Themes for My Summer "Vacation"
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Generally, this is the time of year when those who work in the education field are envied to some degree by those not in the education field, based in part on the assumption that education professionals have the summer off. Regardless of the numerous perspectives one may take on this issue, I can be the first to assure you, dear reader, that this has not been a summer of vacations for us at Clarity Innovations. Allow me to share with you a few examples of what's been going on around the shop, during these dog days of summer...
Nurturing and drawing on a network of experts.Every June gives us a chance to meet with our extended network of colleagues, friends, acquaintences and clients at the National Education Computing Conference (NECC). This year gave me a chance to meet some new faces and collaborate on some ideas of mutual interest (beyond my passion for sailing).
Remix, reuse and recycle good ideas.Half of what we do is new each time; the other half is figuring out how to not make it new each time. In other words, it's about repurposing good ideas, methods, techniques, and materials so that each time we engage in a new project, we can build on those past successes. The unfun part of the job is having to tell really bright folks to "rinse and repeat" instead of "style as desired" (to borrow from the two most famous instructional phrases in hair product marketing).
Help those who help education.The summer is a chance to recharge and prepare for a new year in the fall (if you're thinking from an academic perspective). For us, it's a busy time, helping schools, organizations, and companies that serve the education market. For me, it's also a chance to help our clients think outside the box, even if just a little. It's much like a large ocean container ship: a slight change of course early on can make a major difference in where it ends up at the end of its journey. And given the nature of the cargo that passes through our education system, there's great value in making sure it's headed in the right direction.
Always look ahead.A wise mentor once told me to stay focused on where the headslights are, not ahead of them. Putting a different spin on it, focus on the near-term, where you can take action, instead of trying to anticipate what you don't yet know about the road ahead.
Though this makes sense, I must admit, it hasn't always worked. And that's probably okay. I'm less inclined to have Clarity Innovations focus only on current challenges and priorities. Rather, I'd rather we look ahead at the questions and opportunities coming down the road. This approach ensures that the solutions we design from existing and emerging technologies are ready to meet our clients' needs in the near- and long-term.
As such, I try to always take a moment to look ahead and see where things are going each summer. It can be rewarding, worrisome, confusing and exciting all at once. Perfect, I say. But unlike my favorite prognosticator, I'm too shy (or smart, perhaps?) to publish my impressions. Instead, I contribute the wild ideas to the team and hopefully, a few see the light of day in the work we do.