Enter "Generation I"

The responsibility to provide access for all to the most incredible learning tool ever created.

This article appeared in the March 2000 issue of magazine.

by Bill Gates

We are living in a truly fascinating time of change and promise. Within just a few years, rapid advancements in technology have transformed the way we do business, the way we communicate, the way we live. These advances have also changed the way we teach and learn. To me, the most exciting aspect of this new technology is its potential as an educational tool for a new generation. Being on the cusp of this enormous cultural shift makes it a thrilling time to be a part of the education community.

I have begun to think of the kids born during the past decade as Generation I, the Internet generation. The full impact of the Internet will be felt not by us but by them. They will have no memory of life without the Net. They will be mystified by our record albums, because to them, music will simply be something that is downloaded from the Web onto their computers, where they can organize songs exactly as they wish to listen to them. And while the printed book will not disappear, reading a novel on-line wont be an alien concept.

Generation I will be able to conceive of the Internets possibilities far more profoundly than we can today. This new generation will become agents of change as the limits of the Internet expand to include educational, scientific, and business applications that we cannot even imagine.

But with this promise of the future comes a challenge and a responsibility for all of us ¾ the educators, parents, and communities of these children. Its our job to provide them with the tools they need to master the new technology and move it forward.

What are the key things we need to do? We need to post great content on the Internet. We need to find more efficient ways of classifying and linking content. We need to train youngsters to use the Internet responsibly, and we need to think hard about how to avoid exposing them to damaging on-line material.

What is important is that we make it our goal to provide every classroom in every school with Internet access. Then we can build a learning community in which schools, parents, kids, museums, libraries, and neighborhood organizations creatively share information and resources.

Technology by itself is not the answer, of course. The answer is great teachers who are able not only to use technology but to rethink and adapt traditional curricula to its possibilities. Today, only 20 percent of teachers surveyed say that they feel prepared to use technology effectively. Corporations, philanthropists, and government must, therefore, invest in massive training to prepare teachers for tomorrows classroom.

The Internet can be the most incredible learning tool ever created. But we must come together to make the Connected Learning Community a reality ¾ because Generation I is just the beginning.

Adapted from a recent speech given by Microsoft chairman Bill Gates upon receiving the New York Institute of Technologys Presidents Medal Leadership Award.

©2000 Instructor. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.