We are in the midst of an amazing renaissance of knowledge and innovation. Most people and most parents don’t realize it for a lot of reasons. But, those who do will have a big edge when it comes to discovering opportunities for themselves and their children.
A lot of my students laugh when I show them the article from Popular Science about the flying submarine or as the magazine calls it the “dolphin speedboat.” They can’t imagine something as offbeat having any value in the day to day world. And, certainly at a price tag of $80,000, the submarine/speedboat even with an Ipod plug in and stereo system isn’t going to be on most people’s wish list.
However, the kids’ disbelief and laughter opens the door to a bigger conversation because that is exactly what my generation thought when they watched the original Star Trek. Captain Kirk and his team talked on “communicators” which for some reason look exactly like flip phones – phones that talk over the airwaves all over the world and beyond.
In the days since the development of the first cell phone, the cellular industry has created hundreds of thousands of new jobs. The jobs and the job titles didn’t even exist prior to the invention of this tiny little piece of equipment that almost everyone owns today. Then, I ask them to think about all the new products that have spun off from that invention….
The conversation creates another opportunity. I get to share my personal experience about how exciting it is to be part of the growth of a hot new product. Every new invention creates jobs and opportunities. Those can be very, very fun jobs. We talk about getting a job in those industries …. And that they have to be ready for the job and sometimes in the job before the product is popular because otherwise they will have to compete against a lot more people and their income won't be as high. The person already prepared for and doing the job usually has an advantage over the person who wants the job - both income and opportunity.
When students can think through the outcomes of acquiring knowledge or innovation, that skill gives them a competitive edge for the future.
(Kathy Stoughton, M.Ed., helps great parents give their kids an edge in today's world. She is very grateful for all the wonderful referrals from her students and their parents. A few of her strategies can be found on her site: EmpoweringLearners.com.)
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