Idit Caperton
Biography
Dr. Caperton is a pioneer in using new-media technology for creative learning, innovation, and globalization through constructionist learning theory. She founded the World Wide Workshop in 2004 to leverage her unique blend of award-winning research, business acumen, and leadership in new-media learning projects around the world. Most recently, the foundation launched Globaloria to invent ways of using social networking and Web 2.0 tools to teach game-making and project-based learning to youth worldwide. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Dr. Caperton conducted breakthrough research at the MIT Media Lab that led to publishing the book Constructionism with Seymour Papert. Her book Children Designers received the 1991 Outstanding Book Award by the American Education Research Association. In 1995, she founded MaMaMedia and launched MaMaMedia.com, ConnectedFamily.com, and Papert.org. Pioneering kids Internet media, MaMaMedia established global distribution and advertizing partnerships, and won numerous honors, including: the Computerworld-Smithsonian Award (1999), the Internet industry’s coveted Global Information Infrastructure Award (1999), and the 21st-Century Achievement Award from the Computerworld Honors Program (2002). In 2002, she was honored by the Network of Educators in Science and Technology and MIT “for devotion, innovation, and imagination in science and technology on behalf of children and youth around the world”. Idit holds degrees from MIT Media Lab (PhD, 1988), Tel Aviv University (BA, 1982), and Harvard University (EdM 1984; CAS 1985).