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Technology brings U.S. Congressman into the classroom
SIKESTON -- Technology enabled some Sikeston High School students to have a live video chat with their U.S. representative in Washington, D.C., Friday during their advanced placement government class.
Sikeston High School students in Sarah McGill's AP government class participated in the live conversation with Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith, who was in his office in Washington, D.C.
It was Smith's first live video chat with students in his district, and it was also a first for McGill and her class.
"Congressman Smith had visited our school last spring and did a tour of the building," McGill recalled. "He popped in this classroom and said he would contact us again sometime."
Three weeks ago Smith's office contacted McGill and arranged the chat, McGill said.
As one of the youngest members of Congress, Smith said Friday's chat is part of his finding new ways to engage with constituents through technology. His hope is the talks will spark an interest for students in civic responsibility, government and public service."
"We wanted our first 'congressman classroom' with you," McGill told the SHS students as the live video chat began Friday.
The representative fielded questions from 18 students who took turns asking their political-themed questions, which they came up with on their own, their teacher said.
"They came up with their questions as part of an assignment, and we went over them together as a class," McGill said, adding that ensured students asked open-ended questions.
Smith answered questions ranging in topics -- from what he does in a typical day and what the best part of his job is to how does he plans to help stop the shrinking of the middle class to whether the founders of America would agree with the way country is today.
Smith provided the students with some background on himself, talking about the committees he serves on, how he'd been in office 17 months and how he's among the youngest Republicans in the House of Representatives at 34 years old.
Each month Smith spends three weeks working in D.C. and one week in the district. However, his district includes 30 counties covering just under 20,000 square-miles.
Other topics addressed included immigration, healthcare reform, term limits, Ebola and the national debt. Smith informed the students how the House had just passed legislation to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline prior to his connecting with them.
Both Smith and the students spoke frankly and kept the mood light during their 40-minute conversation. One student even complimented Smith on the tie he was wearing.
For Smith's final question, a student inquired about the career path to become a member of Congress.
"We have members from all different walks of life," Smith said.
Members of Congress are plumbers, doctors, lawyers, farmers, teachers and housewives, he said.
"There's no one consistent place to become a member of Congress, but in anything you want do in life, there are three traits you need to have," Smith said. "No. 1, you need to be smart. You can't study enough."
The second is to be hardworking and dedicated, Smith said, adding that he lumps those two together.
"The third is to be loyal to who you are and loyal to you who you were," Smith told the students. "I think if you have those three things, you can accomplish anything you want."
So, Smith concluded, there's no certain path to Congress.
"Just work hard, listen, learn, and you can get there," he said.
Smith told the students at the end of their chat he thought it worked well.
"We enjoyed it," Smith said.
He then encouraged the teens to check out his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Junior Joseph Hunter said he was very nervous prior to speaking with Smith -- not because of the video chat -- but because he would be talking to Smith and in front of his whole class.
"We're a tech-generation so we're used to it (communicating live with electronic devices)," Hunter said. "He was a down-to-earth guy. He's just another person like your or me."
Juniors Anniegeorgia O'Brien and Jordan Crawford agreed.
"I liked him," O'Brien said. "He was funny and personable and talked to us like teenagers."
Crawford nodded.
"You'd ask him a question, and if he didn't answer it, he wanted to know that so he could answer it," she said.
Hunter said one of the main things he learned following the session was there's not a right or wrong path to work in politics.
He concluded: "You just have to work hard and try your best."