Despite all of his success, Bill Gates is always eager to learn something new. And the Microsoft co-founder is inspired by those who are doing the teaching.
In his latest Gates Notes blog post, Gates meets Camille Jones, the 2017 Teacher of the Year for the state of Washington. Jones teaches teaches STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math — at Pioneer Elementary in Quincy, a small farming town in Central Washington.
Gates admits that, while he loves computers, he never got into taking them apart and putting them together. He admires people who are good at working with their hands, and in Jones’ classes, imagination is sparked at a young age through hands-on projects.
“I’m looking for kids who would benefit from being pushed a little harder,” Jones told Gates. “I see kids who are struggling to buy into the idea that they should try things that are hard. And kids who are succeeding become better advocates for challenging work. When you do something difficult and new, your brain grows. It changes your attitude and your perspective on the rest of your education.”
Gates also got the chance to test his own engineering know-how, by participating in a simple exercise with Jones using nothing more than index cards and pennies.
Jones credits the Museum of Science in Boston with the idea for the lesson, which Gates appreciated.
“Technology is making it easier for teachers to find these tools, which is one of the things that makes me hopeful about the future of education,” he wrote.
