Story by Alexis Tainter, Francis Howell North High School

Video by Ladue High School Broadcast Technology

As educators filed into the grand ballroom at 8 a.m. to hear keynote speaker Kevin Honeycutt discuss creativity, they expected a basic powerpoint with a few jokes and laughs. What they didn’t know walking in that Honeycutt would end the session playing his electric guitar and singing ballads.

“He was amazing,” Cyndi Crouch said. “He got me to turn my digital tool off and listen. He inspired me to do more.”

Honeycutt began his keynote talking about his rough childhood in poverty. Throughout his presentation, he talked about the different types of kids, those that sit in the front of the class eager to learn and those that hide in the back avoiding being noticed. Honeycutt began his school career hiding out in the back, but had people and teachers help him work his way to the front.

“Teachers were picking the safety lock on my life,” Honeycutt said. “I wasn’t dumb. I was just sitting in the wrong chair. It’s my job to pay it forward.”

Honeycutt encourages teachers to stop taking the technology away from students, but instead connect with them. He believes technology is essential in todays society and it should be used as a learning tool.

“Your kids are online right now,” Honeycutt said. “Kids today are powerful. They can change the world. How do we know they aren’t the next Steve Jobs? The connections we make with them is important. We need to help them get there. When you start creating and making, you can’t stop.”