BISMARCK — Governor Burgum announced Microsoft’s Clippy will be the keynote speaker at the 2019 Summit on Innovative Education.
First introduced in Microsoft Office 97, Clippit (more commonly known as “Clippy) guided users of Microsoft’s flagship desktop publishing application for nearly ten years.
“For nearly a decade, Clippy guided myself and my team at Microsoft Great Plains and played an instrumental role in our success,” said Governor Burgum. “And that’s why we’ve tapped Clippy again to lead our innovation summit in Jamestown. As we seek feedback, collaboration, and new ideas from teachers, students, administrators and community leaders, Clippy will be with us again serving as our keynote speaker. He’ll guide us all just as he did in 1998, inspiring us with his helpful tips and providing us with inspiration to transform our classrooms. It’s great to have Clippy back and our partnership with him shows our commitment to leading the nation in technology and innovation.”
Burgum’s staff says they hope utilize Clippy beyond the Summit on Innovative Education across multiple departments in North Dakota.
“The sky’s the limit with Clippy,” says Burgum’s Director of Technology Innovation Bill Bitmap. “Beyond the Governor’s Summit on Innovative Education, we see many uses for Clippy. We’re already looking at incorporating Clippy into our technology infrastructure such as having him pop up on digital devices reminding employees not the throw their receipts away, which should make the State Auditor happy. We may even use him over at the tourism department to help us design future logos and marketing pieces. We could even use him as a digital assistant to advise school administrators from making poor decisions, such as the Linton School District’s decision to hold a mock lynching of a rival team’s player or reminding the Grenora Superintendent he shouldn’t use the school’s credit card for a round of golf. For parents, Clippy could provide them with reminders to enroll their children, especially since North Dakota leads the nation in unschooled children. It’s these sorts of solutions to our state’s challenges that proves Governor Burgum and Superintendent Kirsten Baesler are pioneers in the field of educational innovation.”
Attendees can also look forward to other presentations at the Governor’s Summit on Innovative Education. Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler will be presenting at several breakout sessions including “Be Smug with Your Mug: Perfecting the Art of the Mugshot” and “Drop the Candle, Drop the Charges: A Journey Through North Dakota’s Judicial System.”
Baesler’s presentations draw inspiration from her personal crisis after she was arrested for simple assault after allegedly throwing a candle at her ex. Her charges were later dropped.
“From Clippy’s inspiring words to Superintendent Baesler’s important life lessons, this year’s Summit on Innovative Education is sure to inspire forward thinking, foster curiosity and showcase to our students what it means to be a 21st Century role model,” says Burgum. “We hope everyone can join us. It will be an eye-opening experience on why North Dakota is leading the nation in innovative education and why we have the best people in the nation to guide our students onto the path of tomorrow.”
The Flickertail Times is a satirical humor blog featuring all things North Dakota. Feedback? We’d love to hear it. Send it all to: editor@flickertailtimes.com
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