You are likely familiar with the expression “Never look a gift horse in the mouth”. You probably know what the expression means but not why. I would only be guessing, but I assume looking in the mouth of a horse tells you the age of the horse (if you are experienced) and because you got the horse for free you should still be appreciative even if it it is an old horse. Or, I could be completely wrong.
Anyway, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan plan to give us nearly 50 billion dollars. A substantial portion of this GIFT will be invested in what I call personalized education. Personalized likely means different things to different people, but Chan and Zuckerberg believe technology can match experiences to student needs in ways that teachers cannot. Again, this position is easy to interpret because some see it as anti-teacher. I do not see it this way. Teachers work with many students and must rely on limited resources. This is their reality. Chan and Zuckerberg believe the resources they pour into an education project can provide resources teachers and districts cannot. Technology can respond to individuals when teachers simply do not have enough time.
Rich folks such as Gates and Zuckerberg are maligned because their view of what is needed in education may differ from what educators think is needed. The resources they can bring to bear seem a way to meddle. I don’t see it this way. I think we need more experimentation in education. Experimentation requires resources. If the Gates or Zuckerberg interventions are successful, they provide an opportunity for learners and they demonstrate an idea that the public did not have to spend money to demonstrate. If the efforts fail, you can take solace in the experiment without the cost.