Starting Early | I personally typed my first line of HTML code when I was 12 years old at a workshop during a co-curricular day. I set the body background to a navy blue, and centered a big picture of Harry Potter right in the middle of the screen. This was the start of my Harry Potter fan page, and I didn’t care how basic it looked – it was mine. Ashutosh Desai, an iPhone application developer, successfully pitched his iOS game publishing startup, with the purpose of teaching high school students object-oriented programming. Why play games, when you can make them. Utilizing Apple’s Xcode software, students are taught to replicate existing game modules, and learn through very hands on experience.

Forwards Looking | My high school sported an impressive woodshop program that my brother ended up taking. He built a guitar. It was really cool. However, most school host the same basic course sets that they did in the 70s. The reality is that as technology becomes more and more integrated into our lives, the jobs that emerge will be increasingly virtual. Giving students the upper hand by early exposure is crucial to future success.

Re-evaluating Education | Teacher insist that computers and cell phones be locked away for the duration of their lessons. Yet, when these same students start their careers in 10 years, the majority of them will spend most of their time infront of these screens. Teachers need to be encouraged and supported in endeavors around the revaluation of the way we teach. Incorporating digital media, and technology into the classroom will be critical in developing the building blocks for tomorrow’s jobs. ♣

FEATURED IMAGE: from Ultimate Tomball