Friday night keynote commissions audience to innovate

By Colter Hettich
Features Editor

ConnectED Summit 2009 drew to a close Friday night with a relaxed dinner and keynote address by Jason Ediger, director of iTunes U and mobile learning for Apple, Inc.

Ediger began his career in education teaching eighth-graders. After nine years, Ediger moved from the middle school classroom to an administrative position with the Orange County Department of Education, where he helped integrate technology and distance learning into Orange County classrooms. Now, Ediger manages the team responsible for iPhone, iPod and iTunes U in K-12 higher education, according to acu.edu.

Dr. Eric Mazur, Balkanski professor of physics and applied physics at Harvard University, took the stage before Ediger and answered questions from those in attendance. One guest expressed his skepticism regarding the opportunity mobile devices provide for distraction.

"It is the teacher's task, in a sense, to compete with those [distractions] and provide something more interesting," Mazur responded.

In his keynote address, Ediger gave his opinion on the topic.

"To me, I would challenge the concept of blocking internet in the classroom," Ediger said. "Why is it that classrooms would be the only place that [students] don't have access at their fingertips?"

He began his presentation by reminding his audience where their focus should be.

"We are not the customer. We used to be; Today it's the students," Ediger said. "It's important to think about how can we get ourselves in the minds of today's students."

After describing his 10-month-old son's iPhone skills, Ediger informed his listeners of their duty to create, experiment and continue pushing the frontier of mobile learning.

"[Apple] will continue to make great products," Ediger said. "When we bring those products to the market, we are passing the baton to you. What we ask of you is that you cross the finish line; and we promise we will be running with all along the way, cheering you on."

Ediger left the stage at approximately 8 p.m. ConnectED guests followed his lead and began their own journeys, taking all they learned back to their respective homes.