[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
today I believe the world’s forgotten
that education takes on many forms it
goes well beyond the stacks of books we
find in libraries the shiny little
tablets we see in every school system
even the traditional classroom that you
send your kids to everything education
is a process a process but fosters
learning it’s about experiencing
different things it’s about
understanding that’s gathering
education is also about experiences
these experiences allow you to feel
education is used by people people that
are looking to use this information in
these experiences to acquire knowledge
and wisdom now there’s no set tools for
the delivery of education there’s all
types of people
some people look for the written
language they study they read they read
every blog every book every post trying
to find that last bit of information
well there’s people like me
that are visual learners we have to see
it
draw it sketch it to really understand
how it works then you got the people
that are hands-on you know the ones that
feel it touch it break it the thinkers
the doers but then you also have people
that need structure structured learning
the checklist the step-by-step process
because that ensures they’re hitting
every single milestone that they can
possibly do and then of course being
here in the South we love storytelling
that’s the verbal exchange of
information that allows you to be on
part of the journey now it really
doesn’t matter which one you’d use it’s
still all about learning well I was
fortunate I grew up here in nowhere
Alabama most have told me that that is a
disadvantage when it comes to education
well I will argue with you and tell you
living on a farm being surrounded by an
environment that allowed me and
challenged me to grow and learn it’s way
better than any school that I’ve ever
been in now but education frequently is
handled by the guidance of educators you
know the teachers the professor’s those
who have been trained to learn how to
deliver information and yes some people
even say your parents but we all know we
know more than our parents right but you
also find those people in life that
affect you that you had no idea that was
going to happen eventually you call them
Mentors well luckily for me I had one
my father is a cotton farmer no college
education he wasn’t trained
professionally to be an educator but
probably one of the greatest teachers
I’ve ever had it’s taken me a lifetime
to figure out the depth and wisdom of
all of those lessons but it’s those
lessons that are a foundation of
everything I am today
now I bet you’re wondering why I brought
this big old rock onstage well this is a
tool that my father used to teach me
I’m nine years old little Owens running
around amazed at the world everything
around you is just like is amazing I’m
doing this I’m doing that well my father
alongside of being a farmer he also did
a lot of rock work this helped pay the
bills it also helped pay for everything
me and my younger brother broke and
destroyed but I always go to these job
sites and watch him with amazement
because he’s the only one that could lay
the rock it was his vision he didn’t
trust anyone else to see that vision so
it’s like watching him work a puzzle he
take this rock it would work that rock
work of course me as a nine-year-old I
was finding boulders you know voters
about this size because remember I was
little bitty and I would run up to him
so dad dad can you put this in the rock
wall this is not part of his master plan
this rock meant nothing to what his
vision was but some way somehow he
understood the importance to me so he
would put there and it felt like it was
magic it was meant to be there so let’s
go forward just a little bit and I’m 13
my father has us doing chores so I’m
probably digging a hole filling it back
up doing something like that and he
walks out said son I have something for
you to do okay what is that I want you
to build me a rock wall sir I want you
to build me a rock wall I’ll get me to
help you build a rock wall no this is
yours all of a sudden it’s like I’m
about to be a man
my dad is trusting me today this is the
evolution of what I can be right now
yeah I’m 13 years old this is an amazing
thing for me I said okay what’s what do
I need to do he said I need it about
right here 30 foot long four rocks high
no mortar dry stagette level backfill it
oh I got this
in my head I’m already seeing this rock
wall it’s gonna be the greatest rock
wall ever the Great Wall of China will
not rival this thing I say okay where’s
my rocks he backs up the truck drops
about 6 ton of rock on the ground I got
this now
again I’m the run of the family so I’m
really small so I’m grabbing it I’ve got
it all marked off I got it make sure
it’s level and I’m having to push some
of the foundation stones because they’re
so heavy to me but I’m working all day
I’m nasty I’m sweaty I’m dirty my
father’s coming and checking on me he’s
giving me water okay okay yeah yeah but
I’m doing it all myself well I get to
that point and I look at it like this is
the most outstanding wall ever
I mean I’m finished it’s taken me all
day but it’s okay I’ve done it myself
well then my father walks out and we’re
standing there looking at it what’s
about education right I told you my
father is pretty smart on this
so what were the lessons that I learned
well for thirteen-year-old let’s say
it’s life lessons the normal aspect of
hard work work ethic he always talked
about everyone’s got a talent and a
passion but what’s going to set you
apart is the eye for detail and the
endurance to do it the best that you can
that day knowing that tomorrow you could
do it better okay great
that’s a 13 year old start process and
then it hit me no wait I’m just free
well now it’s fast-forward to now and
when I said some of these lessons are
now just hitting me I’m looking at it
going what did he really teach me well
he dove into what I call unscripted
learning he didn’t give me a defined
path he let me choose my own direction
my own choices everything about that was
mine he also spoke in riddles
all the time well okay that’s the most
frustrating way to teach anyone I still
do it myself but anyway but he would
also make me answer the yes and no
question for that riddle that way I had
both sides of the story and I could make
the wisest choice that I could make at
that point
okay how about creativity
my father saw something in me he saw
some little spark that he needed to
bring out well he nurtured my curiosity
he allowed me to see things and touch
things and do things he also worked on
my creative problem-solving could I see
these pieces as puzzle pieces and put
these rocks together by myself I hope so
and also he allowed me to capture what I
call the invisible it’s something that
you see that no one else sees around you
but you reach out and you grab it you
bring it back to show the
that’s my rock wall well on top of that
he’s also teaching me intuition each one
of these things are happening and it’s
allowing me to gather courage also the
confidence to know that I’m making the
right choices that I think is right then
right there because he’s wanting me to
be instinctive he wants it to be like
every piece is natural to me because
hopefully one day I can do it all by
myself without asking for any help any
question or any approval so now we’re
standing there I’m bowed up right chest
poked out I’m waiting for those magical
phrases son great job I’m so proud of
you it’s not what I heard he looked at
me and said there’s too many big ones
over here together too many little ones
right there you got to tear it down and
start all over all of a sudden it’s
failure for a 13 year old failure is
devastating I let myself down I let my
father down because I couldn’t do the
job right well so I tore it down and as
I’m stacking that I’m stacking I look at
my father I’m like when did you know
this was happening
he said son in the first 10 minutes you
were doing it wrong why didn’t you tell
me he said because you’d have never seen
it for yourself that’s how you learn and
that’s right there I knew his wisdom and
understanding of positive failure
because the only thing that you can
claim for yourself or one of the only
things that you can claim for yourself
is your failures it allows you to grow
from your mistakes it allowed me to
understand that right now I’ve done it
wrong but I can learn and be better but
on top of that he was teaching me how to
what do you mean by human he immersed me
into this project making sure I was
respecting those who have to do it for a
living
walking in their shoes to make sure that
I understand what the effort and
mistakes and triumphs are to me it
allowed me to join on the journey that
I’m on now as an educator it’s for me to
make sure the next generations are
greater than I’ll ever be so for me it’s
not about giving spoons to students and
spoon feeding them information no it’s
about a rock it’s giving them a rock so
they can start their own journey they
can make their own mistakes their own
choices but it’s also there for me to
make sure that I have a lending hand and
I’m there to help guide them to the next
phase my name is Owen Foster I’m gonna
educator I’m a mentor and all-around
troublemaker but I have one gift you
come here please come on up here I don’t
know you
eight either one it doesn’t matter it’s
my job to pass the rock to the next
person all right thank you appreciate it
thank you
[Applause] [Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
today I believe the world’s forgotten
that education takes on many forms it
goes well beyond the stacks of books we
find in libraries the shiny little
tablets we see in every school system
even the traditional classroom that you
send your kids to everything education
is a process a process but fosters
learning it’s about experiencing
different things it’s about
understanding that’s gathering
education is also about experiences
these experiences allow you to feel
education is used by people people that
are looking to use this information in
these experiences to acquire knowledge
and wisdom now there’s no set tools for
the delivery of education there’s all
types of people
some people look for the written
language they study they read they read
every blog every book every post trying
to find that last bit of information
well there’s people like me
that are visual learners we have to see
it
draw it sketch it to really understand
how it works then you got the people
that are hands-on you know the ones that
feel it touch it break it the thinkers
the doers but then you also have people
that need structure structured learning
the checklist the step-by-step process
because that ensures they’re hitting
every single milestone that they can
possibly do and then of course being
here in the South we love storytelling
that’s the verbal exchange of
information that allows you to be on
part of the journey now it really
doesn’t matter which one you’d use it’s
still all about learning well I was
fortunate I grew up here in nowhere
Alabama most have told me that that is a
disadvantage when it comes to education
well I will argue with you and tell you
living on a farm being surrounded by an
environment that allowed me and
challenged me to grow and learn it’s way
better than any school that I’ve ever
been in now but education frequently is
handled by the guidance of educators you
know the teachers the professor’s those
who have been trained to learn how to
deliver information and yes some people
even say your parents but we all know we
know more than our parents right but you
also find those people in life that
affect you that you had no idea that was
going to happen eventually you call them
Mentors well luckily for me I had one
my father is a cotton farmer no college
education he wasn’t trained
professionally to be an educator but
probably one of the greatest teachers
I’ve ever had it’s taken me a lifetime
to figure out the depth and wisdom of
all of those lessons but it’s those
lessons that are a foundation of
everything I am today
now I bet you’re wondering why I brought
this big old rock onstage well this is a
tool that my father used to teach me
I’m nine years old little Owens running
around amazed at the world everything
around you is just like is amazing I’m
doing this I’m doing that well my father
alongside of being a farmer he also did
a lot of rock work this helped pay the
bills it also helped pay for everything
me and my younger brother broke and
destroyed but I always go to these job
sites and watch him with amazement
because he’s the only one that could lay
the rock it was his vision he didn’t
trust anyone else to see that vision so
it’s like watching him work a puzzle he
take this rock it would work that rock
work of course me as a nine-year-old I
was finding boulders you know voters
about this size because remember I was
little bitty and I would run up to him
so dad dad can you put this in the rock
wall this is not part of his master plan
this rock meant nothing to what his
vision was but some way somehow he
understood the importance to me so he
would put there and it felt like it was
magic it was meant to be there so let’s
go forward just a little bit and I’m 13
my father has us doing chores so I’m
probably digging a hole filling it back
up doing something like that and he
walks out said son I have something for
you to do okay what is that I want you
to build me a rock wall sir I want you
to build me a rock wall I’ll get me to
help you build a rock wall no this is
yours all of a sudden it’s like I’m
about to be a man
my dad is trusting me today this is the
evolution of what I can be right now
yeah I’m 13 years old this is an amazing
thing for me I said okay what’s what do
I need to do he said I need it about
right here 30 foot long four rocks high
no mortar dry stagette level backfill it
oh I got this
in my head I’m already seeing this rock
wall it’s gonna be the greatest rock
wall ever the Great Wall of China will
not rival this thing I say okay where’s
my rocks he backs up the truck drops
about 6 ton of rock on the ground I got
this now
again I’m the run of the family so I’m
really small so I’m grabbing it I’ve got
it all marked off I got it make sure
it’s level and I’m having to push some
of the foundation stones because they’re
so heavy to me but I’m working all day
I’m nasty I’m sweaty I’m dirty my
father’s coming and checking on me he’s
giving me water okay okay yeah yeah but
I’m doing it all myself well I get to
that point and I look at it like this is
the most outstanding wall ever
I mean I’m finished it’s taken me all
day but it’s okay I’ve done it myself
well then my father walks out and we’re
standing there looking at it what’s
about education right I told you my
father is pretty smart on this
so what were the lessons that I learned
well for thirteen-year-old let’s say
it’s life lessons the normal aspect of
hard work work ethic he always talked
about everyone’s got a talent and a
passion but what’s going to set you
apart is the eye for detail and the
endurance to do it the best that you can
that day knowing that tomorrow you could
do it better okay great
that’s a 13 year old start process and
then it hit me no wait I’m just free
well now it’s fast-forward to now and
when I said some of these lessons are
now just hitting me I’m looking at it
going what did he really teach me well
he dove into what I call unscripted
learning he didn’t give me a defined
path he let me choose my own direction
my own choices everything about that was
mine he also spoke in riddles
all the time well okay that’s the most
frustrating way to teach anyone I still
do it myself but anyway but he would
also make me answer the yes and no
question for that riddle that way I had
both sides of the story and I could make
the wisest choice that I could make at
that point
okay how about creativity
my father saw something in me he saw
some little spark that he needed to
bring out well he nurtured my curiosity
he allowed me to see things and touch
things and do things he also worked on
my creative problem-solving could I see
these pieces as puzzle pieces and put
these rocks together by myself I hope so
and also he allowed me to capture what I
call the invisible it’s something that
you see that no one else sees around you
but you reach out and you grab it you
bring it back to show the
that’s my rock wall well on top of that
he’s also teaching me intuition each one
of these things are happening and it’s
allowing me to gather courage also the
confidence to know that I’m making the
right choices that I think is right then
right there because he’s wanting me to
be instinctive he wants it to be like
every piece is natural to me because
hopefully one day I can do it all by
myself without asking for any help any
question or any approval so now we’re
standing there I’m bowed up right chest
poked out I’m waiting for those magical
phrases son great job I’m so proud of
you it’s not what I heard he looked at
me and said there’s too many big ones
over here together too many little ones
right there you got to tear it down and
start all over all of a sudden it’s
failure for a 13 year old failure is
devastating I let myself down I let my
father down because I couldn’t do the
job right well so I tore it down and as
I’m stacking that I’m stacking I look at
my father I’m like when did you know
this was happening
he said son in the first 10 minutes you
were doing it wrong why didn’t you tell
me he said because you’d have never seen
it for yourself that’s how you learn and
that’s right there I knew his wisdom and
understanding of positive failure
because the only thing that you can
claim for yourself or one of the only
things that you can claim for yourself
is your failures it allows you to grow
from your mistakes it allowed me to
understand that right now I’ve done it
wrong but I can learn and be better but
on top of that he was teaching me how to
what do you mean by human he immersed me
into this project making sure I was
respecting those who have to do it for a
living
walking in their shoes to make sure that
I understand what the effort and
mistakes and triumphs are to me it
allowed me to join on the journey that
I’m on now as an educator it’s for me to
make sure the next generations are
greater than I’ll ever be so for me it’s
not about giving spoons to students and
spoon feeding them information no it’s
about a rock it’s giving them a rock so
they can start their own journey they
can make their own mistakes their own
choices but it’s also there for me to
make sure that I have a lending hand and
I’m there to help guide them to the next
phase my name is Owen Foster I’m gonna
educator I’m a mentor and all-around
troublemaker but I have one gift you
come here please come on up here I don’t
know you
eight either one it doesn’t matter it’s
my job to pass the rock to the next
person all right thank you appreciate it
thank you
[Applause] [Music]
Please follow and like us: