Dr. Idit Harel
Dr. Idit Harel is a pioneer in using new-media technology for creative learning, innovation, and globalization through constructionist learning theory. She founded the World Wide Workshop in 2004 to leverage her unique blend of award-winning research, business acumen, and leadership in spreading innovative new-media learning projects for benefiting kids and youth around the world. Most recently, the Workshop launched Globaloria to invent ways of using social networking and Web 2.0 tools to teach computing and game-making in schools worldwide. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Dr. Harel Caperton conducted breakthrough research at the MIT Media Lab that led to publishing the book Constructionism with Seymour Papert. Her book Children Designers received the 1991 Outstanding Book Award by the American Education Research Association (AERA). In 1995, she founded MaMaMedia and launched MaMaMedia.com, ConnectedFamily.com, and Papert.org.
Pioneering kids Internet media, MaMaMedia established global distribution and advertising partnerships, and won numerous honors, including: the Computerworld-Smithsonian Award (1999), the Internet industry’s coveted Global Information Infrastructure Award (1999), and the 21st-Century Achievement Award from the Computerworld Honors Program (2002). In 2002, she was honored by the Network of Educators in Science and Technology and MIT “for devotion, innovation, and imagination in science and technology on behalf of children and youth around the world.” Selected MaMaMedia activities were recently re-programmed for OLPC and are being used worldwide by thousands of kids in developing nations. Most recently, Idit was named the 2010 Recipient of the Jessie McCanse Award for Individual Contribution to Media Literacy by the National Telemedia Council.
She is a published author and speaker worldwide, and serves on Advisory Boards and Committees at the MIT Media Lab, Harvard Graduate School of Education, CUNY Macaulay Honors College, CU-ATLAS Institute, PBSKids Next Generation Media, MEET in Israel, TIG in Canada, and Saybot.com in Shanghai. Idit holds degrees from Tel Aviv University (BA, 1982), Harvard University (HGSE EdM 1984; CAS 1985), and MIT Media Lab (PhD, 1988).
Social Media:
Website - iditharel.com
Twitter – @idit
LinkedIn - Idit Harel
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