Today we continue our series on New Year’s Resolutions. And one of my biggest resolutions in 2011 is to get more technology into the classroom.

As readers of this blog know, my family funded a grant to Dallas Christian Schools in December to help provide faculty and staff with iPads. That’s a great start. But it’s only one school. In 2011, we will be exploring the possibility of funding a similar grant at a different school. This will be our way of revolutionizing how our kids learn by revolutionizing the way we teach them.

Be looking for an announcement sometime in early 2011 about another grant of iPads for classrooms.

Today we continue our series on the impact of technology in the classroom. Some people may wonder if computers make a difference. They do. But don’t take my word for it:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/19387.php

According to this scientific survey done a few years ago in Massachusetts, computers have a profound impact on the kids who use them. This is particularly true once they start taking standardized tests:

“Analyzing test performance and computer uses of 986 fourth grade students from 55 classrooms in nine Massachusetts school districts, the study found that the more regularly students use computers to write papers for school, the better they performed on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Systems (MCAS) English/Language Arts exam.”
Simply put, the more kids use computers the better off they are. And that will be even more true with the newest generation of computers: iPads.

Earlier this year a movie hit theaters that could change our country. It was called “Waiting for Superman.” This documentary tells the story of five school children whose dreams will likely be derailed by schools that don’t teach and won’t change. What a travesty. Here is the link to the website where you can learn more about the film and the foundation that supported it:

http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/action/

But we can also start changing schools ourselves. After you watch the trailer or read the stories on the Waiting for Superman website, think about what you can do to change your school.

A lot has been made in the news recently about China someday overtaking us economically. What’s even scarier is that they’ve already overtaken us educationally:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/education/07education.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&hp

Everyone should read this article. It describes a detailed survey that was done that shows Chinese students are miles ahead of their American counterparts:

“In math, the Shanghai students performed in a class by themselves, outperforming second-place Singapore, which has been seen as an educational superstar in recent years. The average math scores of American students put them below 30 other countries. In reading, Shanghai students scored 556, ahead of second-place Korea with 539. The United States scored 500 and came in 17th, putting it on par with students in the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and several other countries. In science, Shanghai students scored 575. In second place was Finland, where the average score was 554. The United States scored 502 — in 23rd place — with a performance indistinguishable from Poland, Ireland, Norway, France and several other countries.”

Incredible. We all know our schools are not good enough. But did we know it was this bad?

The time has come for a revolution in schools in America. And it starts with using technology in the classroom

How much has education changed over the years? In some ways, a lot.

In 1939, school buses colored themselves in yellow to set them apart. In 1958, science education gained a new emphasis after the Soviets launched Sputnik. In 1965, Head Start began to help low income children.

And in the 1990s, whiteboards began to replace chalkboards.

These are all nice things. But none of them change how kids are fundamentally taught. We now live in an era where a mobile device can show you movies, play you music or research any question for you.

Isn’t it time we used that same kind of technology to change the way teach our kids in the classroom?

I know something about change.

About sixteen years ago, the peanut industry continued to harvest, transport and dry peanuts the way it had for over 40 years using little wagons pulled behind a pickup.

At Advanced Trailer, we saw an opportunity to do something different. We developed the Advanced Trailer. Essentially, we took a semi trailer, converted it into a mobile multi-use container and gave peanut farmers the ability to harvest, transport, dry and store their peanuts all in one vehicle. This revolutionized the industry.

But isn’t that really the story of progress in America? Someone finds a better way of doing something? The train gave way to the car and the car gave way to the plane. The typewriter gave way to the computer. Fire heated water, produced steam and gave way to electricity.

Technology also leads to improvements. And now it’s time for technology to change education.

Later today, I’ll be making a big announcement about how I’m going to do my part to revolutionize education and bring the classroom into the 21^st Century.  Check in tomorrow to find out more about it.

This week our blog will focus on one of the most important issues facing our country: education.

As a former student and a current parent, I know how important education is to our society. The leaders of tomorrow are being formed in the classrooms of today. Unfortunately, too many of those classrooms resemble the 19th century more than the 21st century.

One hundred and fifty years ago, classrooms looked very different. They were heated with fireplaces; they were lit with candles or gas lamps. The kids walked to school or took a horse and buggy.

That has all changed. Today, classrooms are powered by electricity. And kids get to class in cars and buses. But surprisingly, much about what goes on inside the classroom is still the same. Teachers still often use chalkboards. Kids use textbooks and pencil and paper.

Isn’t it time we updated the way we teach? Don’t our kids deserve a 21st century education?

What would a 21st century classroom look like? We’ll talk about that tomorrow.

This week kids around Texas are getting ready to head back to school. So what better topic to cover in our blog than education.

What is the state of education in Texas? What are the challenges that will soon be facing our schools? What can we do better? These are some of the questions we’ll be discussing and trying to answer.

So check in each day this week as we go back to school on our blog!

This week, Royce Money announced he's retiring as president of my
alma mater, Abilene Christian University.

I've always loved ACU; and I love the great work that Dr. Money did
there during the last 20 years.  Under his leadership, ACU became a
perennial presence on the US News and World Report list of best
colleges.  Under his leadership, programs were expanded and the
endowment increased.  And under his leadership, ACU reached new
heights while remaining firmly committed to its roots.

I know that ACU will find someone who can succeed Dr. Money.  But it
won't find anyone who can replace him.

Biomass is catching on…and colleges are helping lead the way!

This week, Auburn University announced “a collaborative effort among the City of Fultondale, Auburn University, Alabama Power Company and the Alabama Department of Economic and Community affairs to develop a plan for converting municipal green waste into clean, renewable energy. Tree limbs, leaves and grass clippings, normally bound for a local landfill, would be used to create a synthesis gas to power generators that produce electricity.”

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/breaking_news/story/709400.html

This is yet another example of how research institutions are starting to put their research into action. That’s why our company, Advanced Trailer, has partnered with the University of Idaho to use our trailer to help dry wood chips at their steam boiler plant. Our trailer will make biomass even more effective than before.

And by the way, if Auburn needs some trailers, we’re ready!

Growing up at Dallas Christian School, we had a graduating class of
45 students, so we were all very close.  One of our classmates, 40-
year young lady, Amy Phipps Jones, was one of our dear friends.  She
was very close friend of mine and Jeff Majors.  Amy passed away
recently.

It’s sad that a death is what brings all these friends together.  But
at the same time, there is something very special about the
relationships that you build in a small Christian school, either high
school or in a small Christian university.   You go through school
with someone for 2, 4, 8 or even 12 years and you know them so well
and then your lives take different paths – you go in different
directions.  And even when you don’t see each other for 15 years or
more, it’s special when you see one another.  When you go to a
funeral and you see Amy’s parents – and immediately when you see each
other – there’s a smile on their faces and there’s a smile on our
faces and you know each other – you recognize each other.

And whether it’s Dallas Christian or ACU, there’s a unique connection
that lasts forever.  Whether you see each other annually, or weekly
at church, or if you don’t see each other for 20 years – there’s some
very unique about a relationship that picks up immediately.  And I
think that is the bond that we have through Christ and the
relationship that we have with one another.

At the funeral, it was sad because Amy was so young, with 3 young
children all under the age of 10.  You know, it’s so sad to see
someone pass away at such a young age, and the parent outlive their
child.  We always expect us to take care of our parents.  You don’t
expect to see a child die before the parents.  Heartbreaking experience.

But when we walked into the church, the first thing we saw was our
classmates and it’s like we never missed a minute.  And we had so
many good conversations after the funeral – we went to the family
life center at the University Church of Christ in Abilene (where her
parents live).  When we walked in and saw our classmates, it really
gave me a deep feeling of warmth, of happiness .  After the service,
we saw Amy’s parents.  When I walked up to her mother, it was like
she recognized me as if we had seen each other last week.  Her Dad
was so encouraging.  Amy and I had gone to school together since 6th
grade – it was a good day to see those friends and rekindle those
relationships and to see her parents.

But it was also a tough day because someone’s life was lost – I wish
was there was a way we could get together without it having to be at
a funeral.

My main thought:  what is special is the tie that binds us together -
it’s the relationships.  People talk about loving their church or
loving their alma mater – it’s such a good feeling.  It’s the
reaffirmation of our friendships and those heartfelt feelings.

-RWH