Was my approach to education appreciated by the Flanneled One?!

It's been sent to my attention that the first commercial from my school board campaign - the "Star Wars" one with the Death Star blowing up the schoolhouse then the scene with me wielding my lightsaber - has been given special mention as one of a group of "great education-related videos" by a website called Edutopia.

Edutopia, it turns out, is the website of The George Lucas Educational Foundation.

Here's what the site has to say...

YOUTUBE PICK: BEST CAMPAIGN AD EVER!
It didn't win him a seat on Rockingham County, NC's school board, but Christopher Knight's Star Wars-themed video spot won him loads of giggling fans (1:01).

This made my day!! It's probably the closest I'll ever get to making an officially-approved Star Wars movie! Okay, kidding aside, it is an honor to get mentioned by this, an organization that I've long had a lot of respect and admiration for. When George Lucas did The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (wow... going on fifteen years ago!) I thought that show was an amazing means of teaching history to young people. I'll admit it: I applied for a few jobs with Lucasfilm over the years (what self-respecting Star Wars geek hasn't?). But even more than the chance to work on a Star Wars movie, I wanted to be part of the effort to use these stories as vehicles for innovative learning. THAT is going to be the long-lasting legacy of these stories. And although I never did it in an official capacity, I've absolutely played to the hilt any opportunity to use Star Wars and Indiana Jones to impart knowledge and values to my students. That's what I tried to do with this first commercial too. But I never thought it would wind up referenced on George Lucas's education website. That's just... wow!

So to the good folks at The George Lucas Educational Foundation: thanks!! :-)