ALEXANDRIA, Va., September 4, 2002 -- Robert W. Ramsdell, an executive with extensive experience as an educator and business leader, has been appointed senior director of PBS TeacherLine, a Web-based professional development initiative focused on improving teaching practices in schools across the nation. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, TeacherLine provides teachers with rich content through practical and focused online learning modules.
"Rob brings a refreshing approach to teacher professional development combined with the entrepreneurial experience necessary to grow PBS TeacherLine," said Cindy Johanson, PBS senior vice president, Interactive and Digital Content Planning, who conducted an extensive search to fill the position. "His experience, insight and knowledge will be invaluable to PBS, our member stations and the users of PBS TeacherLine."
Mr. Ramsdell comes to PBS from FreshPond Education where he has served as founder and director for the past seven years. FreshPond, based in Cambridge, MA, is recognized for its quality and innovative professional development products and services, including Web-based tools and resources. Prior to founding FreshPond Education, Mr. Ramsdell was a social studies teacher and school administrator in New York from 1989 to1996. A sought-after public speaker and facilitator, Rob has served on the core planning team for the Technology Leadership Conference, a two-day meeting for Massachusetts's school superintendents.
He has also designed Curriculum and Technology Integration Leadership Programs in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York. Mr. Ramsdell holds an Ed.M. in Technology in Education from Harvard University, as well as an M.A.T. in Educational Administration from Columbia University and a B.A. in Modern European History from Brown University. In 2001 he was awarded the Pathfinder Award by MassCUE (Massachusetts Computer Using Educators) and was invited to present FreshPond's online professional development tools at that year's National Education Summit.
With nearly 15,400 registered users, PBS TeacherLine has benefited more than 1,779,000 students in rural and urban areas across the country since its launch in 2000. TeacherLine's Web-based, instructor-led courses use the latest Internet technology, including streaming video and online discussion boards to provide teachers with research-based training in the areas of math, language arts and technology integration. The site allows content to be customized to address local and state educational standards.
Educators can enroll in PBS TeacherLine's courses for a nominal fee through their local PBS stations. Currently, more than 33 PBS stations in urban and rural locations across the country offer TeacherLine. Along with online professional development modules, PBS TeacherLine provides every teacher in the nation with free access to valuable educational resources through its Web site on pbs.org.
PBS, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, is a private, nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 349 public television stations. Serving nearly 100 million people each week, PBS enriches the lives of all Americans through quality programs and education services on noncommercial television, the Internet and other media. More information about PBS is available at pbs.org, the leading dot-org Web site on the Internet.
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Contact:
Kevin Dando, PBS
703-739-5073
Jan McNamara, PBS
703-739-5028