| So many of us today need to realize we are back in | | | | bright future. |
| school. It may not be the same building, classrooms | | | | As much as the world is challenging and scary, there |
| and definitely not the same people are around - but | | | | are new and untold opportunities for people with the |
| "school" is always in. So many of my students are so | | | | right information. So much more compared to 25 |
| happy to finish high school and some think they are | | | | years ago. Seeing that we are now in the Information |
| done being in a classroom and done being with a | | | | Age, those that have the right information and control it, |
| teacher. They say they are thrilled for no more books | | | | use it, take advantage of it; are the ones destined for |
| and taking notes - oh how wrong they are in that | | | | greatness. It's a change in our thinking that is the key. |
| thinking. | | | | The message I gave my students was that if they |
| Today's world is so very different than just a few | | | | can keep good people around them, have a good |
| short years ago, laughably different than when I | | | | attitude, work hard, find a passion in life and keep |
| graduated high school in 1984. The sooner my students | | | | reading good books; that is a big part of a successful |
| and everyone else realizes that we all need to be | | | | future. |
| learners; all the time, the rest of our lives, the better off | | | | Being a life-long learner can take on so many different |
| they and all of us will be. The world in one way is | | | | meanings today. It is so much easier to have access |
| vastly challenging and scary too. Many of my seniors | | | | to information. We have to be careful about the type |
| this past year were actually scared to graduate. They | | | | of information coming into our heads. Our brains should |
| honestly told me that they wish high school was not | | | | be our most guarded possession. What goes into it is |
| over. One student I remember from two years ago | | | | a very big key to our success. There are iPods, |
| said, "Mr. Daly. Why would I want to grow up? I have a | | | | YouTube, the Internet, E-mails, Cell phones, blog pages, |
| roof over my head, food to eat, a part time job that | | | | Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. to help give us the |
| gives me some spending cash, and I like coming to | | | | right information that we need. How many of us use |
| school to see my friends". So true, I could by that too | | | | any of the above items for the "right" information? |
| when I was his age. Mind you, many of these kids | | | | Nothing wrong with videos, music, games, blogging, etc. |
| were awesome students. They had their act together, | | | | Ask yourself though, are those things getting you |
| or so it seemed on the outside of things. In talking with | | | | closer to your goals and dreams? Remember, we are |
| these students, letting them know as they are scared | | | | always learning things. Be a life-long learner with the |
| and apprehensive about the future (in great thanks to | | | | right information. What information are you learning |
| our media I feel) they do have many of the right tools | | | | about today? Let me know. I'd be interested in finding |
| to do well and work through their fears for a very | | | | out what great stuff you are working on. |