Aaron in the Arctic saying hello from the tent!
Aaron Doering
Aaron Doering is an associate professor in the Learning Technologies program at the University of Minnesota. He holds the Bonnie Westby Huebner Endowed Chair in Education and Technology, is a co-director of the Learning Technologies Media Lab, is a Laureate of the prestigious humanitarian Tech Awards, and is a fellow for the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment. Doering received his PhD in instructional systems and technology and a masters in geography. This mesh of technology and geography has motivated him to develop adventure learning – an approach to designing and developing online learning that has revolutionized how students learn and teachers teach within K-20 classrooms around the world. Doering is the PI and education director behind the GoNorth! Adventure Learning Series that has delivered education on sustainability and climate change to over 3 million students by dogsledding over 3,000 miles throughout the circumpolar Arctic from 2004 – 2010.
Aaron giving a keynote presentation
Doering gives hundreds of talks a year on adventure learning and motivation and his academic writing is focused on how adventure learning impacts the classroom experience, designing and developing online learning environments, and K-12 technology integration. Doering has received millions of dollars in grants; has published over 60 journal articles, books, book chapters and conference proceedings; and is the co-author of the book Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. Currently, he is the PI of four grants: Earthducation, with support from the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment; Explore15, with support from the Best Buy Children’s Foundation; What’s Climate Change to You? with support from the National Science Foundation; and GeoThentic, with support from the National Geographic Society.
Doering first realized a need for a project like Earthducation many years ago when traveling throughout the Arctic. He saw a disconnect between the education students were receiving and what they wanted to learn about their culture and sustainability. Doering knew there was a need for a project that investigated the intersection between education and sustainability throughout the world to create a global narrative educating and engaging people of all ages.
Doering has always had a passion for the environment and education from his childhood days of growing up on a farm in southern MN. He always realized that our personal actions have a huge impact on our environment and that we need to be cognizant of how we are all interconnected. From his days working at the National Geographic Society to the thousands of miles he has spent crossing the circumpolar Arctic, Doering’s mission in life is to make a difference in the world through education.
Additional links and photos:
Visit Doering’s Personal Site
GoNorth! Adventure Learning Series
Aaron at UMN
UMN Institute on the Environment
Charlie hiking in the mountains
Charles Miller
Charles Miller is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota in the Learning Technologies program. Miller’s design and research work focuses on bridging the gap between learning, aesthetic design, and research-driven development to generate opportunities for transforming the nature of instruction. With more than 13 years of new media design, development, and research experience, Miller has received design awards from organizations including USA Today, The Washington Post, American Scientist, Netscape, IBM, Adobe, the International Association of Science and Technology for Education, and Yahoo! for his work on projects ranging from environmental expeditions and political campaigns to photographers and educational initiatives. Recently, Doering and Miller’s development work received top honors two years in a row at the Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT) Outstanding Achievement in Innovative Instructional Design Showcase ($100,000+ funding category).
Charlie presenting at a conference
Miller has led the design and development of 17 online learning environments and more than 70 websites, and has published over 40 journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. Currently, Miller is a co-PI on a U.S. Department of Education Stepping Stones project focused on the creation of an online e-assessment environment to help deaf and hard-of-hearing children (grades 1-8) improve reading and writing development. Starting in 2011, Miller will serve as the Chair of the Computer and Internet Applications in Education SIG at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference, the world’s leading education conference.
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