I am writing to nominate Jeff Lebow as T&L's 2007 Leader of the Year. I have had the pleasure of knowing Jeff since 2006 when I was first a lurker and then an active participant within EdTechTalk.com, the online educational community founded by Jeff and Dave Cormier. Jeff has been devoted to growing online communities for over a decade. After receiving a master's degree in Training and Learning Technologies from the University of New Mexico and teaching in Korea, Jeff began to focus his community development efforts around live interactive webcasts supported by online content management based websites.
EdTechTalk is a shining star within Jeff's Worldbridges network of online communities. At it's core, EdTechTalk is a online professional development community, as well as a testing ground for those inspired by the possibilities of technology use within the field of education. It is an place to share and discuss what educators around the globe are doing to invigorate the learning experience. It is also a place to experiment.
Jeff's tireless efforts to create and support open online learning communities and live interactive webcasts consistently test the boundaries of what is possible using free and open technologies. Jeff seeks out the latest technologies to support learning and open communication. To that end, Jeff has facilitated hundreds of live interactive webcasts with educators and students, hosted countless community based websites, created learning environments in Second Life, and webcast numerous educational technology conferences. Jeff should be applauded for not only his efforts to facilitate the online communities and webcasts, but also his own personal financial support of this effort. While the EdTechTalk community has plans to seek financial support though grants, Jeff has to this point assumed primary responsibility for the community's ongoing hosting expenses.
On a personal level, I am extremely fortunate to participate in a weekly live webcast co-hosted with Jeff and Dave Cormier. Within our EdTechWeekly webcast, we share and discuss information about news and resources related to educational technology. In the late summer of 2006, Jeff developed the format for EdTechWeekly and invited me to participate. The format is simple, yet highly effective as a means of sharing learning and technology news and resources with fellow educators. Educators in the EdTechTalk community are asked to join the EdTechTalk network on del.icio.us, the free social bookmarking site. Educators then contribute links about news and resources related to learning and technology within the EdTechTalk link folder. We then discuss the contributed links with the community during the weekly live interactive webcast. The format is a highly innovative means of using technology to support professional development among educators. As of today, educators have shared over 2,250 links to news and resources about learning and technology. We recently celebrated the one year anniversary of EdTechWeekly and I look forward to many more years working along side Jeff and the EdTechTalk community of educators!
Technorati Tags: Jeff_Lebow, edtech, EdTechTalk
Why not nominate Dave Cormier? Or at least, Lebow and Cormier together?
While Dave is equally deserving, the interweb tubes aren't big enough to fit his head should he be nominated and win. He would likely get stuck in there and we would never hear from him again!
Jennifer Maddrell
p.s. I (heart) Dave, too!
I nominate all three of you, merged into one being, but seperated if for nothing else your own comfort.
I watch/listen silently 99% of the time, but I really appreciate what all of you bring to the community.