouldn’t have been my first (or second or third) choice but they work well. Of course, the pacing was key.
- The technological, scientific, economic, political and medical predictions for 2009 are intriguing, but none of us know what really lies ahead in the years to come. It all just reminds me that the future is truly full of potential.
So, what do YOU think? Please share your thoughts and reactions in the comments. Remember that you can also leave audio and video comments, too.