LEADING AND INNOVATING
- Education professor, involved in the design and marketing of the groundbreaking Pepperdine Online Master's of Arts in educational technology degree program begun in 1998
- Led professional development efforts in the world's first "laptop schools" nine years ago. Considered an expert on personal computing and learning.
- Editor-in-Chief: ISTE's Logo Exchange journal
- Educational and software design consultant to Universal Studios, Logo Computer Systems, Inc., Claris, Apple, Microsoft, Disney, Compaq, Tom Snyder Productions and LEGO dacta
- Hundreds of hands-on workshops and conference presentations on technology planning in North and South America, England, New Zealand and Australia
"One of the greatest side-effects of putting thousands of laptops in a school and asking teachers to use them in a constructionist [project-based/problem-solving] fashion was the spontaneous reevaluation of teaching and learning over a sustained period of time. Teachers were reacquainted with the learner inside of them and became much more sensitive to the needs and expectations of their students."
[With infinite power to improve/enhance education I would] "Focus on the obvious stuff like a renewed focus on the arts and social interaction. Kids will stop getting in trouble for talking in class (rudeness is different). We should get out of the way of learning by breaking down as many of school's arbitrary structures as possible. Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak and I all had similar high school experiences. A smart adult got hold of a mainframe and some terminals and said here kids, have fun, see what you can figure out and lock up when you're done.
"This act of simple unrestricted access and trust led to the development of vibrant communities of practice in which we could teach each other, challenge each other and run programming classes for other kids. Since we didn't know what we couldn't do, anything was possible. There was always an adult or two around to guide us if necessary. It disappoints me that so few kids have [the] quality of that experience. I spend as much of my energy as possible trying to help schools recreate this quality of experience for kids today."
[Your message to the world?] "Beware of futurists bearing gifts. It doesn't take a crystal ball, a keynote speech or Wired to tell us we must treat children better. Even if computers and the Net never existed, the traditional notion of compulsory schooling would be in deep trouble. The institution is under fire from every quarter: Liberals, conservatives, business leaders, religious groups, politicians, kids and parents are all dissatisfied. A publicly funded enterprise with few constituents cannot be sustained. Add Furbys, HotWheels cars with computers in them, Barbie digital cameras and a million or so programmable LEGO robots to the daily lives of kids, and you understand why we must raise our expectations.
"If the focus shifts to unlocking the intellectual potential and creativity of each learner, schools or whatever replaces them will be better places for teachers to work as well. Computers and the Net not only undermine the monopoly schools have had on kids' time and learning but they offer wonderful opportunities to make learning more personal, more human."
INSPIRATIONS
INDIVIDUALS: "Seymour Papert for initiating the idea that computers are objects to think with. Art Blakey, Betty Carter and Miles Davis for being among the world's best teachers while creating great art collaboratively with their apprentices. Thomas Edison for being a great bricoleur [tinkerer, handyman] and Abbie Hoffman and Tom Hayden for understanding humor and farce are effective tools for social justice."
QUOTE: "Schools are such bad places for children to learn because they are such bad places for teachers to learn. If you wanted to become a good carpenter, wouldn't you hang out with great carpenters? Why doesn't the same idea apply for learning?" Seymour Papert
BOOK: "One Size Fits Few: The Folly of Educational Standards by Susan Ohanian. She challenges the insanity of top-down curriculum and assessment at a time when mean-spirited miseducative policies designed to keep teachers and kids in-line abound."