2o slide. 5 minutes. Ignite talk. Nothing panics me more, well maybe the idea of holding a live snake, that scares me, too. If you asked me to write what matters or make a poster? I can do that. But speaking decisively in a timely manner, it’s not a strength of mine. I process, think, reflect, think some more. I know this about myself. So I knew just how hard it was going to be to give this talk. I’d have to practice. Gathering the slides was easy, images mean everything to me. Then I had to decide, what is THE most important thing to me in education? That part was easy.
Imagination.
Creativity.
Joy.
Kid’s experience in school.
So I wrote it….
If you had asked me a year ago what THE GREATEST DEVICE was I would have agonized over choosing – my iPhone, my Canon Rebel camera, my iPad Stylus? I’m a gadget girl for sure. Technology? I love it. But the greatest device? It’s more.
This face. Look at the wonder. Tiny five year olds lighting up an LED bulb. Their imagination made that happen. They figured it out.
This is a story about how I grew to realize it’s not about the technology, funny right, saying that AT a technology conference. But this is about imagination. The kind that puts this pile of cardboard to work.
The kind that turns boxes into creatures. I believe if we give our kids the roots, they will build the wings themselves. They hold that kind of power in their minds and they are waiting in your classroom for the chance to use it.
A simple piece of paper and a problem, How do we trap a leprechaun? First graders lit up. Drawing, doodling, chattering together. Imagination powered on.
Wonder restored. These three spent so much time working to make their giant cardboard robot’s arm move… string? Wire? Robotic parts? They figured it out. Imagination Powered On
When imagination is powered on, a new kind of quiet erupts. Silent, deep thinking. Small talk. Collaboration built on questions. Questions that can’t be Googled fill the room. And I don’t always have the answers, and that is refreshingly okay.
So much stuff for creating and making. Stuff that is just that… stuff. But with imagination? It becomes something. Something more powerful than an iPad or an iPhone. It becomes a part of a kid’s dream.
They bring things to life. The red bellied kerfuffle came to life because of hard work.. or as Gary Stager would say, “Hard Fun.” That’s right – the greatest device involves FUN and HARD WORK.
And that work, it brings a level of happiness I’d challenge you to find with a device. Sure, making the next level in Candy Crush is awesome, but these faces, lit up with their creation? Exhilarating to watch, even more exhilarating to experience.
I’m not saying it’s neat and tidy. There is no undo button for the imagination. It can be messy, and you know what, learning IS messy.
Because in the midst of that beautiful mess that unfolds is a level of engagement that I can barely put into words. Active learning, standing up, moving around the table, DOING, not just passively consuming. Imagination powered up.
And when they get it right? JOY erupts. The kind that fills the room with energy. The kind school needs more of.
Empower kids to make their mark on the world. Use Sharpies and don’t be afraid to make mistakes in front of them, or to celebrate their mistakes. We are all learners.
Because when they have the power to make their mark, something inside them says, “Your ideas matter here.” In this space. In this school.
Their ideas matter so much, that they get to bring them to life. Making it happen through design, play, and building dreams. It can be intense, but learning often is.
Building, sewing, coding, creating… dreaming and doing.
Making the impossible become possible. Exploring how to create new ideas… together. Imagination powered on.
Dreaming big. “Can we make a light up taco?” Why not. Circuits. Measurement. Teamwork. Design. Science. Math. Engineering. Because the world is better with a light up taco in it.
Kids will take you beyond the tech to places only their imaginations can dream of, if you just give them the chance. Make a robot. Make a red-bellied kerfuffle. Make a light up taco. Make waves.
And that? It was five minutes of sheer terror, but straight from my heart.
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