In case you missed it, Bill Gates recently stepped down as head of Microsoft and plans to spend more time on his charitable work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates has told pretty much anyone within earshot that the American educational system needs a makeover, especially in the areas of science and math. Some people may raise their eyebrows about getting a lecture on education from someone who didn’t finish college, but I’m inclined to trust someone who knows something about the skill set that professionals need to be successful.

Educators agree that students learn science and math best when they do it for themselves through hands-on activities, and it all starts in the classroom with the furniture you purchase. Here are three kinds of school furniture that can help promote hands-on learning:

• Computer Workstations: Whether it’s educational software, web tutorials or programming and web design applications, computers give students a wide range of ways to hone the skills they can eventually use to make a living. In fact, I’m 100% sure that the people who designed this fine online school furniture guide wouldn’t have acquired their skills without sitting in front of a computer and practicing their craft. Computer Workstations give students a sturdy, comfortable place where they can concentrate on learning by doing.
• Science Furniture: Sure, students could experiment with volatile chemicals at their desks, but why potentially permanently stain or even burn a hole through conventional classroom furniture when you can buy Science Furniture specifically built for the purpose? For example, you can get a science table with a chemical resistant top or a water faucet where you can wash off the residue from your latest experiment. Whatever you choose, Science Furniture gives students free license to learn by doing without damaging the classroom.
• Interactive Electronic Whiteboards: These products take the hands-on, wide-format writability of a traditional dry erase whiteboard and transform what you write into digital information you can share with countless others through your computer and over the Internet. Now you and your students can write and sketch out math problems and science equations, then save and study them as often as you want.

Of course, there’s a lot more to education than advanced equipment, but using your budget to purchase state-of-the-art educational school furniture and products can certainly aid students in learning math and science. So if you have the funds, rest assured that Bill Gates would probably approve of your expenditures if you use them on the aforementioned items.