Shawn K. Smith

Dr. Shawn K. Smith is an education futurist and a national leader on issues surrounding digital education and pedagogy. He is currently serving as President of Modern Teacher and he is compelled to preserve education’s rich heritage and support America’s teachers and leaders as they transition traditional classrooms into modern learning environments.

As a rare book collector, Smith has one of the world’s largest private collections of John Dewey’s writings. He has authored three books: Teacher as Architect: Instructional Design and Delivery for the Modern Teacher, The New Agenda: Achieving Personalized Learning Through Digital Convergence, and The Shape of Change: The Continued Journey of the Digital Convergence Framework. He has appeared on both the Discovery Channel and TLC as well as various radio, web, and podcast programs.

Prior to founding Modern Teacher, Smith was a teacher, principal, and Chief of Schools for 15 years in school districts in Illinois and California. He holds degrees from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin (bachelor’s degree, elementary education), the California State University, San Bernardino (master’s degree, middle school education), and the University of Southern California (doctorate degree, urban education policy and leadership).

Dr. Smith’s extensive research and experience in the field continues to inform his thought leadership. Today, he collaborates with more than 100 school districts across the country to help them overcome challenges with creating and scaling modern learning environments. In his role as President of Modern Teacher, he works beside some of today’s most innovative and prominent leaders to challenge the status quo and find new, better solutions.

Follow Shawn on Twitter and Instagram @DrShawnkSmith