Bill Gates Stresses Online School Innovations
In a recent speech to the National Conference of State Legislatures' annual legislative summit, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates encouraged lawmakers to make use of federal stimulus money to raise the bar for educational quality and technological innovation. Online schools and programs, Gates said, can increase cost-effectiveness for financially strapped community colleges and public universities and conserve valuable educational resources—the money saved by putting lectures online, for example, could be invested in discussion and laboratory sessions.
"The world of education is the sector of the economy so far the least changed by technology," Gates said. "Ten years from now, that won't be the case, and these online lectures are the cutting edge of that."
Gates emphasized the need for common standards and best practices for both traditional and online schools in order to enhance student and teacher performance and increase graduation rates. He also stressed innovations such as the use of online tools at every level of education, from games that help kids learn math to lectures for basic classes like Physics 101.
"Imagine having the people who create electrifying video games applying their intelligence to online tools that pull kids in and make algebra fun," Gates said.
If you're planning to attend an online school, consider a program that will help you contribute to online learning in return, spreading valuable educational innovations to the schools and colleges that need them.
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