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Tag: inspirational

  • One-Armed DJ: Portrayal of Resiliency & Inspiration

    Deejay (DJ) Matt Howes is the only one-armed DJ, or disc jockey, in the world. He has been DJing since fourteen years of age and became professional five years ago, in 2008. In 2011, Howes suffered from a near-death traffic accident in Malia on the island of Crete, Greece, which led to an intense technical operation that caused his right arm to be amputated. Still, he miraculously survived.

    Howes woke up in the intensive care unit after thirty-six hours, and was immediately told that his hospital stay would be for approximately three to six weeks. Yet, he had extremely different plans. Over the following three days, Howes forced himself to walk, eat, and drink to gain back his strength. He also demanded to be outside for at least a half of an hour each day to receive positivity from the sunlight. After a total of six days in the hospital, he was discharged, and was performing eight days later to a crowd of 1,300 people.

    The accident could have definitely destroyed his career as well, but he persevered in order to follow his passion and inspire others along the way. He had a live interview on a morning television show with over nine million viewers, and currently has a show on BBC Radio 1Xtra with over five million listeners. At the second-biggest festival in the world, he performed his sets in front of tens of thousands of people and has appeared in interviews for numerous newspapers. Not only has Howes accomplished so much in his short time as a professional, but he has done so with great courage and desire, in order to inspire others who have suffered from similar ordeals. Howes works to promote The Limbless-Association, which is a charitable organization in the United Kingdom devoted to assisting individuals who have lost limbs or are preparing for amputation, as well as providing services of support for their family and friends.

    He continues to impress individuals with his increasingly popular DJ sets, and is a true symbol of resiliency. His wisdom and strength are shown through his actions and words. “My future goals are to keep spreading my message of passion, determination, and belief, and that you can do anything you want, but more importantly — to never give up.”

    Image via Youtube

  • Google Celebrates National Teachers’ Day

    Google Celebrates National Teachers’ Day

    Cristin Frodella, a group marketing manager for Google Education, revealed today how Google Education is celebrating National Teachers’ Day. Over at the Google Official Blog, Frodella shared two YouTube videos that demonstrate the difference good teachers (in combination with Google services and products, of course) can make in students’ lives.

    The first video tells the story of a North Carolina middle school student, Malachi, who had developmental troubles and struggled with the physical task of using pencils or pens to write. His teacher, Elaine Waters received a Google Chromebook, which enabled Malachi to improve his writing speed.

    The second video shows how Gina Nunez, an Arizona college prep school teacher, was able to use Google+ Hangouts to keep in touch with her class throughout her recovery from a medical procedure. The students were able to interact with their teacher, who was at home on medical leave, almost as if she were in the classroom.

    Frodella claims that the Google in Education Google+ page will feature more of these stories, though none have yet been posted. She suggests that those interested in how Google hopes educators will use technology should check out the YouTube videos from last week’s Education On Air conference, and online education technology conference that Google hosted using Google+ Hangouts. The videos can be found on the eduatgoogle YouTube channel.

    What do you think? Were you ever helped or inspired by a teacher using technology (Google or not) in a creative way? Leave your story below in the comments.

  • Soccer Ball From Japanese Tsunami Found in Alaska

    All of us remember the devastating tsunami that ravaged Japan back in 2011. It was such a rough time for the Japanese population; however, a story has recently been released that has given the Japanese hope from these tough times. According to a Yahoo News article, a soccer ball owned by a Japanese native that was lost in the tsunami has recently been found all the way in Alaska.

    The soccer ball, found by Alaskan resident David Baxter, belongs to 16-year-old Misaki Murakami from Japan. Baxter found Murakami’s soccer ball (which had Japanese writing, Murakami’s name, along with words of encouragement) while beachcombing on Middleton Island, 70 miles south of the Alaskan mainland. Baxter tells the Associated Press the following quote via e-mail:

    “When I first saw the soccer ball I was excited to see it and I thought it was possible it came from the tsunami zone.”

    David told the story to his wife, Yumi, who then contacted Murakami (with a reporter’s help) to let him know that the soccer ball that he had lost in the tsunami had been found. Murakami was overjoyed to receive the news about the ball, which had been given to him as a gift in 2005 when he transferred schools. Murakami told public broadcaster NHK the following statement pertaining to his joy of receiving the news about his soccer ball:

    “It was a big surprise. I’ve never imagined that my ball has reached Alaska. I’ve lost everything in the tsunami. So I’m delighted. I really want to say thank you for finding the ball.”

    The Alaskan couple plan to visit Japan in May to return the ball to Murakami; however, they will not officially meet, because they “don’t want to create too much of a commotion.”