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When he’s passionate about something, it’s like he’s playing mental hoops on stage. (more photos)

“Five years from now on the web for free you’ll be able to find the best lectures in the world. It will be better than any single university. College – except for the parties – needs to be less place-based.”

“Our textbooks are three times longer than their Asian equivalents. They’re giant, intimidating books. I look at them and think: what on Earth is in there? A 300 page math book? There aren’t that many tough concepts in algebra. The hardest thing in education is motivation.”

“Thank god for charter schools. There is no room for innovation in the standard system.”

Oh, and it’s sop refreshing to see speakers who don’t have PR people reminding them what not to say.

11 responses to “Bill Gates on Education”

  1. Dr DAD (Daniel A D'Auria MD) Avatar
    Dr DAD (Daniel A D’Auria MD)

    Kids and motivation…..isn’t that the biggest issue?! Perhaps that is why I find Rocket Mavericks so inspiring. We need to give kids a vision of the world that is bigger and better than what they get from the standard media!

    Reply
  2. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    You just made someone’s day. I am emailing him a link to this…

    Reply
  3. Jonathan Ruff Avatar
    Jonathan Ruff

    Bill should shatter the college book mafia while he’s at it, that would do a world of good toward both reducing the obscene price of college text books and the obscene size of them. I keep hoping the digital world will do the trick of breaking up their cartel, but I guess we’ll see.

    Reply
  4. Tamooj Avatar
    Tamooj

    @Jonathan – As long as he also helps professors improve their salaries or disrupts the tenure system at the same time – I know far too many who must rely on forcing their books down the throats of their students in order to augment their meager university salaries. 🙁
    I know increasing teacher wages is a simplistic solution – I’d rather find a way to select for teachers who motivate/inspire students, but you have to start someplace.

    Reply
  5. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Two videos just went online :

    Bill Gates on in-person vs. online education

    "He believes the $50,000 a year university education could be done via the web for as little as $2,000."

    And Bill Gates: Non-profits vs. for-profit businesses

    Reply
  6. AH in Pgh Avatar
    AH in Pgh

    fascinating to see Bill Gates so animated and expressive. thanks for sharing this with those of us who aren’t going to see him in person.

    Reply
  7. jurvetson Avatar
    jurvetson

    Thanks. I will be spending some more time with him this week. Question suggestions welcomed…

    Reply
  8. PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE Avatar
    PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

    Swimming to the mind…

    What is the latest thing, he changed his mind about ?
    And What is (or are) the strongest or strangest Meme, he has come across, over the last few years ?
    Or… What does he dream about ? (Dreaming or planning to go into space ?)
    Ho and, last time I saw him, he was talking about China, giving some very interesting facts and ideas about what was happening, or could. Anything new or worth spreading ? =)

    And I would be curious about your own answers too =)
    Merci !

    Reply
  9. solerena Avatar
    solerena

    Yep, what did he say about China?

    Reply
  10. solerena Avatar
    solerena

    Cheering for education reform!!!

    Reply
  11. jgury Avatar
    jgury

    I’m a bit fuzzy on how these cost and online education concepts work out in the hard cases like getting an MD and all higher medical education. The US MD and medical privilege barriers to entry are still very much cartels. Medical education is much different compared to producing programmers and electrical engineers. For basic competent surgeons it is more like producing good auto mechanics. Thus I have heard from top medical heretics. Clearly our medical education system has to be the most grossly overpriced major area in all of world education. Even the combined powers of Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Stanford University and Google are helpless against our US cartels of doctors and healthcare. I really don’t think it is a good thing if we let this get forced to a globalized competitive solution. Then again, a Wal Mart university and med center is not unthinkable. Those who can afford it would have private healthcare and education just like now, or travel offshore for major procedures and degrees.
    Education in Asia is no basis for comparison on any level for the US is what I would point out for Bill Gates. John Dewey is highly interesting in this regard as a major influential US educator who was also important and honored in China. That applies to the more motivated students. The more realistic solutions for basic literacy and numeracy at this point for both the US and China is to cast it all in the form of video games.
    http://www.johndeweyef.org/content/view/19/lang,EN

    Reply

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