The wisdom of The Wire cannot be questioned. It is a show packed with truths concerning the struggle for power, in every episode. There’s no other show that contains so many quotes and nuggets of truth that can be applied to life, business, and relationships. One of those quotes which is so applicable to life in general and more specifically STEM education, comes for the ruthless kingpin Marlo Stanfield.
I won’t go into his backstory because if you’re a fan then you know what Marlo is about. In this particular scene, he and Stringer Bell, the leader of a rival crew have just ended a meeting where terms could not be agreed upon. After Stringer rides off in his car, Marlo turns to his second in command, Chris, and says “Tell our people to tool up.”
This was an acknowledgement of the war to come and the “tool up” was a command to get prepared by arming themselves with the necessary firepower so that they can compete with, survive against, and eventually defeat the competition (Avon and Stringer).
It is in this same spirit that I admonish my people to “tool up!”
What does it mean to "tool up?” It means equipping ourselves and our students with the skills, resources, and opportunities needed to succeed in the world, period. It means breaking down barriers, providing access to quality STEM learning experiences, and fostering a mindset of curiosity and resilience.
I’ve been teaching STEM for over 10 years and I’ve come to realize that there are a particular set of knowledge/skills that are “future proof” (which I will detail in a future post). However, outside of those fundamentals, EVERYTHING CHANGES ALL THE TIME! To keep up, you must be a CELL - a Curious Engaged Lifelong Learner (as a quick sidebar, you’ll find that I use A LOT of acronyms and my wife hates it, lol).
CELLs are always looking for better tools to accomplish their tasks. Whether it’s a more thoughtful browser or a better 3D printer for your prototypes, every craftsperson needs quality tools.
In an effort to prepare “my people” for the coming future of work, I’ll begin posting some of the tools that I use to help me be more efficient with my daily work as well as the tools that help me (and you) create. We’ll call these posts “Tool Up Tuesdays” and it is my hope that they help you become faster and more proficient at what you do! Stay tuned.