What I'm Thinking
Speaking at the annual convention of the American Federation of Teachers recently, Bill talked about the importance of developing more effective ways to measure teaching excellence and share best practices to improve education in the classroom.
Posted 08/06/2010
Join Bill this week as he meets with college students around the country and challenges them to think about how to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Watch live webcasts on Monday and Wednesday from UC Berkeley and Harvard, and participate in the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
Posted 04/21/2010
At Microsoft, Bill periodically visited college campuses to talk with students about applying science and technology to drive new waves of innovation. Next week he is headed back to school for a booster shot of youthful energy and ideas, this time as part of his work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Posted 04/13/2010
For his lifetime contributions to computer science, the Association for Computing Machinery has honored Chuck Thacker with its prestigious Turing Award. Over four decades, Thacker’s work at Xerox PARC and Microsoft have helped pave the way for the modern personal computer.
Posted 03/09/2010
What I'm Learning
Agricultural biotechnology is controversial but essential, Bill believes, to ease the plight of the 1 billion impoverished people who live with chronic hunger. He reviews a provocative book on the realities of farming today – and its future.
Posted 03/08/2010
Knowing what caused the current economic crisis is critical if we are going to prevent the next one. A new book provides interesting background about the way the Federal Reserve managed the crisis, but important questions remain about the steps that are needed to measure and mitigate future risk.
Posted 02/22/2010
One of the real challenges in education is finding ways to give more people access to brilliant teachers who inspire and excite with their ability to bring material to life. Today there are some great examples of how technology can enable almost anyone to learn from the world’s greatest minds.
Posted 01/23/2010
Founded in 1994 by Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) is one of the most promising examples of innovative thinking in American education.
Posted 01/21/2010
Curious Classroom
Science Leadership Academy is an innovative public high school in Philadelphia with a focus on science, technology, mathematics and entrepreneurship. When Bill met with students at the school on April 29, principal Chris Lehmann thanked him “for making being a geek cool.”
Posted 07/12/2010
Secundaria Técnica #12 Hermosillo, Sonora, is a junior high school that offers a rigorous program with a focus on collaborative projects, academic standards review, and integration of special needs students into regular classes. Here are the questions they asked Bill.
Posted 01/21/2010
Conversations
In his October appearance on GPS, Fareed Zakaria’s show on CNN, Bill talked about the importance of a strong education system and the challenges we face in efforts to improve education in the U.S.
Posted 01/23/2010
