Bill Gates on Education Reform and the Budget Crisis

Bill Gates, the well-known founder of Microsoft and an avid philanthropist may be more notorious these days for his heroic efforts in the education reform sector. Gates has been outspoken about the need for U.S. educational reform from preschool to post-graduate school and his most recent commentary details his opinions on school's monetary reforms. His suggestions run the monetary gamut: from ending pay increases for teachers who have earned master's degrees or have acquired seniority to ending teacher's efforts to reduce class sizes. Instead, suggests Gates, "rebuild the budget based on excellence-" or teachers' overall ability to motivate students and raise student achievement rates.

In an economy still enduring a budget crisis (New Jersey, for example has a $10 billion deficit; Ohio is right behind with an $8 billion deficit) officials are trying to find ways to reform without much monetary support. U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, recently delivered a speech in Washington which drew on Gates' recent comments and solution ideas. In his "Band for the Buck in Schooling," speech, Duncan placed a great deal of importance on education reform despite financial shortcomings. To fix the education system, noted Duncan, real, transformational change must occur rather than seeking out short-term options to get school budgets back on track. Shortening school years, reducing bus routes and other short-term solutions won't necessarily help either the education or financial systems long-term.

Gates advocates and secretary Duncan supports a more innovative approach, an approach which can both help to fix the faltering education system while restructuring and ultimately improving the nation's public education budget. By holding teachers to a higher standard and paying them according to their level of student achievement, the education system can be transformed.

Gates has long advocated for improved student achievement, retention and graduation rates and the current budget crisis, he says, is making changes like these all the more necessary. The ideas may seem radical to some, but with both the national education and budget systems falling short, more innovative approaches, like those advocated by Gates and Duncan need to be considered.

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Microsoft Windows - How Bill Gates Stole My Idea!

Just kidding, I love you Bill Gates, you are my Jedi Master! But, way back in 1984, with my first computer, the Apple IIe, I learnt Apple Basic and had an idea for speeding up the process of using the computer. For those of you, who are unfamiliar with the early days of micro-computers, or personal computers ("PC's"), there was no such thing as Windows. No mouse, no icons, no start menus..."NADDA"! To understand what the early days of home computers usage was like, simply go to your Windows Start Menu and find, under "Accessories", "Command Prompt". That black screen you are looking at, with that simple ">:" icon, was all you had in the early days of the 1980's.

User's of the Apple IIe used DOS and Apple Basic. DOS was an acronym for Disk Operating System, a means to actually control the use of the floppy disk drive storage system. Apple Basic was the IIe's language. So the legendary "Hello World" program came with the User's Manual of the IIe. You would turn on the IIe in the back, the large video monitor would warm up and you would have a black screen with a blinking white prompt next to the infamous ">:" icon. If you wanted to run a program you would simply type in the command for directory and "poof" the list of programs would be listed. To run, you would have to type in the command for ">:Run HelloWorld". Very similar if you use the Control Prompt in Windows. The IIe used a 80 column peripheral card. Meaning a graphics card that only produced 80 columns of text. So no Mario jumping or Master Chief "tea-bagging" around the universe.

After getting familiar with the User's Manual I got a pretty good grip on Apple Basic. After a while I was able to create programs for balancing your check book or creating a scheduler. Mainly programs that would produce reports, or store data, but the user could enter input and save it. Most Apple games used the idea of Dungeons and Dragons, where it would display simply text and sound then you would respond appropriately. The Word Processor was the most important software to my friends and I, because of the ability of not having to redo typing!!!!

Eventually I started to ask if there was a way to make things more user friendly. So I created programs that would allow the user to see all programs available on disk and all they had to do was choose which one. I was pretty pleased with my self. In 1987, at the age of 18, I signed up with the Coast Guard. After leaving the service and going to Computer Learning Center I finally was introduced to C++. The current language used by modern programmers for applications. Then in 1990, at my first job as a HelpDesk Support Programmer, I got my very first computer with Windows! Ahhhhhh mouse, what a wonderful word!!!!!!!! And at the same time "Dohhh!" Bill Gates beat me to the punch!!! (hehe) The job, as a support guy, still used the same type of operating system DOS. I wouldn't see Windows, again, until the mid 90s when the internet was introduced to the public.

Today, I'm enjoying the "techno-revolution". Cell phones, internet, I-Phones, MP3 players, virtual reality......my mind is exploding!!! But I am thankful to those wonderful peeps, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, for catapulting technology to the place we are today. Even though Mr. Gates stole my idea!!!! ;0)

Hi I am Jim Carrillo. I have my own business as a Help Desk programmer. So if you have a computer or Windows related problem check out my website:

http://tekkynasekky.webs.com/

I hope to have further articles of more interest in upcoming days. Please let me know how I'm doing! Thanks!

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Apologies to Bill Gates

One month during the last century, I rather presumptuously opined that "Bill Gates needs to get a life." In a monthly message as President of the local bar association, I took note of reports that Gates' number 2, Steve Ballmer, had audited Bill's last-year calendars to point out where his time was not best spent. It was safe to guess, I said, that "Ballmer did not encourage his boss to spend more time with his new kid, or in church, or reading a good novel, or writing poetry, or visiting friends.... After all, Microsoft loses money if Bill pauses to pick up a $500 bill on the sidewalk."

My point was that I and most lawyers tended, in ordering our priorities, to put quantifiable short term goals ahead of the less obvious payoffs from, for example, pro bono work or training-much less sacrificing a billable hour listening to a Mozart's Sonata for Piano and Violin in C Major. I urged all us lawyers to leaven the Gates singular focus with "serious doses of family, right-brain, and no-brain activity: learning the two-step or Irish jig; mentoring a foster child; riding a bike across America; studying the Koran; trekking in Nepal; becoming a gourmet cook."

So here we are ten years later and guess what? Bill Gates has become one of the world's great benefactors and a model to us all. The July 5, 2010 issue of Fortune, "The $600 Billion Challenge," reports that Bill and Warren Buffett have been quietly working to secure pledges by the world's billionaires to donate at least 50% of their fortunes, either while alive or through their estates. That challenge could bear fruit enriching the lives of millions for centuries to come. Already the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to which Buffett is adding much of his wealth, is investing over $3 billion a year in the fight against malaria, HIV/Aids and other scourges of civilization. Meanwhile Mr. Gates, still Microsoft's non-executive chairman, makes time to drop off or pick up his kids from school when he's home, and his "family almost never misses spending Sunday evenings together.... "

In my first run at this, I concluded that "Time is indeed precious. The waste is in spending it all in one place." Still true. But also true, in spades, is that Bill Gates has a life. And is using his time to ensure and enrich the lives of many others. My apologies, Mr. Gates.

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How Bill Gates Really Made His Money - All The Lies Exposed

I know you know bill gates. He's that rich dude who dropped out of Harvard, started Microsoft and bam in a few years became a billionaire. Yeah right, you've heard all that jazz before. But is it true? Is everything you heard about bill gates the real deal? Maybe you won't think so, by the time you finish. Just read on.

In case you don't know it, the most popular PR method of wiping up frenzies and turning a start-up into the most popular and valuable commodity is to twist the truth a little bit, not obviously lie but do it in a way as to create awe and acceptance.

How do I mean?

If you have an interest in rap music, then you must have heard that the immensely popular rapper 50 cent got shot nine times. Well he only got shot nine times in one incident! Definitely not nine different times. But who cares? That's what his record company says, and rap fans lap it up. It's a similar theme to the Bill Gates story.

Here's the story that's floating around currently and all the lies exposed.

Bill Gates was your average Joe who happened to love computers and hit on the brilliant idea that personal computers who would soon be in demand all over the world and decided to create software that would make using the computer easy. (Lie #1)

He got admitted into Harvard to study law. But he's bored stiff with all the legal stuff and decides to quit. So he drops out and he starts his own company. While he's there in Harvard, he meets Paul Allen and together they start Microsoft. Then soon they find a venture capital firm who provides their start-up capital. (Lie #2)

Then they develop a computer program which they licensed to IBM while retaining the license to sell the program to other companies. (Now doesn't it just strike you to be a little odd that Bill's company got that deal? I mean Microsoft wasn't even a big enough company then. Sure Bill was a brilliant guy but then... (Lie #3)

Fast forward a few years; Bill creates the program which will prove his golden jackpot, the Windows 3.0. (Lie #4)

Wow, what an incredible classic American story, one of grass to grace. But the REAL TRUTH is that The King of Microsoft, perhaps one of the brightest business men ever had a few breaks in life. He may be the second richest man in the world today, but he was in pretty good shape on the day of his birth! Let's expose the lies right away.

Lie #1 EXPOSED:

You see, Bill wasn't your average poor, I-have-a-butcher-for-a-father Joe. His father, Bill Gates Jr. was a wealthy and very successful corporate lawyer long before Bill invented any software. But Daddy was nothing compared to Mom! Bill's mother, Mary Gates, was the grand daughter of J. W Maxwell, the founder of Seattle's National City bank in 1906. I'll also have you know that in his early years, he attended Lakeside School, one of the most prestigious and expensive private schools in the Pacific Northwest. That's where he met and befriended Paul Allen, not in Harvard.

Lie #2 EXPOSED:

He picked the perfect parents, PARENTS WHO WERE ONLY TOO GLAD TO PROVIDE HIM WITH START-UP FUNDS FOR HIS COMPANY! With Bill's rich background and connections provided by his parents, is it still any surprise to you that Bill got the money he needed to start-up his company? He had access to millions of dollars in a trust set up by his great-grandfather on the day he was born and a bank to boot!

Lie #3 EXPOSED:

Bill's mother was a well connected businesswoman and served on various boards as a director of first Interstate bank and Pacific Northwest Bell. But wait it gets better (pun intended). Mary also served on the board of directors of United Way and who do you suppose served alongside her on that same board? John Opel, CEO of IBM! Do you see now how bill and Microsoft got that deal with IBM? Connections are really necessary for success, what do ya think?

While serving on that board table with IBM's CEO, IBM just happened to choose Mary Gate's son, Bill, to develop the operating system (called MS-DOS) for all IBM personal computers. Now that's a break you don't get everyday!

Lie #4 EXPOSED:

Bill never invented Windows 3.0, nor did his busload of computer programmers. That nifty piece of real art was invented by an ordinary guy like you and I. Bill bought it off him for a whopping $50,000! I wonder if the mafia was trying to collect from him and he had to sell that fast and that low. By now he must be cursing himself because Bill is a billionaire just because of Windows 3.0.

According to Microsoft legend, Bill dropped out of school to create Microsoft and change the world. Don't you think that maybe one of the reasons he was so quick to take that risk was that he had no worry about who would pay the bills?

Before you think I hate Bill, I don't. On the contrary I love the guy. What with his charity exploits around the world, I can't hate him, even if I wanted to. And don't forget he gave me Windows and Office. Those two software has made my life easier.

Whether you think that's right or not, that's your opinion. All I want you to know is that if you want to get rich, achieve immense success, become famous or anything, you will achieve a much better chance modeling successful people who come from the same background as you and still made it to the top.

All is not always as it seems, before you go out and start looking for someone to mentor you, you need to be sure that they are coming from the same background as you do. If they're not, you'll just feel inadequate and won't learn a thing from them.

If you are from an ordinary background, I tell you now that you can make it top the top. Yes, you can, if you'll take the time to discover the one and only but often ignored success technique that works every single time without fail. What is this technique? Why don't you click on the link in my resource box below to find out?

Success is yours.

© Ikenna Nzimora, 2007. Did you know that 90% of people around the world fail because they don't know the one and only but often ignored success technique that works every single time without fail? Find out exactly what it is and how easily you can use it to achieve massive success in life. Here: [http://www.failurebuster.com]

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The Basics Behind the Bill Gates Scholarship

Often times in American culture, when a person becomes rich and famous they forget about those who get left behind. This has not been the case with Bill Gates who, in conjunction with his wife Melinda Gates, formed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This organization is designed to create and distribute a variety of scholarships and grants, all of which are often referred to through a single term: the Bill Gates scholarship.

So, how does a Bill Gates scholarship work? All of them are designed to help low income students of color; or specifically African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islanders. There is also an academic focus, though this requirement is not as strict as other scholarship programs. For example, the Gates Millennium Scholars Programs, (perhaps the most well-known Bill Gates scholarship), only requires a 3.3 GPA for eligibility. Other programs may only require a GED or, (in the case of graduate scholarships), a Bachelor's Degree.

As far as payment, the amount will range according to the program you're applying for. But for the most part, you can expect a few thousand dollars each semester. So, depending on the college you're going to, a Bill Gates scholarship may not be enough to fund all of your education. That's why you should try to supplement with college jobs or additional scholarships. Still, a Bill Gates scholarship will put a significant dent in your bills, which is why you should definitely consider applying.

With that being said, how does a person go about applying for a Bill Gates scholarship? The easiest way is to visit the website associated with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, (which can be found at GatesFoundation.org). You can alternatively apply through your high school guidance counselor or through your college's financial aid department. Either way, make sure you act fast as these awards are very competitive. Ultimately, if you drag your feet, there will be someone else to take your place.

To find HUNDREDS of unclaimed scholarships right now please visit: [http://www.search4collegemoney.com]

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How Bill Gates Improved His Presentations - And So Can You!

On his blog, Presentation Zen author Garr Reynolds gives well-deserved credit to Bill Gates for improving his presentations over the years. Being the master of gorgeous visuals, Reynolds of course addresses the tremendous improvement of Bill Gates' slides. Gates slides now include full screen pictures, minimal text and greatly simplified data. Having attractive slides has an overwhelmingly positive visual impact on a presentation. And since sight is the sense we as humans seem to trust the most, improving slides is very important.

Reynolds also points out from the 2009 presentation by Bill and Melinda Gates presentation and the 2010 Ted presentation by Bill Gates, that Bill's delivery has gotten better. As Reynolds notes, in 2010 Gates is no longer able to read his presentation so he make much better eye contact with the audience. The truth I suspect is that Gates never needed a script in the first place with either presentation. Gates knows this material well - it's very much internalized. The improved eye contact helps Gates make a better connection with the audience and he even appears more relaxed as a result.

There's one other improvement between the 2009 and the 2010 speech that Reynolds doesn't point out but which deserves attention: In the 2010 presentation, Bill Gates skips what I call the "blah, blah, blah opening." In the 2009 presentation, Gates starts by saying, "Well, good evening. It's great to see all of you here. If you came for the hockey game..." which is what I would classify as the blah, blah, blah start. Gates spent 15 seconds saying trite, disengaging blather that was totally unneeded, did nothing to connect him to the audience, and provided no value to the topic on which he spoke. Contrast that with how Gates started his TED talk where his first words were, "I'm going to talk today about energy and climate." Boom. There it is. No blah, blah, blah. He got right to his talk. Such a start is a vast improvement over lame references that get a nervous, uncomfortable laugh from the audience. It makes the audience sit up and pay attention - and don't we all appreciate it when we know a speaker isn't wasting their time.

But to get an even bigger improvement, I'd like to challenge Gates to do something that few executives dare to do - but when done, is extremely powerful. To improve even more, I suggest Gates start with a personal story.

The 2009 presentation started with a film, pointing to individual people who were "Living Proof" that financial aid to Africa is having a positive impact on real people. The film had the words "Living Proof" tagging individuals featured in the film. The film was very powerful. Now, imagine the impact Gates could have had if he'd started with a personal story about his real life encounter with one of these individuals who is "Living Proof" that financial aid works. It would be easy for him to tell such a story because he lived the event. Being more at ease would help him and his audience. In the 2010 speech on energy and climate imagine Gates really grabbing the attention of the audience by telling the story of seeing school boys studying under the street lights because they had no electricity. Audience members would be naturally more drawn in to such as story. While Gates dropped the blah, blah, blah start, which was a big improvement, a story would have been even better in engaging the hearts and minds of the listeners.

Executives and technologist are often reticent to include personal stories in their presentations. After all, many of them are successful because of their wonderfully logical brains. But all humans, technical and nontechnical, are wired by emotions. Tapping into that emotion makes for better connections and engagement.

Bravo to Bill Gates for being open to improving his presentation graphics and his speech style. I'd love to see him take it up one more notch, so that next year, I'm writing about his further transformation of audience engagement by telling a personal story.

(To see Garr Reynold's post go to http://ht.ly/2vUsK.)

So how about you? Are you willing to get out of your comfort zone? Can you change your slides so that instead of bullets, you have full screen picture, minimal text and simplified data? Can you trust yourself to know your material and not rely on reading your notes when you address your audience? Can you resist the temptation of starting with the blah, blah, blah opening? Are you willing to be different and connect with your audience by telling a personal story? If you are, send me links to your speeches so I can praise you in future articles! If you need help, come see me at Communications for Everyone and let's talk!

Kelly Vandever is the presentations skills expert with a technology twist. With 9 years of studying the art and science of presentations and 13 years of technology industry experience, Kelly is on the leading edge of how business presentations must transform to meet the needs of tech savvy audiences. Kelly can be reached through the company web site http://CommunicationsForEveryone.com.

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A Perspective on Bill Gates and Microsoft

Bill Gates isn't exactly popular with many people. In fact, a lot of people hate him. Maybe you are one of them.

That's a shame. Bill Gates does not deserve to be hated. He's incredibly generous and giving. He has a foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, spends 1.5 billion per year - all on charitable causes. That number is so big it is hard to even imagine.

In fact, Bill Gates has now dedicated himself to charitable work through his foundation full time. He retired from Microsoft in order to do this. Surprisingly, some people still think he's an asshole. These people are generally the type who are jealous and bitter and negative about anyone else's success.

Now, no way is Microsoft the perfect company. But the perfect company doesn't exist! Microsoft is a lot less evil than many companies in corporate America.

Bill Gates has been a tremendous success, and is very generous. There is no reason to have any feelings toward the man other than respect, and to admire what he has built from nothing with Microsoft.

Let's be realists here. You can't give to others if you have nothing. If Bill Gates had not started out taking, he would have had nothing to give. Who would have benefited if he had been humble instead of ambitious? Nobody.

Bill Gates was smart enough to get that. He is a brilliant man, and he built a corporation so impressive that he could then become a real force for change in the world. Instead of sitting around complaining about how he has all this money, maybe ask yourself what you are doing to make the world a better place.

Bill Gates is busy every day, fighting world hunger, giving money for AIDS research, just generally being an amazing person who is trying to help everyone.

You only hurt yourself when you resent others' successes. If you believe that rich people get rich because they are greedy and crooked, what does that say about your chances of becoming wealthy? If you think you are a good person, and rich people are bad people, you aren't likely to become rich

Additional subjects I write about are finding good a good first up canopy and outdoor chandelier.

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