Really Cool
By Allen A. Raymond, Publisher

And this past June – almost on a whim – I decided to attend a Keynote Speech by Dr. Craig R. Barrett, Chief Executive Officer of Intel, at the National Educational Computing Conference in New Orleans.

His topic, "Preparing Students for the 21st Century," didn't sound like a barn-burner, but it was down our alley – as a magazine we, too, help prepare teachers and kids for the 21st Century.

As he spoke I began to realize "This Barrett fellow is really cool."

I meant it as a strong compliment, of course, but thought I'd better check my dictionary to see if it was appropriate to call him "cool."

The American Heritage dictionary (Houghton Mifflin, 2000) says "cool has been part and parcel of English slang since World War II [and] is a development from a Black English usage meaning 'excellent, superlative,' first recorded in written English in the early 1930s."

"As a slang word expressing generally positive sentiment, it has stayed current (and cool) far longer than most such words."

And so, it fits; Dr. Barrett is indeed "cool." He also has impressive credentials. A graduate of Stanford University in 1964, he spent the next 10 years at Stanford – earning his Masters and Ph.D. in Materials Science while also a member of the faculty. In 1972 he was a Fulbright Fellow at Danish Technical University. He's also authored over 40 technical papers dealing with the influence of microstructure on the properties of materials, as well as a textbook, Principles of Engineering Materials.

Dr. Barrett joined Intel in 1974 as a Technology Development Manger, steadily moving up the ladder until, in 1997, he became Intel's fourth President and, in 1998, Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

"Teachers," he said in his speech, to thunderous applause, "are the spark of transformation and the key to innovation in the classroom. Sometimes," he added, "we forget that teachers are professionals, like engineers, doctors and other professionals."

"And like those other professionals," he continued, "teachers need continuing support in five areas: Adequate preparation; on-going professional development; tools and resources; administrative support and, above all; recognition for doing a good job."

You and I can't buy any Intel products, of course – remember all those signs and labels and television commercials saying "Intel Inside?" – so this isn't a subtle message to "go out and buy Intel."

But the company sponsors a worldwide free "Teach To The Future" professional development program, and provides other resources for educators under the "Intel Innovation in Education" program. It's worth a look at www.intel.com/education

Finally, although I don't even know the man, Dr. Barrett seems like the kind of person you'd like to invite home for dinner. I hope you'll invite me, too.

Allen Raymond is the Editor/Publisher for Teaching Pre K-8.