Educational CyberPlayGround ®

 

FERDI SERIM EXPERT RINGLEADER ON THE EDUCATIONAL CYBERPLAYGROUND

Ferdi Serim FERDI SERIM EXPERT RINGLEADER ON THE EDUCATIONAL CYBERPLAYGROUND

email: Ferdi or phone: 505 603-8383

It is jazz, rather than computers, which fires my creativity..........
Why Jazz? In jazz, we deal with personal truth, as experienced in the moment, forged in the crucible of a context in which others are simultaneously striving to prove their truth. This means that simply restating "what is known" is inadequate; it can take many tries, reformulating in a theme and variation manner, to get the point across. When the point is made, the light of discovery goes on for me and the learner. It could be that the reason that I'm a jazz musician is because the art form reflects this need in my own particular spirit, more so than that my approach to teaching comes out of being a jazz musician.

Currently he serves as Education Innovations Officer for LEVERS, LLC. He has worked in many venues: Board Member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN); State Ed Tech Director for New Mexico; Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Data Program Manager, Governor's Broadband Initiative Program Manager, and Associate of the David Thornburg Center for Professional Development (and jazz musician). Ferdi walks the talk: his students' Internet achievements are documented in the Scientific American, Los Angeles Times, the Learning Channel and other media.

Systems, Culture and our Voyage by Ferdi Serim 1998

Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT CONSULTING
PRESENTER / PANELIST HONORS / RECOGNITION PUBLISHING


Objective:

To expand and extend possibilities for lifelong learning through communications, using computers and related technologies.

 

Education:

  • New York University - B.S. Music Education, 1973
  • Trenton State College - M.A. Music, 1975

Employment:

Educational Innovations Engineer Santa Fe, New Mexico Area Education Management Board Member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE); the New Mexico Public Education Department's EdTech Director, Reading First Director, Program Manager for Literacy, Technology & Standards; Board Member of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), Innovate+Educate, and Education360; director of the Online Internet Institute (OII); Associate of the David Thornburg Center for Professional Development (and jazz musician). Most recently, he has launched CLARO Consulting: Community Learning and Resource Optimization, focused on talent development through knowledge capture and transfer.

International Society for Technology in Education Starting June 1993

1998 to present -

  • 2012 New book: Digital Learning.
  • 1999 - Living and teaching in New Mexico
  • I work as Grants Manager for Excelsior Software.
  • 2007 Ferdi Serim - Director of the Southwest Region, National Network of Digital Schools in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is at an At-Large Representative on the ISTE Board.
  • Elected CoSN Board of Directors
  • Editor, MultiMedia Schools magazine
    A practical journal that addresses multiple technologies used in K-12 schools today&emdash;CD-ROM, multimedia, online, and Internet resources. Articles, columns, news, and product reviews are contributed by practicing educators who use new technologies in the classroom and media center.
  • 2006 to present - National Network of Digital Schools
  • Director, Southwest Region
    Responsibilities include: developing programs in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Texas; adapting curriculum to reflect regional cultural and educational needs, including professional development of teachers and administrators; represent NNDS at state, regional and national levels; promote understanding of online education among policy makers, legislators and their communities.
  • International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) - Board Member
  • New Mexico Coalition of Charter Schools - Board Member (as of July 2007)
  • 2004 to 2006- New Mexico Public Education Department
    • Program Manager Literacy, Technology & Standards Bureau
    • State Educational Technology Director
    • Reading First State Director
    • Commissioner, TeleHealth Commission (appointed by Governor Richardson)
    • Project Manager, Microsoft Partners in Learning Project
      Responsibilities: oversee $12M in State and Federal funding for educational technology in New Mexico; assist with policy development and implementation; advise legislative committees and analyze all legislation involving educational technology; represent NM at state, regional and national events; coordinate with State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) and ISTE/CoSN Educational Technology Action Network (ETAN); draft 21st Century Learning Standards.
  • 2003 "Information Technology for Learning: No School Left Behind"

1994 to1998 - Princeton Regional Schools

  • Computer Teacher/District Computer Coordinator
  • Principal Investigator, Online Internet Institute project (NSF)
  • Responsible for development of educational program integrating technology as a tool for learning across the entire curriculum, for a learning community of 3000 students and 300 teachers, plus an additional 2,000 educators through OII. This includes teacher training, staff development, application of Internet resources to K12 project oriented activities, and use of a district wide Bulletin Board System to link students, teachers and the community to the global resources of the Internet.
  • Advisor Digital Divide Network Partners Benton Foundation

1990 to 1994 - West Windsor/Plainsboro Regional Schools

  • Computer Literacy Teacher, Upper Elementary School (grades 4-6)
  • Telecommunications Resource Person for District
  • Responsible for implementing Computer Literacy curriculum for 700 students, including use of computer applications, keyboarding and programming. Provided 30 classroom teachers with Internet projects, and facilitated participation in numerous online activities.

1988 - 1990 - JJH, inc. (Engineering)

  • Program Data Manager, Systems Analyst
  • Responsible for design, implementation, administration and applications for Novell network to track design progress for new ship construction. Included beta testing of hardware for AST, linking remote PC's with IBM System38 through Novell gateway; custom relational database programming.

1985 - 1988 - Designers & Planners, inc.

  • Manager, Administrative Services
  • Responsible for 3 field offices' data management, database design and programming, implementation of CAD, telecommunications and project management of government contracts. Mixed platforms of VAX and IBM PC's. Computerized government design library of 25,000 plans.

1980 - 1985 - State of NJ (Arts Council)

  • Performing Arts Program Coordinator (1984-85)
  • Responsible for overseeing $6M grant funds to support statewide performing arts; computerization of agency functions and staff training.
  • Jazz Artist in Residence (1980-84)
  • Taught improvisation in 35 communities as artist in residence for the National Endowment for the Arts, gaining national award for innovative arts programming with Dizzy Gillespie.

1979 - 1982 - National Endowment for the Arts

  • Assistant National Music Coordinator, Artists in Education Program
  • Designed Program Model for pilot project placing 35 artists in year long residencies in 16 states, including Federal/State agency coordination. Organized two national training workshops for administrators, educators and artists.

1977- 1979 - Musiclab, inc - Executive Director

Worked to create non-profit organization providing music careers program for inner city youth (New Brunswick, NJ)

1973- 1977 - Newark Board of Education - Music Dept Chairperson,

Roseville Ave. School: created program using improvisation to motivate inner city students, in program funded by community concerts featuring students' compositions.

CONSULTING:

Los Alamos National Labs (Lead Teacher, Science Team)

Milken Family Foundation

Educational Testing Service

  • Designed and taught ETS staff to implement Online Professional Development & Mentoring project as a national pilot to assist teachers of writing reach highly accomplished levels of teaching

BBN Educational Technologies

  • Contributed to development of National School Network efforts for local staff development and community partnerships for lifelong learning (1995 to 1997)

National Science Foundation

  • Expert evaluator (1994 to present)

Consortium for School Networking (1992 to 1995)

  • Developer, CoSN Gopher
  • Moderator, Technology Committee, CoSN Discussion List
  • Co-Chair, Training and Support Development; Curriculum Development Committee, Professional Development Committee

Rutgers University/State Systemic Initiative

  • Lead grant writer, in successful $2.9M proposal to National Science Foundation to establish statewide networking infrastructure to support systemic reform of science, math and technology education (1993 to present)

Global Enterprise Services (JvNCnet)

  • Designed Hands on and Online Training program for new Internet Users (1993 to 1995)

Presenter/Panelist

TelEd (Global Telecommunications in Education Conferences)

  • Austin, TX (Nov 97)
  • Monterrey, MX/ Tampa FL (Dec 96)
  • Orlando, FL (Dec 95)
  • Albuquerque, NM Nov 94
  • Dallas, TX (Nov 93)
  • Web Weaver/ Gopher Growers' Workshop, PreService and Student Teachers Online, Electronic Publishing, CoSN Curriculum Projects using Internet, Innovative Grant Activities, Designing Online Courses

European Council of International Schools (Den Hague, NL November 97)

  • NetLearning: Rewards, Risks and Challenges

2nd Annual Statewide Distance Learning Conference (Albuquerque, NM May 97)

  • Keynote, "NetLearning: Rewards, Risks and Challenges"

Northwest Computer Coalition for Education (Portland, OR March 96)

  • Keynote, "Building Communities; Growing Ourselves"

National Science Foundation/Department of Education

  • The Future of Networking Technologies for Learning (Washington, DC November 95)
  • Joining Forces: Sharing Successful Strategies (Washington, DC February, 95)

National Coalition for Technical Training (Raleigh/Durham, NC August 95)

  • NSF sponsored planning session and workshop to provide a scaleable, networked "people support" infrastructure to complement a physical network infrastructure as incentive to sponsors and potential sponsors of high-bandwidth Internet connectivity to U.S. schools.

New Hampshire Society for Technology Education (Concord, NH March 95)

  • Keynote, "Building Communities; Growing Ourselves"

International Schools Services (1992 to present)

  • International Technology Conference Workshops
  • Presenter, "Everyday Classroom Life on the Internet", Global Telecommunication options

Research for Better Schools

  • Exploring the Internet conference Valley Forge, PA Dec 94

Connecticut Educational Computer Association (1993-94)
New Jersey Association for Educational Technology (1991 to present)

New Jersey Educational Computing Conference (1992 to 1996)

  • Presenter, "Internet - The World at Your Fingertips"

National Endowment for the Arts

  • National Training Workshop Coordinator, 1980, 1981 Duke University
  • Artist/Teacher Institute 1980-85 Music Faculty Coordinator

Honors/Recognition:

  • Ferdi Serim, just been elected to the CoSN board of directors, 2000.The Consortium for School Networking. You can visit their site at http://www.cosn.org for more information.
  • Winner, First NPR/Internet Treasure Hunt, May, 93
  • Featured, Scientific American article "Domesticating Cyberspace" Aug. 93
  • Featured, Los Angeles Times, Trenton Times, WWP Students communicate with Russian Students during October 93 coup
  • Participant, "Building Consensus/Building Models" CoSN/FARnet National Education Networking project of the National Science Foundation, Oct 93
  • Teacher of Student Winner, NASA/NSF national essay contest "Networking: Where Have You Been All My Life?" (Jennie Towner) Feb 94
  • Presenter, NASA/NSF/NCES Conference "Connecting with the Future: Today" Orlando, FL, Feb 94
  • Author of Building Virtual Communities for Professional Development in The Future of Networking Technologies for Learning, a collection of white papers which won an award, and been included in the Blue Web'n Learning Applications Library
  • 1997 Class room Connect S.T.A.R.s Society Award Recipient
  • Featured, New York Times, Benton Foundation Report "The Learning Connection: Schools in the Information Age", July 97
  • 1998 ED's Oasis 1st Place Fall MasterSearch Internet Lesson Plan Contest

Publishing (Print)

  • 2012 New book: Digital Learning. This could not have been predicted eight years ago, when I began work on the book. The process by which this book came to exist is unusual, and is itself a journey into project-based learning.
    Ubuntu is a Swahili word that means "I am who I am because of who we are together," and it captures the ethos of the open education resource movement. Digital Learning Day marks a moment when we have the opportunity to look up, look around and celebrate what millions of us are doing to move education forward.
  • Author, NetLearning: Why Teachers Use the Internet (by Songline, a division of O'Reilly Associates, May 96)
  • Chapter Interview, Secrets of the Super Net Searchers: The Reflections, Revelations and Hard-Won Wisdom of 35 of the World's Top Internet Researchers, by Reva Basch, Pemberton Press, Oct. 96
  • Author, White Paper for US Department of Education,
    Building Virtual Communities for Professional Development Nov. 95
  • Titanic Lessons for Educational Technology (MultiMedia Magazine, Nov 97)
  • Systems, Culture and our Voyage

Video

  • The Learning Channel's School Stories series: "Computers: Hope or Hype" Oct, Dec 97 http://school.discovery.com
  • In Princeton, New Jersey, every school is wired to the Internet. In one school, fourth and fifth graders have computers built into their desks. In another, special education third graders build their own Web sites. But as Princeton schools get swept up in Internet fever, some educators complain that computers don't deliver enough learning bang for the buck. Features a debate between Ferdi Serim and Clifford Stoll.
  • NJ KnowledgeNet Video Series (program 10)"Wiring Schools: Challenges, Planning and Case Studies"
  • Discussion of the issues involved in school system planning for uses of Internet in education, emphasizing the need for coordinated technical and curriculum development along with training that takes into account continuously evolving technologies.

Online

Karen, you always connect with such great and inspiring people...you are a "great spirit" magnet ;-> Ferdi