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Just a little story.

My husband and I have a great “how we met” story. Maybe I’ll tell the whole story another time. One of the details of that story is that, during our first unofficial date, I noticed on his Chevy Blazer (cool) that he had an Apple logo sticker on the back window (more cool). It was one more sign that he was the guy for me. No, we weren’t ‘hipsters’ before there even was such a word — we are the lost demographic. Those of us who share more in common with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert than with Barbara Walters or dare I say it, Oprah? We are the children born at the end of the “Baby Boom” but he and I both feel we have nothing to do with that wave of post-war babies. Our parents didn’t fight in any of the wars of the 20th century; they were in school, having their own babies, being the last of their generation’s middle class and American Dream seekers. But my husband and I share what those of us in our 40s share: even though we straddle between the boomers and the gen-x’ers, we move mountains, too. We are the creative class. The artists, designers, and innovators who seek sublime beauty in code and interface; who seek to change the world with the good of technology, and instill those ethics in our children. I promise you, I am not overstating this.

We sat in darkened theatres as adolescents and had our own heroes and heroines, we were the digital pioneers who sought form and function. We pressed ‘send’ on the first e-mails and published the first blogs. The Mark Zuckerbergs of the world sadly have their own focus: world domination via distracting, mindless games and mean-spirited interchanges. Granted, it’s not all bad. And my and my husband’s hero, Steve Jobs, certainly had his share of human foibles.  All innovators do. I would just challenge those young billionaires to be the masters of the universe, and not the robber barons; to be the voices and catalysts for change and good, share the power, wealth, and narratives.

You will be missed, Steve.

 

(My husband created that image in homage. Oh, and by the way, my husband is a creative, innovative Renaissance man himself. No doubt. He attributes his successes to Job’s providing him with the creative tools to build his career and avocations.)

http://blog.ted.com/2011/10/05/remembering-steve-jobs/

 

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i-Forgot.

steve-jobs

Many consider Steve Jobs a master presenter. His signature black turtleneck and jeans, and projection of an easy, creative style stir thousands to listen to what he has to say. And buy what he has to sell.

The end of unit presentations were due today: there is usually a pattern of how students respond. There is a percentage, unfortunately usually small, who is prepared, finished, completed, and projects are turned in before the due date.

However.

However, many are not as on top of the projects, although each assignment was carefully scaffolded, reviewed, and class time given for completion, etc. Many are even unpleasantly suprised and say, with dismay, “What presentation?!” For some, there may be a crisis at home, illness, not a lot of structure, or a sense of being overwhelmed because of all that is due at the end of a semester.

But, mostly I think about myself. And I have found that:

I am not Steve Jobs. Not even close.

My “product” is not as flashy, pingy, boingy, colorful, wow-ee, zam bang boom as an i-Pod, i-Pad, i-Phone: a school day is more of an i-Ignore, i-Forgot, or an i-Invisible.

It’s just stodgy, old learning, discussing, and creating. BOR-Rrrrring!

Well, perhaps not. The presentations I did see completed today were amazingly thought-provoking, deep, and they all really tried to find as many sources of media to answer their “burning questions.”

So, Mr. Jobs, you may lead the masses in entertainment and apps. But I’m changing the world too, and so are my students. Can you make an app for that?

Postscript: And let’s not forget the lost files, lost e-mails, lost uploads, and lost saves.

Epic.

Fail.

http://redtape.msnbc.com/2010/02/this-is-your-brain-on-technology.html#posts