Post Revisited - Inspiration When We Need It Most

This article has been cross posted at the Tech & Learning Magazine Advisor Blog

I wrote this post over four years ago and it still holds true.  We need educators like Moliehi Sekese to continue to inspire us through all of the challenges we face as we try to innovate and make a difference. I hope you are inspired, as I was all over again, by her and her students 

Recently, I have seen too many news stories about school budgets being voted down, federal educational technology programs no longer being funded, and the continued attacks on educators from politicians and other organizations. I know that this has been going on for a while but it has really made me reflect on where we are in terms of the state of our educational programs in this country and the attitude we must take. We are a country that is supposed to be a leader in this world and we are spending more time, and money, pointing fingers then trying to fix our problems.

As educators we are supposed to be preparing our students for their futures as wise content consumers and producers. Savvy technology users that can innovate, collaborate, and be creative with a global perspective. Yet, for the most part, we continue to feel demoralized for not being given the proper support and tools to achieve these goals.

Now that I have vented, I want to put this into perspective. I want you all to meet Moliehi Sekese, a Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Teacher Award recipient. Moliehi, from the very small and poor South African country of Lesotho, has been globally recognized as an innovative integrator of technology. Her class size is about 100 students, that is not a typo, and the school does not have electricity. But she uses her personal laptop, as long as the battery lasts, and some innovative teaching techniques to teach and integrate technology. Please take time to listen to her words in the video below and read her story on Ewan McIntosh's bog. You can also, read more and see a longer interview on the Cool Cat Teacher Blog. She is an amazing woman who can teach us all how to be innovators in a time when we need it the most. As you will hear her say,

"Stop blaming the challenges. Use a stumbling block as a stepping stone to success."

So, if you are feeling sorry for yourself when you are faced with the one computer classroom or you can't get that new set of mobile devices for your school, take a minute and remember Moliehi, and what she doing to be innovative, successful and inspiring to her students and colleagues. She is certainly an example for all of us to remember when we think we can't overcome a challenge.

I will leave you with this quote, by Dr. Martin Luther King:

"If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.

It serves as a reminder to me when I get upset or depressed about that challenges that I face everyday as I try to help the teachers and students in my school district achieve their goals to become twenty-first century workers and learners. I hope it inspires you to move forward as well. I know that Moliehi is a living example.

Technology, Social Engagement and Superstorm Sandy

This article is cross posted at the Technology & Learning Advisor blog.

I feel very blessed to be someone that not only lives at the Southern New Jersey shore, but had the opportunity to grow up on one of its barrier islands. I have weathered many storms, and have heard about the really "big ones" from the old timers, but Superstorm Sandy was different.  Needless to say, we knew it was time to get out of town so we boarded up and left.

One thought going through any homeowners mind is, "What will it be like during the storm and what will the town, and our home, look like after?"  Enter the power of the Internet and social media.  During uncertain times knowing how to leverage these resources becomes a life line of information for people when they are away from home. It is also an opportunity to teach our students about the power, and importance, of  social media and web resources.

I know we have heard this said before but, we need to reflect and ask ourselves,"Do we spend the time in our schools teaching our students how to best use technology for social good?"  If it wasn't for YouTube, Facebook, Blogs, Twitter and other resources, I would have had a hard time knowing what was going on.  Through these 21st Century "media outlets" I was able to see videos and pictures of my town during and after the storm.  I was even able to find pictures of my home and my families homes to let them know if they were flooded or damaged.  I was even able to find a video of my street and house during the storm.  Local bloggers and websites provided me with information that was invaluable and even gave me a head start when were allowed to re-enter after the storm.  A 10-minute drive still took 2 hours but it could have been worse.

Social media was used for social change as well.  When one local town reopened and the only bridge in was charging a toll.  So, people went to social media to put the word out, the local news media outlets then heard about it and the bridge owners relented and allowed people back for free.  In fact, they went so far as to take all of the toll money they already collected and donated it to the relief effort.  Now that is a teachable moment!

Some grass roots movements started through social media as well.  One started with a young person creating a graphic that he posted as his FaceBook profile picture.  He received so many likes and encouraging messages to make a t-shirt that he and his friends have started a highly successful fundraising group, Restore the Shore, that donates 100% of their proceeds to the relief effort.  Many large companies have supported them as well as locals dropping off supplies to be distributed. All of this from a FaceBook account!  What an example for our students!

We are in an era of global social engagement and collaboration.  Events such as Sandy are a great opportunity to teach our students how to use social media and technology to create, share and obtain information.  Young people in our society should be developing the skills to use these tools in innovative, entrepreneurial, and socially responsible ways.  We as parents and educators need to learn about them as well to help guide and instruct them.  It shouldn't take a natural disaster to see the importance.