When the Department of Education released the final application for more than $4 billion in Race to the Top Funds earlier this month, “innovation” became the leading buzzword in education. To receive a share of these funds, states need to demonstrate innovative reforms that have raised student performance and have the capacity to accelerate achievement gains in the future.
That got BoardBuzz thinking about famous innovators, and one name at the top of our list was Steve Wozniak. In 1976, Wozniak, along with Steve Jobs, founded Apple Computer, and helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products. Now a Silicon Valley icon and noted philanthropist, in the early days of Apple, Wozniak was just a college drop out with a lot of great ideas and a unique vision for the future. Working with limited resources and a driving passion to succeed, Wozniak was able to achieve his vision.
In 1985, Wozniak was awarded the National Medal of Technology the highest honor bestowed on America’s leading innovators, and in 2000 he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame. Since leaving Apple, he has devoted a large part of his time and resources to education. Working at the local level, he “adopted” the Los Gatos School District. But, not only did he donate state-of-the-art technology equipment he was right there in the classroom sharing his passion for technology in the learning process as a volunteer teacher.
You can see Wozniak in person at the 2010 NSBA Annual Conference, where he will be the keynote speaker on Monday, April 12. His unique life story, his passion for classroom innovation, and his ideas for how technology can help transform education in the 21st century can inspire us all!
