A couple of weeks ago, Bob was in Sedona, AZ attending a conference on how best to use the Obama Administration's funding to improve science, technology, engineering, and math education. After several days of intensive discussion, the conference organizer suggested a trip to the Grand Canyon to put everything into perspective. Figuratively as well as literally, it turns out. At the southern rim, Bob got to observe how the simplest of technologies could help to salvage the most complex.
The Grand Canyon is indeed grand! For millions of years, as colliding tectonic plates have pushed up the land, the Colorado River has persisted in trying to return (as all water does) to sea level. In doing so, it has worn away layer after layer of gorgeously colored rock. The result is a spectacular series of gouges in the Earth that are thousands of feet deep and miles across.
Needless to say, vacationers flock to the lookout points around the canyon rim to take photographs. Occasionally, something goes wrong.
In fact, sometimes things go fatally wrong at the Grand Canyon. One popular book for sale at the park bookstores recounts every death that has occurred at the canyon: the shoe model (otherwise unclothed) who plunged backwards into the canyon after losing her footing; the marathon runner who got lost and died of thirst before she was found; the foolhardy climbers who should have known better; you get the picture. Messages throughout the park warn visitors to use their common sense or risk death. The part authorities aren't fooling. One look over the edge into a thousand food vertical plunge is cautionary.
Still, when a group of French sightseers asked Bob to take a picture of them with the spectacular view in the background, it never occurred to him that it would involve any risk. All they wanted was a couple of pictures!
It all happened quickly and unexpectedly. As one of the French women handed Bob her camera, she suddenly exclaimed loudly and made a dive toward the rim of the canyon. She had taken out the full memory chip of the camera and replaced it with an empty one. Handing the camera to Bob, she had dropped the full chip, which bounced right over the edge of the cliff behind her! Fortunately, the substantial railings that protect visitors to the park restrained her from following after.
The French visitors made a quick inspection over the edge (not recommended for those with vertigo!) and discovered a small ledge about six feet below the view point. By some miracle, the camera chip was lying on the ledge, provocatively just out of reach.
Could the chip be retrieved? Should it be retrieved? Several people who had witnessed the event began talking about climbing over the railing. Others were more cautious. Were the photographs on the chip worth the risk of someone slipping off the ledge and falling hundreds of feet into the canyon? Clear heads finally prevailed when someone made a time-old suggestion: "What we need is a stick and some chewing gum!"
One of the Frenchmen immediately disappeared, returning about thirty seconds later with a wad of gum in his mouth and a several-foot-long stick in his hand. The gum came out of his mouth, attached firmly to the end of the stick. The French man got onto his stomach and poked his head over the rim of the canyon. The stick went over the edge, stuck to the camera chip, and up it came. Voila! No risk, no bother. Everyday creativity to the rescue!
Bob couldn't help wondering if there isn't a lesson here for rescuing education as well. Most policy makers look to high-tech solutions to salvage an increasingly failing educational system. More computers, more on-line materials, more inter-connectivity, more this, more that! But when things go wrong maybe it isn't more technology, more risk, more spending that we need, but more simple common sense. Maybe the solution to a better and more creative educational system is just to empower teachers to do what we all know needs to be done with the resources we already have at hand. A bit of metaphorical chewing gum on the end of that proverbial stick...and who knows what might be accomplished.
It worked at the Grand Canyon!
© Robert and Michele Root-Bernstein 2010
