John Moravec, Ph.D.
Written by Education Futures Editors on Friday, December 8, 2006 at 17:47
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A little bit about me
I am always focused on innovation. My current role is as an Innovation and Integrated Technology Coordinator at the University of Minnesota and director of its LeapFrog Institutes. I am the co-founder of the Horizon Forum, a PreK-17 round-table on the future of education; and am a founding member of the Education Futures Laboratory (a joint initiative between researchers at the University of Minnesota and FLACSO-México).
I am concerned about human capital development as society approaches an increasingly complex and ambiguous future. Technological change drives social change, and its impact is accelerating exponentially. Our schools, universities and other institutions must leapfrog ahead of this curve for all people to compete in highly-globalized, knowledge- and innovation-based societies. My work focuses on exploring this New Paradigm, and the new approaches to leadership and human capital development required. My approach is global in scope, and I actively collaborate with colleagues in the United States, Latin America, China, and Central Europe.
I am the author and co-author of several articles, including Chaordic knowledge production: A systems-based response to critical education in the Theory of Science (October, 2006). My professional research is focused on the convergence of globalization, knowledge society and accelerating change in education; and building positive futures for “PreK-21″ education.
In the past, I have served as a project manager and analyst at Wells Fargo & Co., served a consultant to Minneapolis/St. Paul area school districts, and have worked with multiple international, non-governmental organizations. I possess a Ph.D. in Comparative and International Development Education from the University of Minnesota; a Master of International Management from the University of St. Thomas; and, a B.A. in International Studies from American University.
Contact
John Moravec, Ph.D.
College of Education and Human Development
University of Minnesota
330 Wulling Hall
86 Pleasant Street, S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
tel: +1 612 325 5992
Email: moravec@umn.edu
Skype: johnmoravec
Teaching philosophy
I teach both in person and virtually. My goal is to make sure each student makes the best of their educational opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. In this respect, I believe the teacher:
- Has a primary responsibility to each learner. The instructor must not teach for his or her benefit only, but is responsible for the growth of his or her students.
- Must strive to accommodate all students’ learning styles and skill levels.
- Often must follow the lead of students as they explore their own ideas, concepts and applications.
My courses set specific goals for students, albeit for the short term. I ask that my students consider their long-term educational and professional goals, and apply their coursework toward realization of those aspirations. One of my responsibilities is to help my students achieve their goals –not through meaningless, mechanical exercises, but through purpose- and praxis-driven exercises, discussion and exploration that lead to future growth and development.
This means learning needs to take place with students’ own direction and responsibility in an environment of inquiry and investigation. Learning is not limited to time in the classroom, but also encompasses time spent outside of the classroom. I believe a role of teachers is to assist in students’ professional development wherever possibly by providing access to experiences beyond the classroom (i.e., presentation, speaking, internship, and social networking opportunities).
Finally, I believe authentic communication and interaction with students is very important. Real communication with my students allows me to better assess myself as a teacher and respond to their needs. With reflective practice, I desire to be the best I can be; and, with a good sense of humor, positive outlook on life and genuine concern for the success of my students, I hope to further develop my success as a teacher.
Selected presentations available online
- Moravec, J. W. & Cobo, C. (2008, April 16). Conferencia open source: De la información al conocimiento innovador [Open source conference: From information to innovative knowledge]. Paper presented at the Standing Academic Update Seminar of the Coordinating Office for Open University and Distance Education, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico.
- Moravec, J. W. (2007, December 6). Minnesota higher education in the New Paradigm of knowledge production: Findings and discussion of a Delphi study. Paper presented at La Universidad en México en el Año 2030: Imaginando Futuros Conference, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico.
- Moravec, J. W. (2007, October 30). La experiencia norteamericana del seminario internacional: “Desde la información al conocimiento innovador” [The North American experience in an international seminar: “From Information to Innovative Knowledge”]. Paper presented at FLACSO 50th Anniversary Conference, Quito, Ecuador.
- Harkins, A. M., Moravec, J. W. & Kubik, G. (2007, July 31). Youth futures: Projecting the roles of disruptive technologies, anticipatory knowledge, and continuous innovation. Paper and workshop presented at World Future Society annual conference, Minneapolis, MN.
- Harkins, A. M. & Moravec, J. W. (2007, May 31). Designing education for sustainable innovation: Anticipating the Singularity. Invited paper presented at the Journal of Teacher Education and Training Conference, University of Debrecen, Hungary.
- Moravec, J. W. (2007, April 19). The Leapfrog Principle: Strategies for global leadership in Chinese teacher education. Invited keynote paper presented at International Conference on Teacher Education, Anqing Teachers College, Anhui, China.
- Moravec, J. W. (2007, March 12). Teaching and leading in the 21st Century: A New Paradigm of knowledge production. Invited paper presented at Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales [Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences], Mexico City, Mexico.
- Harkins, A. M. & Moravec, J. W. (2006, July 13). Facilitating transformative education: Redesigning time and culture in simulational curricula. Paper presented at the Pacific Circle Consortium 30th Annual Conference, Mexico City, Mexico.
- Harkins, A. M. & Moravec, J. W. (2006, May 31). Meaningful knowledge production by 21st century youth. Paper presented at the Second International Conference on Youth and Education for the 21st Century, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi.
- Moravec, J. W. & Takeuchi, A. (2005, March 25). The role of academic professionals in the university of the future: A comparative pilot study. Paper presented at the Comparative and International Education Society 49th Annual Conference, Stanford University.
(More presentations are available on my SlideShare page.)
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