Today started out kinda bad, as I have a pretty nasty cold...I slept in a little, but still made it to the General session.

Today's theme was "Pursuing Opportunities".

Jeff Ray, COO of SolidWorks opened by talking about how young students in Norway were already beginnning to use SolidWorks in their math and physics studies. The idea is to "put the power of technology in the hands of students" and to "make learning fun".

Next, he spoke of the work they are doing with the people of Rwanda in Africa. They are also working to get SolidWorks in the hands of students so that the country as a whole will become more financially and technologically independent by 2010.

Then it was time to introduce the keynote speaker, Steve "Woz" Wozniak. He basically gave an autobiography of his life and his childhood experiences that lead up to his career and shaped his outlook on life. He had to cut his speech short due to time constraints, but I could have listened to him all day. He is a very energetic and humorous speaker.

In his view, technology should empower you to be a leader and to strive to use it to meet any challenges. Technology should bend to work for humans, instead of humans having to bend to the technology.

He also challenged teachers to "hear your words as the students hear them" in order to have the most impact. He said it is "more important to motivate than what you teach."

I was able to get his autograph on my SolidWorks agenda and get a photo with him before they rushed him out. Jon Hirschtick (SolidWorks' founder) was kind enough to take it for me.

You can see them as well as the other pics I've posted here.

Tonight it's off to the SolidWorks customer event at Mardi Gras World. I'm really looking forward to more good food and drink! I'm feeling a little better than I was this morning, so hopefully that won't impede on the fun!

Brian:

Thanks for taking the time to write up your experiences! Great picture with WOZ....how'd you make your way through the throng of people that surely must have been around him? Wish I had the guts to do something like that!

There was a crowd around him when I got on stage, and they were trying to get him off the stage. Everytime he signed something or had a picture made, they would walk him a little closer to the stairs. When I saw that I was going to get nowhere near him, I jumped off the side of the stage and walked around and up the stairs they were bringing him to. He turned around, and there I was!