EDUCATION
• 1985 Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Ed.D. in Human Development
• 1979 Harvard Graduate School of Education, Ed.M. in Human Development.
• 1977 Swarthmore College, B.A. in Psychology and Linguistics.
RESEARCH AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
1985-present Principal, Char Associates, Montpelier,
VT
Provide evaluation and program design direction and services for organizations
developing educational programs and products. Clients include schools, colleges,
museums, non-profit organizations, software and media production groups, and
publishers. Evaluations include: educational programs developed for schools,
after school programs, libraries and museums; the integration of educational
technology with school curriculum reform initiatives; professional development
of teachers in mathematics, science and technology; mentoring programs, and
collaborative partnerships between libraries, museums, schools and university
groups. Product development includes: K-8 educational curricula in mathematics,
science and language arts; CD-ROMS in the arts and early reading for young
children; and children’s magazines and activity kits in science and social
studies.
Member of American delegations on
educational technology to advise the Soviet Academy of Sciences
and the Chinese Ministry of Education. Member of National Association
for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Technology and Young
Children Task Force; National Videodisc Task Force for Education,
and the Markle Foundation's Children's Radio Task Force. Editorial
review board, Journal of Computing in Childhood Education. Grants
reviewer, National Science Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council,
Vermont Community Foundation, Vermont Women’s Fund, Vermont
Arts Council. 2006 Associate, Snelling Center Vermont Leadership
Institute.
1987-1996 Senior Associate, Center
for Learning, Teaching, and Technology, Education Development
Center, Newton, MA.
Responsible for program development, materials design, and formative research.
Products include a technology-intensive elementary and middle schools mathematics,
social studies and science curricula; a design engineering curriculum and a
mathematics curriculum for middle schools; video case studies for science educators;
early-reading interactive video applications for young children; and design
prototypes of "Technological Classrooms of the Future."
Direct, develop, and advise on field
test evaluations and studies of educational programs. Studies include
assessing the implementation of a TV series on literacy in school
and after-school settings, evaluating elementary mathematics and
science curricula and teaching tools for mathematics and science
educators.
1981- 1987 Research Scientist/Media
Designer, Center for Children and Technology, Bank Street College
of Education, New York, NY.
Directed research and development efforts for multimedia and software products
for children. Products include a digital video story composition tool; videodiscs
in science and art; and the Voyage of the Mimi (elementary science PBS television
series, print and software.) Member of Bank Street Media Group Advisory Panel.
1979-1981 Researcher, Harvard
Project Zero, Cambridge, MA.
Conducted research on children's understanding of stories in various media.
Summer 1979 Research Intern,
Abt Associates, Cambridge, MA.
Performed data analysis and prepared book manuscript of longitudinal study
of students' attitudes towards mathematics.
1977-1978 Research Assistant,
Center for Research on Children & Television, Harvard Graduate
School of Education, Cambridge, MA.
Conducted research on children's critical evaluation of television content.
Summer 1978 Researcher, Children's
Television Workshop, New York, NY.
Conducted research for "Sesame Street."
RESEARCH AND PROGRAM INTERESTS
• Educational programs for children and families for use in formal and
non-formal learning settings
• Developing institutional capabilities for educational program design
and evaluation
• Collaborative partnerships between schools, colleges, museums, libraries,
and community organizations
• Student assessment and learning as a core component of educational program
design and implementation
Click here for
Char's Papers, Publications and Products