Steve Jobs

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something-your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life"

-Steve Jobs

As we all know, the world recently said good-bye to someone who had a huge role in changing it. It was Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs. He was a modern day Thomas Edison or Henry Ford. He revolutionized technology for all of eternity. And what is perhaps is one of the biggest irony's of his passing, is that much of the world found out about it on the very device that he helped to invent.

I want to take a little time to share with you a few of the things that Steve Jobs has done for me. First of all, he got me in trouble in the 2nd grade. You see, our class had an Apple computer. You know, the ones that were "portable and light weight", but needed about 3 boxes to transport? Yeah, that kind. This was also when floppy disks were actually floppy and had that hole in the middle. Well, one day, while on the computer, I was taking one of the disks and swirling it around my finger. Which in turn, ruined the disk and the game that was on it (Perhaps Oregon Trail?). Anyway, what I remember about this incident was that I was so afraid that I was going to be in big trouble. When the disk stopped working, our school secretary (who had grown up with my dad) came in to see if she could figure out the problem....which she then determined to be that my swirling had permanently damaged the disk. I remember she jokingly (I think) said, "I'm gonna tell your daddy". I think that I spent the next few days fearing that she would, in fact, tell my daddy.

He has also had a huge impact on my career and how I teach. It really bothers me when I hear people say "Who really NEEDS an iPad/iPod/iPhone?" Well, I'm going to go ahead and tell you about some people who really NEED an iPad/iPod/iPhone. You see, Apple products have for a long time been embraced by those in the disability community because of their adaptive features. People who are visually impaired benefit from the enlarged print and screen that is easy to access, as well as the text to speech and the new speech to text features. Those who are hearing impaired can have access to subtitles while watching movies and television on other devices in real time. Individuals that have motor impairments can manipulate the touch screen with much more ease than a keyboard or paper and pencil. In turn, it is easier for them to do everyday tasks such as pay bills or make a grocery list. And individuals with Autism benefit form the the many communication applications that help them to use pictures to communicate and often reduce their frustration that can develop by not being able to convey their wants and needs to others.

One thing that my mom has always said and I believe as well, that everyone's life has a meaning and a purpose. But the irony here is that Steve Jobs' life meaning and purpose was to revolutionize technology. And in turn, this technology helped to provide meaning and purpose to other peoples lives.