A Fun Survey Question for Educators, and Introducing "Recharge & Repair"
If you're an educator and you're heading back to some form of school — whether remote, live, or combo platter — you may have only micro-seconds to offer to social media today. And at the risk of coming across like the friend who wants one of your fries as soon as you set your plate down, I'm going to ask to borrow one so I can ask you a quick survey question — but it'll be fun, I promise!
Here it is: Which one of these obsolete technologies will first-year teachers least likely be able to describe?
A. Dewey Decimal System
B. Film Strips
C. Microfiche
D. Ditto Machine
This silly survey is just a small example of my efforts to help bring some calm, and yes, laughter to this year’s historic school openings — or half openings anyway. You know what I mean.
You may have heard this saying before: “Change is inevitable: Growth is optional.”
I was recently confronted with this choice myself as I struggled to figure out how I could transform my funny keynote for educators into a virtual, teleconference-ready online experience that wouldn't feel like watching baseball with no fans and piped-in enthusiasm. And then I had my Eureka moment. Enter live polling via Zoom, which creates a crucial opportunity to engage and interact.
I'd seen this done at live shows before, but mostly by CEOs asking serious questions about "product valuation considerations." Fun stuff, right?
Of course I decided to put my own creative spin on it, and created a brand-new remote offering called "Recharge & Repair," which serves up a revitalizing blend of laughter, training, and morale for educators.
Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the survey question! But first let me squeeze in a little obvious self-promotion. We've been overwhelmed by the response to "Recharge & Repair" so far, with more than 2,000 teachers already signed up. I've also been impressed, in the best way, by the willingness of schools across the country to understand the power of humor to heal and the need for some reflection to help steady minds for the challenges ahead — virtually, of course.
Look, I have a 4th grader (4 1/2? 4 1/3?) and I wish she were opening her locker at school rather than a Chromebook at home, but alas, this chapter is half-written, a mystery with consequences TBD. In the meantime, we're embracing new forms of communication and new ways of teaching, and I'm looking forward to the valuable learning and laughs we're going to find together along the way.
OK. Back to something lighter, to thank you for making it this far. Here's the answer key to the survey question I asked above. I think we're all familiar with answers A and B. But for any of you who don't know the other two ...
C. Microfiche: this made the encyclopedia feel like a comic book. All the fun of the microscope combined with the angst of reading the last line of an eye chart.
D. Ditto Machine: this produced almost every test I ever took in my K-12 years, and gave me permanent purple fingers along with my second best contact high. (The perennial winner remains the Magnum 44 Mega Marker.) WARNING: If you Google this, beware of going down the Ditto vs. Mimeograph rabbit hole! They were different technologies but there are a lot of people who use the terms interchangeably, and not since Y2K have I seen so much confusion and conflicting info.
Now I’d like a quick sidebar with my first-year teachers. First: Wow, do you know how to make an entrance. But second, thank you for being ready to dive in. We need your fresh energy and tech-savvy spirit to make this grand social experiment the right balance of trial and error.
So now you know — or maybe you already knew, but that’s probably all we know at this point. In the meantime, breathe, maybe walk the dog again, or go get a dog — that seems popular right now. But most of all, thank you for your willingness to advance curious minds in challenging times. You are angels on earth.
Check out my new "Recharge & Repair" virtual offering here:
https://www.funnyeducator.com/
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