The Draconean - An inspiring story

If I could only talk about two topics to middle school students, I think I would have to pick the following:

1) Dream big and don't wait to try and realize your dreams
2) People who persevere through adversity are the people who change the world

We had the wonderful opportunity to hear a couple of young men present to our middle school this past week and it was a perfect story for our students. Jake and Luke Reaume are two teenagers who have recently published a book titled, The Draconean. Jake and Luke both attended the American School of Dubai before heading back to Canada to finish their high school career (they will graduate in June). Although it is quite impressive to be published authors before completing high school, I was more impressed with the young men's inspirational journey and I thought it was a perfect presentation for middle school students.

Both boys talked extensively during their presentation about dreaming big. They kept challenging our students to embrace the day letting them know that it is possible for middle school students to reach for their dreams. Jake and Luke talked a lot about people who tried to let them know that they would never succeed but assured our students that it is possible to keep focused and accomplish anything that you set your mind to. At no point, did they ever allow our students to think that their journey was a simple one. In fact, much of their presentation was devoted to the adversity that they faced over the six years that it had taken them to write their novel. Jake had been injured as youngster and faced some academic challenges related to his head injury. They had tragically lost their sister when they were nearly completed their final draft of their story. They had lost one of their early drafts (representing two years of work) when their computer crashed and were forced to begin from scratch. I felt like it was the tribulations that the boys endured throughout the writing process that made their presentation so memorable.
It is sometimes difficult for young people to understand what they are actually capable of achieving. I thought it was great for our students to have the opportunity to see some role models who have achieved their dreams and hear of the perseverance that the process can entail. I wish Jake and Luke the best of luck as they move forward and am personally excited to read their first novel.

What adults can learn from kids

This is a very impressive video. At ACS, we are currently going through our middle states accreditation process. One of the foundational documents that is required by their new Excellence by Design protocol is a school profile of graduate. Recently, I saw this video by a very bright young lady who is currently working as a educational consultant and keynote speaker. I believe that she is an excellent example of the type of graduate we should be striving for in our schools today.
At the NESA Leadership conference past fall, I had the opportunity to listen to Grant Wiggins deliver a keynote address. During his presentation, he talked a lot about his book "Schooling by Design" and the central premise of developing a mission based on what we want our students to be able to do when they leave our schools and the implications that that would have on the way our schools functioned as a result. This video is a great example of how that philosophy might work if we want our students to be able to create a presentation like Adora Svitak. What skills would our students need to have to deliver this type of presentation? What knowledge would they need to have to be so persuasive? I believe it is these types of questions that schools need to begin answering in order to prepare our students for the world that awaits them.

The Last Lecture

This is a condensed version of the inspirational video by Randy Pausch, who was a college professor at Carnegie Mellon before his untimely passing. Professor Pausch's last lecture is a testament to the human spirit and a great way to talk to kids about the important things in life. I have had great success sharing this video with middle school students and have found that they have been deeply and positively impacted by the words of this great professor.