One of the long understood and ugly truths about teaching is that the pay is low and the investment of the teacher’s own funds for her classroom supplies are high. But Bill Gates and Common Sense Media have launched a new initiative to provide some measure or relief by creating open access content that teachers can use in their classrooms.
Bill Gates, head of the globally reknowned Microsoft corporation, has long supported education both at home and around the world through the efforts of his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Now, he’s stepping up once again to offer teachers free digital resources for their classroom use through a partnership with the non-profit Common Sense Media. The result of this partnership, Graphite, is a website where teachers can access games, apps, curriculum, and more, all in an environment where the content has been vetted for grade-level use and age-appropriate consumption.
“Graphite will make it easier for educators to find the tools they want and empower them do their best work,” Gates said in a statement. “It’s a great example of how we can support teachers who want to incorporate education technology in their classroom to help every student excel.”
Gates has long been known for his firm stance that the only solution to many of the global crises faced today is education, as well as his strong admonishment that technology companies are not doing nearly enough to support education domestically and abroad. Through his foundation, Gates has supported a number of worldwide initiatives aimed at bringing educational technology to as many students as possible.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.