EdTech

Richard Culatta, Director of the Office of Educational Technology, is a leader in the field of educational innovation. He has experience in K-12, higher education, and workplace learning environments. As the Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the US Department of Education his work focuses on leveraging technology to create personalized learning experiences for all students and promoting increased connectivity to improve access to education and make college more affordable.

Author and educator Kathy Cassidy discusses her new book and how primary teachers can integrate technology into the classroom. “Connected from the Start: Global Learning in the Primary Grades”, makes a compelling case for connecting our youngest students to the world, using the transformative power of Internet tools and technologies. Cassidy presents both the rationale for connecting students “from the start” and the how-to details and examples teachers need to involve children in grades K-3 in using blogs,

BrainPOP has a rich history supporting Connected Educators Month (CEM). Andrew Gardner, Director of BrainPOP Educators, was part of the original Connected Educators initiative working group. Dr. Kari Stubbs, VP Learning and Innovation at BrainPOP, talks with Dr. Berger about their efforts to support CEM with a list of fantastic events. Stubbs also updates the audience on BranPOP’s latest news.

The touch-and-swipe interface of the digital marketplace makes it feel so easy. Looking for an app to teach your 5-year-old how to read? Flick your finger over to the education aisles of the App Store (or Google Play, or the Amazon Appstore), and press “buy.”

Frank Gallagher, VP of Education at Cable Impacts Foundation, talks with Dr. Berger about his experience in education and best practices for integrating solutions into schools and communities.Led by Cable Impacts Foundation: How do you make a school “future ready?” What combination of infrastructure and devices, pedagogy and professional development, curriculum and content, leadership and culture will enable schools to effectively prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges in college, career or civic life?

Mike Lawrence, CEO of CUE, talks with Dr. Berger about professional development and the role CUE plays in advancing technology and learning. Lawrence discusses CUE’s role with Connected Educator Month including the CEM Cafe and Twitter chats that will be happening all month!IntervieweeMike Lawrence has been impacting education as a teacher, administrator, technology coordinator and non-profit leader for twenty years. He is a respected presenter, at national conferences and events and was named an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2003. He assisted in the development and launch of the Discovery Educator Network (DEN) and co-founded the Google Certified Teacher program.  He currently serves as CEO of CUE (CUE.org). Each year, thousands of educators attend CUE’s conference events and professional learning opportunities, making it the premier Educational Technology association.Interviewer featured on the edCircuit,  in EdTech Review India, Scholastic’s District Administrator and on RFD TV’s Rural Education Special. As an industry personality Dr. Berger has interviewed Ministers of Education, leading voices like Sir Ken Robinson, U.S. Secretary Arne Duncan, AFT President Randi Weingarten and other global thought leaders. Dr. Berger is a guest lecturer at Vanderbilt University and resides with his wife and two children in Nashville.

M itch Weisburgh, founder of Games 4 Ed, discusses the market for games in education and the obstacles to reach current curriculum models. Weisburgh also talks about “game jams” and other ways to engage teachers in the process of game development and deployment within classrooms.

K aren Mahon, Ed.D joined Dr. Berger to discuss educational apps and lessons for the industry. Mahon is the founder of Balefire Labs that has reviewed nearly 5,000 apps in education. Balefire Labs utilizes a research-based set of criteria to review apps in the areas of instructional and usability design. Karen L. Mahon Ed.D is an Educational Psychologist and Instructional Designer with more than 15 years’ experience in education technology. Mahon was Principal Investigator and Research Scientist at Praxis, Inc., a Waltham (MA) ed tech startup that produced instructional software for children with severe and profound disabilities. While at Praxis, Mahon successfully generated National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research grants totaling close to $4M.Other previous appointments have included Global Senior Manager of Learning Sciences at Mimio Interactive Teaching Technologies and Research Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas. Karen received her Ed.D. and M.A. in Educational Psychology from West Virginia University, her Product Management Certificate from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, and her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego.  

Photo credit: BuzzfarmersBy Chris BerdikFacing some of America’s biggest education challenges, Benjamin Castleman thinks small. In his new book, The 160-Character Solution: How Text Messaging and Other Behavioral Strategies can Improve Education, the University of Virginia education professor argues that the humble text message can boost student achievement, improve study habits and help students stay on track in the transition from high school to college.Read the rest of the story at The Hechinger Report.