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John Larmer
Editor in Chief/Director of Publications at PBLWorks/Buck Institute for Education
Professional Background
John Larmer is a highly regarded and innovative educator with extensive experience in project-based learning (PBL). He is recognized internationally for his commitment to progressive school reform aimed at making learning more meaningful for all students. With a career spanning multiple decades, John has become a prominent figure in the education sector, serving in various influential roles that have allowed him to shape educational practices and policies.
As a key builder of PBLWorks, the leading organization in project-based learning, John served as the Editor in Chief, Director of Publications, and Director of Product Development. His instrumental contributions to the organization helped to define and refine the model of Gold Standard PBL, which serves as a foundational framework for all PBLWorks' products and services. John's oversight of the quality of written materials and website content further demonstrates his dedication to excellence in educational resources.
In addition to his roles at PBLWorks, John's voice is influential in the educational community through his numerous publications. He has authored a range of books and articles tailored to K-12 educators, school leaders, and parents, providing invaluable insights into effective teaching methodologies. His writings include the development of widely-used rubrics for the assessment of 21st-century skills and problem-based curriculum units in high school government and economics.
As an engaging speaker and thought leader, John actively shares his expertise through various platforms, including PBLWorks' acclaimed PBL Blog. His contributions to the organization's research initiatives have enhanced a vast online project library, along with coordinating and leading professional development programs that serve over 30,000 educators and leaders annually, with the flagship PBL 101 workshop being particularly noteworthy.
John is also committed to equity in education and is an integral part of the advancing racial equity team at PBLWorks, ensuring that all initiatives address the needs of diverse student populations. His current projects include new books aimed at providing supportive resources for teachers navigating remote learning and project-based learning strategies.
Education and Achievements
John's academic journey began at Stanford University, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, providing him a strong analytical foundation critical for understanding educational policy and reform. He further expanded his knowledge and expertise by pursuing two Master's degrees at San Francisco State University—one in Educational Technology and the other in Education Administration. This combination of political science, educational technology, and administration underpins his comprehensive approach to education and his effectiveness in leading innovative curricular initiatives.
Before his impactful tenure at PBLWorks, John held the position of Senior Program Associate at WestEd, where he was part of the Western Assessment Collaborative. His decade-long experience teaching high school social studies and English has endowed him with practical classroom insights that inform his educational strategies vividly. Additionally, co-founding a restructured small high school allowed John to delve into collaborative efforts focused on improving educational experiences for students.
John's commitment to educational excellence is further highlighted by his engagement with organizations such as the National School Reform Faculty, where he has played a significant role as a school coach for the Coalition of Essential Schools. These experiences reflect his dedication to fostering collaborative and effective approaches to education.
Achievements
Throughout his illustrious career, John Larmer has established a formidable legacy in the realm of project-based learning and progressive education reform. His achievements include:
- Key Contributions to PBLWorks: As an architect of the Gold Standard PBL model, John's influence has set the benchmark for project-based learning practices in educational systems.
- Widespread Educational Publications: Author of several influential works aimed at various educational stakeholders, providing actionable insights and strategies for enhancing the teaching and learning experience.
- Leading Educational Workshops: Facilitated prominent professional development programs, including the flagship PBL 101 workshop, which empowers over 30,000 educators and leaders annually to implement effective project-based learning strategies in their classrooms.
- Advocacy for Equity in Education: Active member of PBLWorks' advancing racial equity team, promoting initiatives aimed at ensuring equitable access to quality education for all students.
- Innovative Projects and Ongoing Research: Currently involved in projects that provide guidance for teachers in remote learning scenarios, ensuring that PBL practices adapt to ever-evolving educational settings.
In summary, John Larmer is a dedicated and visionary educator whose work continues to inspire both educators and students alike. His extensive background in project-based learning, commitment to educational reform, and profound influence as an author and speaker underscore his unwavering belief that learning should be engaging, meaningful, and accessible for every student.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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