Zen Dad

Listening to Garr's presentation, I couldn't help but think of my Dad. Dad is a regular on Ted.com, and sends me links from time to time when he sees something he thinks I'll like. About two years ago, he sent me a link from Ted.com that showed a presenter using an infra-red projected keyboard and a display that could be moved around with your fingers-a whole lot of touching going on. A few months later out came the ipod touch. I remember looking at the Ted presentation and thinking, "What in the world will they use that application for?" I also thought it would definitely make its way into the educational field, as kids are so tactile. That is one of the things I hate about the laptops I use with my students, they want to touch the screens, and I have to be after them the whole time to "not touch the screens." I predict that will change in the near future. Kids need to touch things to own them.

Another connection to Garr's presentation is that I gave Dad a copy of A Whole New Mind, by Daniel Pink, for Father's Day. I am also reading this book that so many people have recommended, and so we are going to talk about it together when we are done reading it.

Dad started out as a two-way radio repair guy, and then worked up to owning his own 2 way shop. Now, he sells cell phones and the repair part is very minimal. Disposable world.

I feel so lucky to have grown up with a person like Dad, who organized a lot of white space around whatever he did. His basement shop with little drawers filled with transisters and screws was organized based on his grand-father's saying that, "You should be able to walk into your shop and find anything with the lights turned off." Dad kept things simple, found time to explain things in ways I could understand, and was and is a great storyteller. So, in light of our work this week, I am keeping in mind my Dad, and the great example of simple, direct presentation he has given me for forty-five years.