Carpe Diem

I have been in education since the fall of 1993. I was a teacher for twelve years and have been in administration for the past 10 years. Looking back, I still recall using chalk on a green chalkboard. I also recall using a mimeograph (it’s a copy machine that used blue ink and had a funny smell). There was also projector of some sort that operated on 5,000 watts (which could have also served as a microwave). The internet was barely in its infancy. If you wanted to look up any sort of information you had to go to the library and go through a card catalog just find a book. Grades were calculated by hand and by using the EZ Grader glider and they were posted on an actual Grade Book. There was no email, no Facebook, no Twitter, no iPods, and cell phones were priced at $4,000. It would be an understatement to say that times have changed.

Recently Los Fresnos CISD adopted BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)…which even at the time was against school policy. When BYOD was tossed around as an idea…it was met with some resistance (I was one of them). Regardless of my beliefs on BYOD, I had to change and embrace it. So, rather than wait for BYOD to come to Resaca MS, I seized the moment and I requested it. In May 2013, we became the first middle school in our district to implement BYOD. Yes, most teachers were hesitant and were not keen on the idea but we had no choice. Trust me, no one likes change…but now looking back at 1993, I am glad that we have evolved and adapted to our changing world.

Even though our society has changed, there has been one constant denominator in education…to create productive citizens. Whether it is in remote villages in Mexico, towns in Europe, and/or cities here in the greatest country in the world, the United States of America…teachers, past and present, have always shared this mission and our greatest joy and satisfaction is when that one child comes back and tells us that he or she is making a positive impact on society. Well, how rare it is that we have students in our present classrooms that are seizing the moment. These students, if given the opportunity, the right environment, and the inspiration are ready to take on the world. They do not have to wait 20 years and we should not make them wait.

Which brings me to one of the most inspirational stories that I have been a part of. What happened at RMS in 2014 was the perfect storm. A collision of visionaries occurred between a little blue bird called Twitter, a challenge by Verizon, a fearless teacher [@mrsbolado], and a special group of kids who were ready to take on the world and make it better. At first the idea was modest…to assist a visually impaired classmate. Their app concept was simple, to help Andres navigate through the halls of Resaca MS. No sooner did they realize that this app design [Hello Navi] could not only assist their classmate but also help other people around the world. Wow! Yes [stop scratching your heads] eleven and twelve year-olds created this. This is a testament to everyone that our youth is ready...ready to take on the world...and we, as educators, should be cultivating and sustaining “real” learning environments.

As some of you might know, this story received national and international attention. The full impact of the story has yet to unfold...and to think that it could be traced back to Resaca MS leaves me speechless. Jackie Robinson, the famous #42 once said…”A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives”. Congratulations Hello Navi! You have impacted us and the world in ways that you cannot even imagine. Thank you for seizing the moment, for the incredible journey, and for making the world a better place.