Ian Jukes, Spitting in the Wind
I just attended Ian Jukes' workshop on creating powerful presentations. I signed up for the workshop because Ian is the one that really got me hooked on educational technology, inspiring me to consider my role as a change force. Ironically, Ian's presentation tanked in a few areas - amazingly, somebody in an adjoining room had a wireless remote tuned to the same frequency as Ian's, randomly causing his presentation to advance slides. It was actually inspirational to see that even Ian is human.
After the workshop, I was honored to sit with Ian and "shoot the bull". We discussed many things, including his heavy schedule - I would love to have his frequent flyer miles. We also had a rather serious discussion about the state of educational technology in schools. Ian looked tired, should be tired, but never sounded tired. His tone, however, was often one of frustration:
I feel like I've just been spitting in the wind.Don't give up hope, Ian. You've managed to get me on board (and literally thousands of other "groupies" from locations around the world). If it weren't for you, there would be no Pay Attention. Your Understanding Digital Kids and Windows on the Future have truly been an inspiration (click here for all of Ian's handouts).
So while Ian may feel like we're fighting an uphill battle (and he is certainly right) - I'm still willing to fight. And so are the thousands of people he has brought on board.
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