KURSHAN, Barbara
Executive Director, Curriki (USA)
Session: Innovation - Smart Infrastructures
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
- 11.00-12.30
Dr. Barbara (Bobbi) Kurshan has honed her vision of “what can be” using technology while supporting the growth of new education companies and developing innovative software products.
As the Executive Director of Curriki (www.curriki.org), she is helping to build the best global open source curricula community. Curriki is a non-profit, social entrepreneurship organization that supports the development and free distribution of open source educational materials to improve education worldwide. Under her leadership, Curriki has gained national and international recognition with awards that include: UNESCO’s King Hamad Bin Al-Khalifa Prize for the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Education (2007); Edutopia Best Site to Download Free Lessons (2007); Laureate, Tech Awards – Technology Benefiting Humanity (2008); Commitment Member, Clinton Global Initiative (2008); Finalist, EdNet Pioneer Awards (2008); and Best Websites for Teaching and Learning, American Association of School Librarians (2009).
Dr. Kurshan has been involved with education and technology for over 30 years. She developed the first children’s software products for Microsoft - Creative Writer and Fine Artist - and also created award-winning products for McGraw-Hill, Apple, CCC (Pearson) and others. Dr. Kurshan also founded WorldSage in 2004 with the vision to create a for-profit higher education system to address education for the 21st Century and currently serves on the board. Through her venture fund, Core Learning, she invested in companies and entrepreneurs who are impacting education. Currently she serves on the board of several education technology companies, including Interschola and Fablevision.
As a professor, she helped students research the impact of technology on learning. Dr. Kurshan also publishes articles based on personal research, exploring women’s attitudes toward technology, how kids learn using computers, new ways of learning through understanding and open education. She has been quoted in many influential journals and serves as a reviewer and advisor to research projects for the National Science Foundation, Department of Education and other government and business groups. Among numerous honors, Dr. Kurshan received the Education Academic Society’s Making It Happen Award and the Highest Leaf Award from the Women’s Venture Fund. She is listed in Who’s Who in Technology Today.
Dr. Kurshan received her Ed.D in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Educational Technology (1976) and an M.S. in Computer Science (1973) from Virginia Tech University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (1970) from Newcomb College, Tulane University.
As the Executive Director of Curriki (www.curriki.org), she is helping to build the best global open source curricula community. Curriki is a non-profit, social entrepreneurship organization that supports the development and free distribution of open source educational materials to improve education worldwide. Under her leadership, Curriki has gained national and international recognition with awards that include: UNESCO’s King Hamad Bin Al-Khalifa Prize for the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Education (2007); Edutopia Best Site to Download Free Lessons (2007); Laureate, Tech Awards – Technology Benefiting Humanity (2008); Commitment Member, Clinton Global Initiative (2008); Finalist, EdNet Pioneer Awards (2008); and Best Websites for Teaching and Learning, American Association of School Librarians (2009).
Dr. Kurshan has been involved with education and technology for over 30 years. She developed the first children’s software products for Microsoft - Creative Writer and Fine Artist - and also created award-winning products for McGraw-Hill, Apple, CCC (Pearson) and others. Dr. Kurshan also founded WorldSage in 2004 with the vision to create a for-profit higher education system to address education for the 21st Century and currently serves on the board. Through her venture fund, Core Learning, she invested in companies and entrepreneurs who are impacting education. Currently she serves on the board of several education technology companies, including Interschola and Fablevision.
As a professor, she helped students research the impact of technology on learning. Dr. Kurshan also publishes articles based on personal research, exploring women’s attitudes toward technology, how kids learn using computers, new ways of learning through understanding and open education. She has been quoted in many influential journals and serves as a reviewer and advisor to research projects for the National Science Foundation, Department of Education and other government and business groups. Among numerous honors, Dr. Kurshan received the Education Academic Society’s Making It Happen Award and the Highest Leaf Award from the Women’s Venture Fund. She is listed in Who’s Who in Technology Today.
Dr. Kurshan received her Ed.D in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Educational Technology (1976) and an M.S. in Computer Science (1973) from Virginia Tech University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (1970) from Newcomb College, Tulane University.
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