I am happy to announce that I have sold EdTechTeacher Inc. to Tom Driscoll, who has now assumed the role of EdTechTeacher CEO. Tom is the consummate professional, a person of high integrity, and a leader of enormous abilities with an inspiring vision of student learning. I have known Tom for more than a decade and seen up-close his keen understanding and application of emerging instructional design models — blended learning, personalized learning, deeper learning, project-based learning, game-based learning, school leadership, and more — as well as his ability to connect deeply with educators at all levels and in all school environments. I feel blessed that Tom is willing and ready to guide EdTechTeacher in the decades ahead. 

For me personally, I feel joy and nostalgia at this moment. For fourteen years I have been leading EdTechTeacher and for 20 years I have been helping educators leverage technology for student learning. The experience has been more than I ever imagined, leading workshops for over 10,000 educators in more than a dozen countries and organizing conferences attended by thousands. But all would not have been possible without the guidance and support of others, in particular my EdTechTeacher co-founder Justin Reich and my EdTechTeacher Director Gail Ross McBride. Justin inspired me and my conception of innovation in education and Gail’s incredible skill, caring and commitment have been nothing short of astonishing. 

Last, but not least, I think of all the educators I’ve come across over the last twenty years. So dedicated, so caring, so inspirational. It was an honor to work with them. Some, like Avra Robinson, inspired me so much I hired them (!) and so many others I wished I could have worked with longer. But, now I’m 60 years of age and I want to travel, spend more time with my aging parents, improve my Spanish and Italian, and not worry about running a business. So, retirement seems appealing. Fortunately I will stay connected to EdTechTeacher as a part-time consultant and instructor, but I’ll also be doing more volunteer adult ESL instruction and spending more time in beloved Colombia. 

Thank you for the memories.