I am ..... who?

So someone was reading this and asked me – how did I get to the place where I get to meet and see this great learning stuff?

Well, I was born as a baby and grew to be an adult, so I have some first-hand human experience as a learner.

Then I gained some experience as a teacher. I had a Maryland Scholarship that forgave 25% of my student loans for each year that I taught. I had already learned math in the great Maryland education system, so I taught for four years. I was an ‘all white’ English teacher at an ‘all black’ Baltimore City High School. I still look back and consider that as one of my most valuable, enjoyable, challenging, and life-defining moments in my existence. In addition to learning about other cultures, learning to be the minority, acquiring a wicked set of dance skills, and meeting some of the most incredible educators and learners I’ve ever met – I got involved with instructional computing through a Plato/Control Data learning project at the school.

One thing led to another . . . that led to a teaching fellowship at graduate school . . . that led to Apple Computer . . . and that led to the Bay Area. Once here, I worked in a variety of industries – publishing, software, Internet and gaming. I’ve managed worldwide learning markets, lead teams that have developed online learning platforms, and developed new markets for multimedia reading tools. I’ve helped businesses develop, market and sell new technology learning products pre-K through Adult. I’ve worked in rich high-tech companies, and penny-pinching startups. I’ve been an executive officer, managed a P&L, and been a high-level strategic staff member in both global and U.S. markets.

I was able to wrestle, and to learn all the different ways we support learning. We tackle it through policy, research, psychology, tools, information, textbooks, and online learning. I like the part where we fund it as a business – where industry innovates, competes, implements and works to improve the experience.

And the net-net of it all? We are humans; therefore we learn. And here in the Bay Area – we learn business fast, all new, all the time, all day, and everywhere with everyone -- globally and locally and at all ages. WE LEARN to compete and survive. But mostly, I suspect we LEARN to EXPLORE, INVENT and COMMUNCIATE.

Here in the United States learning (unlike health care) is primarily a state funded ‘right’ (rite?). And as a result, the wild ride of free market adoption that fueled technology transformations of other segments didn’t fuel the education segment quite as fast. While the creativity and innovation of the education research segment helped drive great innovation and results in the technology revolution, the trickledown effect was slow and uneven throughout the rest of the learning market. And harshly perhaps – the technology was too immature for the complexities of the entire pre-K through Adult span of needs.

But technology continues to mature. Web 2.0 brings strong social assets to the already existing information and communication assets. The next wave of innovation will bring even more information organization and multimedia customization to the game.

It’s a great time to learn – the tools have never been better -- the information has never been richer. The payment for good learners has never been higher. The learners have never been more ready. We’re a little upside down at the moment – learners use technology pervasively in their social and consumer lives. They walk into a classroom and sometimes are sent ‘back in time’ and do not get to enjoy the fullest use of technology to learn. The learners will be teaching the teachers in some segments today. But hey, that’s WEB2.0 at its best. It’s all good.

We just need to figure out a way to make the pieces come together; to invent new business models to make for faster adoptions, and to invest in the future – invest in learners.

And I want to be part of that. I write these blogs so the smart people with the pieces can meet and make it happen.

I’m looking forward to learning more so I can make it so . . . Teach me.