In memory of Sir Ken Robinson PhD...

When I first drafted this post the feelings were a bit raw, and then time slipped away as it often does. 

There are people who impact your life in profound ways. So profound, they send you on a trajectory you never expected to go. In my life, there was Mrs. Fisher, my 6th grade English teacher. She introduced me to Piers Anthony's Xanth series — because she knew I was forever making puns and would love entering his world of fantasy. There was Mr. Joseph McCoy, middle school Enhanced Learning Program teacher who introduced me to brainstorming and design thinking before they were cool. In college, Dr. Michael Pause forced me out of the machine shop and made me design for future materials and manufacturing techniques and not just current limitations. Then, Frank Hughes, Director of [TC]2 who saw a potential in me and cultivated my passion for sales engineering and solution selling. These teachers, coaches and mentors all helped lay a foundation on which to build my career. The directional shift to where I am today came from two later sources of inspiration — Randy Pausch, author of "The Last Lecture" and the professor at Carnegie Mellon who pioneered the 3D authoring platform, ALICE, and Sir Ken Robinson PhD, best selling author and TED speaker on educational topics and "finding your element." I list all of these individuals because of the impact they had on me personally and the fact that as of this weekend with the passing of Ken Robinson, many of them are now memories. They have all moved on to whatever adventure came next. 

Reflecting this weekend on just how they impacted my life also made me look at how I impact those around me. Do I build up or tear down? Do I give or take? Do I keep or do I share? My hope is I build so I can give and share with those around me, up, down, and sideways. I had the chance to meet and speak with all of those on my list above except Ken Robinson. I always hoped on my speaking circuit I would have the chance and it never happened, and now it never will. What I love about meeting them in person is it gives me the opportunity to look them in the eye and say thank you, you have made my life better just by being in it and believing in me. I hope to have that same impact on others. Not in some grandiose way, but rather in a way that allows them to build, give and share with others, too.

Sir Ken Robinson found a way to change the perceptions of what education and creativity and passion really are. And, more importantly, inspired a generation of teachers to rethink their approaches to learning to help us being the transformation of an institutional model for education needing a new direction. If you have only heard one TED talk by Ken Robinson, I highly recommend listening to them all. His YouTube videos on "The Element" ( https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=17fbxRQgMlU ) are equally compelling. If you have never heard "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch, I recommend it as well. Fortunately through digital media, these talks will be available for a long time. Maybe forever. Their inspiration will carry on through those lucky enough to hear their words. 

Sir Ken Robinson PhD, 1950-2020

May he rest in peace.