Comments on: Bill Gates on Education Reform in Feb 2009 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2009/02/15/bill-gates-on-education-reform-in-feb-2009/ Weblog of Wesley Fryer Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:55:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech » Blog Archive » Defining “Teacher” http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2009/02/15/bill-gates-on-education-reform-in-feb-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-66591 Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech » Blog Archive » Defining “Teacher” Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:38:34 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=3379#comment-66591 [...] again, simple access to great content in a variety of formats is not the only we need. Wes Fryer’s review of Bill Gates recent Ted talk addresses this issue: In his speech, think Bill made a contradictory [...] [...] again, simple access to great content in a variety of formats is not the only we need. Wes Fryer’s review of Bill Gates recent Ted talk addresses this issue: In his speech, think Bill made a contradictory [...]

]]> By: Alice Aspen March http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2009/02/15/bill-gates-on-education-reform-in-feb-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-66580 Alice Aspen March Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:18:22 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=3379#comment-66580 Yes, kids need to pay attention. They also need to receive attention, the kind that makes them feel good, supported and thrilled about what they're doing, especially when they're in their "element" as Sir Ken Robinson writes - and I have heard him two times, which is hardly enough - we need to support our kids passions, their intrinsic gifts, their souls, rather than making them into conforming employees...our entire perspective about kids, schools and parenting needs to be overhauled...We need more right- brain thinkers to get out of left-brain, statistical thinking --- humans are just not statistics! Yes, kids need to pay attention. They also need to receive attention, the kind that makes them feel good, supported and thrilled about what they’re doing, especially when they’re in their “element” as Sir Ken Robinson writes – and I have heard him two times, which is hardly enough – we need to support our kids passions, their intrinsic gifts, their souls, rather than making them into conforming employees…our entire perspective about kids, schools and parenting needs to be overhauled…We need more right- brain thinkers to get out of left-brain, statistical thinking — humans are just not statistics!

]]> By: Greg Carroll http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2009/02/15/bill-gates-on-education-reform-in-feb-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-66562 Greg Carroll Sun, 15 Feb 2009 21:51:21 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=3379#comment-66562 I agree Wes (http://blog.core-ed.net/greg/2009/02/bill-gates-on-what-makes-a-great-teacher.html). As a Principal I think it is sad that so much air time is given to the non-educators when they spout about education. What Bill Gates is espousing will work well to produce computers but we are not in the business of turning out clones in our schools. Are test scores the real/only 'test' of educational success? What about the ARTS? What about being a useful member of society? I believe schools have an obligation to ignite passion in children - for learning and for life. Please tell me we are not going to say a kid is a '2b' for passion? Skilled teachers develop relationships and instill passion and commitment in the children in their class/es. This is not something you will get from a video or is replicable in terms of simple 'behaviour'. As I finished my post ...."This sort of industrial, cookie-cutter model of our profession demeans it." cheers Greg I agree Wes (http://blog.core-ed.net/greg/2009/02/bill-gates-on-what-makes-a-great-teacher.html). As a Principal I think it is sad that so much air time is given to the non-educators when they spout about education.
What Bill Gates is espousing will work well to produce computers but we are not in the business of turning out clones in our schools. Are test scores the real/only ‘test’ of educational success? What about the ARTS? What about being a useful member of society? I believe schools have an obligation to ignite passion in children – for learning and for life.
Please tell me we are not going to say a kid is a ’2b’ for passion?

Skilled teachers develop relationships and instill passion and commitment in the children in their class/es. This is not something you will get from a video or is replicable in terms of simple ‘behaviour’.
As I finished my post ….”This sort of industrial, cookie-cutter model of our profession demeans it.”
cheers
Greg

]]> By: links for 2009-02-15 | Collateral Learning http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2009/02/15/bill-gates-on-education-reform-in-feb-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-66560 links for 2009-02-15 | Collateral Learning Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:00:32 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=3379#comment-66560 [...] Bill Gates on Education Reform in Feb 2009 » Moving at the Speed of Creativity (tags: education fromtwitter) [...] [...] Bill Gates on Education Reform in Feb 2009 » Moving at the Speed of Creativity (tags: education fromtwitter) [...]

]]> By: Brad Wilson http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2009/02/15/bill-gates-on-education-reform-in-feb-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-66548 Brad Wilson Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:18:47 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=3379#comment-66548 Wes, couldn't agree with you more here. I watched this Gates speech with interest this week since I recently returned from an Apple Education briefing (http://dreambition.blogspot.com/2009/01/apple-executive-briefing-feasibility-of.html) and wanted to compare his philosophies to those of Apple. I was also uninspired and disappointed on the whole, although YES great teachers are the first order of business in any school. I wonder if it is a business move not to mention lowering the student-to-computer ratio since Apple dominates the world of 1:1? Also, it made me cringe to hear him calling for more testing and data. Its great when huge philanthopic efforts are focused on education, but I agree with you that Mr. Gates could use some direction from Sir Ken (among many others)on how our students can really succeed with 21st c. teaching and learning environments. Wes, couldn’t agree with you more here. I watched this Gates speech with interest this week since I recently returned from an Apple Education briefing (http://dreambition.blogspot.com/2009/01/apple-executive-briefing-feasibility-of.html) and wanted to compare his philosophies to those of Apple. I was also uninspired and disappointed on the whole, although YES great teachers are the first order of business in any school. I wonder if it is a business move not to mention lowering the student-to-computer ratio since Apple dominates the world of 1:1? Also, it made me cringe to hear him calling for more testing and data. Its great when huge philanthopic efforts are focused on education, but I agree with you that Mr. Gates could use some direction from Sir Ken (among many others)on how our students can really succeed with 21st c. teaching and learning environments.

]]> By: Blake http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2009/02/15/bill-gates-on-education-reform-in-feb-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-66547 Blake Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:24:30 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=3379#comment-66547 You can reduce high school drop outs by requiring a high school diploma to receive a permanent drivers license!Remember driving is a privilege not a right. You can reduce high school drop outs by requiring a high school diploma to receive a permanent drivers license!Remember driving is a privilege not a right.

]]> By: Charlie A. Roy http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2009/02/15/bill-gates-on-education-reform-in-feb-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-66545 Charlie A. Roy Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:15:37 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=3379#comment-66545 @ Wes I think anyone with a head on their shoulders knows that great teachers make a huge difference. I'd rather have my sons crammed into a classroom with 40 kids and have a great teacher than a room with 10 and an average teacher. From an administrator perspective I would love to spend every day roaming the halls visiting classrooms and providing immediate feedback but you've hit on the elephant of "time". Administrators are hired to be instructional leaders but the majority of their time is spent putting out fires caused by the 5% of teachers in the building who are terrible or the 5% of adult constituents who have some underlying pathology. But anyway this post and others certainly challenge me as an administrator to reflect on how much of my time is spent on improving the quality of teaching. I think the more time I can allocate to this area the bigger impact it will have on students and their engagement. @ Wes
I think anyone with a head on their shoulders knows that great teachers make a huge difference. I’d rather have my sons crammed into a classroom with 40 kids and have a great teacher than a room with 10 and an average teacher. From an administrator perspective I would love to spend every day roaming the halls visiting classrooms and providing immediate feedback but you’ve hit on the elephant of “time”. Administrators are hired to be instructional leaders but the majority of their time is spent putting out fires caused by the 5% of teachers in the building who are terrible or the 5% of adult constituents who have some underlying pathology. But anyway this post and others certainly challenge me as an administrator to reflect on how much of my time is spent on improving the quality of teaching. I think the more time I can allocate to this area the bigger impact it will have on students and their engagement.

]]> By: Steve Shann http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2009/02/15/bill-gates-on-education-reform-in-feb-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-66537 Steve Shann Sun, 15 Feb 2009 08:01:07 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=3379#comment-66537 What an excellent post. I love your balanced approach, carefully sifting what is promising and true in Gates's analysis, and where he makes those common assumptions that are so detrimental to really significant educational reform. I don't know much about Bill Gates beyond the superficial stuff that's written in the press here in Australia, but I get the impression from your summary (I haven't watched the video) that he is thoughtful and genuinely wanting to make a difference. I wonder who is advising him? I wonder how people like you might give him some other things to think about? What an excellent post. I love your balanced approach, carefully sifting what is promising and true in Gates’s analysis, and where he makes those common assumptions that are so detrimental to really significant educational reform. I don’t know much about Bill Gates beyond the superficial stuff that’s written in the press here in Australia, but I get the impression from your summary (I haven’t watched the video) that he is thoughtful and genuinely wanting to make a difference. I wonder who is advising him? I wonder how people like you might give him some other things to think about?

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