Inspiring the Innovators of Tomorrow

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On Fridays we have "fun" in my eighth grade keyboarding class, which currently means that I'm introducing my students to the future of technology. I like to show them thought-provoking videos such as those about Google glasses or sixth sense technology to introduce the concept of augmented reality. 


This past week as were discussing Google glasses in the computer lab, and a few seniors working in the lab overheard us. One spoke up and said, "Mrs. Vicki, I made a film two years ago about Google glasses. I predicted them."


And rightly so, he did. This video was created for the NetGenEd project two years ago in my Introduction to Computer Science class. This student worked very hard to predict what augmented reality would look like, and I'm shocked to see how close he came at such a young age.


I received this email just last night from a student I taught five years ago:


As a Telecommunications major many of my courses overlap the many lessons I once had in your class. In my Media and Technology class we examine emerging trends and future developments in the technological side of communications. I laugh to think of these as emerging trends when they include such things as the power of blogs, wikis, and other features of Web 2.0 that you taught to me nearly 5 years ago... 


I just wanted to thank you. It's hard for a high school kid to appreciate the gravity of what you teach.... I hope your students take this to heart... if they do, they too will be light years ahead of the curve.


What this student didn't know is that just yesterday after school I was asking myself tough questions. Things like: Am I pushing kids too hard? Do my efforts matter?


We all ask these questions and hope that we are being heard. As a teacher, one thing I always say is that it is not whether students thank you today. Usually they won't--even if you are an excellent teacher. It is whether they thank you five years later, when they are in college or in the workplace.


One of the best things about being a teacher is getting students to consider the people that they would like to become. Igniting interests, passions, and talents young is an integral part of forming an innovative society tomorrow.