Presenters at the Flat Classroom®Conference, Japan 2013
Alan Levine, USA
Alan Levine is an innovator in educational technology, currently working as an independent consultant under his firm, CogDog It. His interests include web-based story telling, digital photography, web technology, blogging, and anything else that involves being creative online. He is widely recognized nationally and internationally for expertise in the application of new technologies to educational environments and was a pioneer on the web going back to 1993. An early proponent of blogs for information sharing, in 2003 he started sharing his ideas and discoveries at CogDogBlog.
Most recently Alan was an Instructional Technology Specialist at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. Beyond supporting faculty with use of online technologies, he taught a section of ds106, the open Digital Storytelling class, both in person and as a fully online course.
His previous position was Vice President Community & CTO for the New Media Consortium (NMC), an international consortium of hundreds of world-class universities, colleges, museums, research centers, and technology companies, dedicated to using new technologies to support learning and creative expression. In his role, Alan infused the organization with applications of web 2.0 tools, including a new NMC web site as an online community featuring rich media, user-generated content, folksonomy tools, and social presence. He designed web and wiki-based systems for many NMC projects, and was a lead researcher for the NMC’s series of Horizon Reports.
Before joining the NMC, Alan served 14 years as Instructional Technologist at the Maricopa Community Colleges in Phoenix, Arizona where he was actively engaged in research and development of learning technologies. Alan was a key contributor to significant efforts such as Ocotillo, a faculty-led initiative that promoted innovation and drove change, created the Maricopa Learning eXchange (MLX), a virtual warehouse of innovation that pioneered the use of RSS in syndicating learning object content, and developed Feed2JS, an open source software shared for allowing people to easily incorporate RSS content into web pages.
Alan works from home in Strawberry, Arizona and sharing the amazing things that can happen from dipping inton the nearly infinite river of the internet.
Most recently Alan was an Instructional Technology Specialist at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. Beyond supporting faculty with use of online technologies, he taught a section of ds106, the open Digital Storytelling class, both in person and as a fully online course.
His previous position was Vice President Community & CTO for the New Media Consortium (NMC), an international consortium of hundreds of world-class universities, colleges, museums, research centers, and technology companies, dedicated to using new technologies to support learning and creative expression. In his role, Alan infused the organization with applications of web 2.0 tools, including a new NMC web site as an online community featuring rich media, user-generated content, folksonomy tools, and social presence. He designed web and wiki-based systems for many NMC projects, and was a lead researcher for the NMC’s series of Horizon Reports.
Before joining the NMC, Alan served 14 years as Instructional Technologist at the Maricopa Community Colleges in Phoenix, Arizona where he was actively engaged in research and development of learning technologies. Alan was a key contributor to significant efforts such as Ocotillo, a faculty-led initiative that promoted innovation and drove change, created the Maricopa Learning eXchange (MLX), a virtual warehouse of innovation that pioneered the use of RSS in syndicating learning object content, and developed Feed2JS, an open source software shared for allowing people to easily incorporate RSS content into web pages.
Alan works from home in Strawberry, Arizona and sharing the amazing things that can happen from dipping inton the nearly infinite river of the internet.
Sharon Brown-Peters, India
Sharon Brown-Peters is the high school technology coordinator at the American School of Bombay. She has published research in the area of online collaboration for high school students and social media and has been awarded several ISTE Online Learning Awards for multimedia and global collaborative projects. In 2008-2010, she led teams who facilitated ICT workshops with an NGO, Teachers Without Borders Canada/Education Beyond Borders, to educators in the townships of South Africa and rural Kenya. She has presented keynotes at conferences and workshops throughout North America about new media literacies and global collaborative projects.
Kim Cofino, Japan
Originally from the US, Kim Cofino is an enthusiastic and innovative globally-minded educator. Kim has been teaching internationally for over 10 years, first in Munich, Germany, then in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, next at the International School Bangkok in Thailand, and currently at Yokohama International School in Japan. An Apple Distinguished Educator, her work focuses on helping core subject teachers authentically embed current and emerging technologies in the classroom to create a global and collaborative learning environment. Her inquiry-based, constructivist approach to teaching utilizes project-based learning experiences developed using the Understanding by Design process combined with the MYP Technology Design Cycle.
Kim regularly consults with other international schools interested in implementing 21st century learning, has been profiled on a number of educational websites and journals, is a member of the K12 Horizon Report Advisory Board 2008 – present, and is a regular presenter and keynote speaker at conferences and professional development sessions throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. Her professional blog, Always Learning, is an invaluable resource for teachers seeking examples of authentic student engagement.
Kim regularly consults with other international schools interested in implementing 21st century learning, has been profiled on a number of educational websites and journals, is a member of the K12 Horizon Report Advisory Board 2008 – present, and is a regular presenter and keynote speaker at conferences and professional development sessions throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. Her professional blog, Always Learning, is an invaluable resource for teachers seeking examples of authentic student engagement.
Simon May, China
Simon May has been an educator for 25 years. Simon has taught in New Zealand, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Egypt, Thailand and is presently working in Shanghai as a Technology Coach. He has run numerous workshops for students, teachers and parents. Simon has had a long involvement with the Flat Classroom project and has presented at the Flat Classroom conference in Beijing. Simon loves working on projects that flatten the classroom.
Eva Brown, Canada
Eva Brown is a teacher educator at Red River College in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is a Flat Classroom Certified Teacher and a Microsoft Innovative Teacher.
Eva is continually seeking opportunities for her pre-service teachers to acquire skills to infuse technology and global education into the curriculum to prepare their students to be competitive in the 21st century global economy. Her pre-service teachers participate in the Flat Classroom® Project as lead teachers, expert advisors and judges. Eva is the project manager for the Flat Classroom Eracism debate project. She was formerly the department head of technology at River East Collegiate in Winnipeg where her high school students participated in the Flat Classroom Projects. Eva is a lifelong learner and demonstrates that as she recently completed the Emerging Technologies Certificate program at the University of Manitoba. Currently, she is studying Chinese Mandarin to gain a better understanding of the importance of language learning and globalization. Web 2.0 tools are common place in her classroom. She was actively involved in the Girls in Gaming program in Manitoba high schools, a program that provides opportunities for girls to learn about the gaming industry. She has been an educator for more than 30 years and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in global and technology education. Her website can be found here.
Eva is continually seeking opportunities for her pre-service teachers to acquire skills to infuse technology and global education into the curriculum to prepare their students to be competitive in the 21st century global economy. Her pre-service teachers participate in the Flat Classroom® Project as lead teachers, expert advisors and judges. Eva is the project manager for the Flat Classroom Eracism debate project. She was formerly the department head of technology at River East Collegiate in Winnipeg where her high school students participated in the Flat Classroom Projects. Eva is a lifelong learner and demonstrates that as she recently completed the Emerging Technologies Certificate program at the University of Manitoba. Currently, she is studying Chinese Mandarin to gain a better understanding of the importance of language learning and globalization. Web 2.0 tools are common place in her classroom. She was actively involved in the Girls in Gaming program in Manitoba high schools, a program that provides opportunities for girls to learn about the gaming industry. She has been an educator for more than 30 years and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in global and technology education. Her website can be found here.
Julie Lindsay, Australia
Julie Lindsay is co-creator of many international wiki and Web 2.0 centric projects, including the Flat Classroom® Project, the NetGenEd™ Project, the Eracism Project™, A Week in the Life Elementary Flat Classroom® Project, K-2 Building Bridges, and Digiteen™ with teacher Vicki Davis currently in Georgia, USA. She is also co-founder of the Flat Classroom Conference and Live Events Inc. a non-profit group that facilitates live events for students and educators globally, and co-author of Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time, Pearson 2012. Julie is an enthusiastic, global educator, leader and innovator. Originally from Melbourne, Australia over the past 15 years she has been teaching and leading the use of technology in schools in Zambia, Kuwait, Bangladesh, Qatar, and China.
Worldwide she is recognized for innovative programs using a wide array of Web 2.0 tools to transform learning for the emerging digital, “world-is-flat” educational landscape. She serves as International Representative on the ISTEBoard of Directors, and is a member of the Leadership team for both the Learning 2.012 Conference in Beijing 2012 and the Global Education Conference (virtual).
From ubiquitous mobile technology programs to Flat Classroom® opportunities for constructivist learning, she leads the way in connecting communities and brings front line experiences to share with teachers, school leaders and policy makers alike.
Julie is now based in Australia and is a highly respected consultant for global education, working with schools who are embedding global collaborative pedagogy into their curriculum.
Portfolio: Learning Confluence, Twitter/Skype/Delicious: julielindsay, Blog: E-Learning Journeys
Worldwide she is recognized for innovative programs using a wide array of Web 2.0 tools to transform learning for the emerging digital, “world-is-flat” educational landscape. She serves as International Representative on the ISTEBoard of Directors, and is a member of the Leadership team for both the Learning 2.012 Conference in Beijing 2012 and the Global Education Conference (virtual).
From ubiquitous mobile technology programs to Flat Classroom® opportunities for constructivist learning, she leads the way in connecting communities and brings front line experiences to share with teachers, school leaders and policy makers alike.
Julie is now based in Australia and is a highly respected consultant for global education, working with schools who are embedding global collaborative pedagogy into their curriculum.
Portfolio: Learning Confluence, Twitter/Skype/Delicious: julielindsay, Blog: E-Learning Journeys
