Who We Are
Ira Socol is a former Chief Technology and Innovation Officer in Virginia public schools. He has been recognized by the Center for Digital Education for its annual award to the nation’s 2017 Top 30 Technologists, Transformers and Trailblazers. He is the author of numerous journal articles in national education and school architectural journals. During doctoral studies at Michigan State, he became a leading national expert in the use of accessibility technology and Universal Design for Learning where he also developed Toolbelt Theory, an equity technology lens for all learners. His education includes studio art, architecture, criminal justice and juvenile justice, assistive technologies, and educational leadership. He also co-authored the just released Timeless Learning with Pam Moran. Pam and Ira have keynoted and workshopped together at national and state conferences.
Mr. Socol is a Principal of Socol/Moran Partners and serves as Senior Provocateur, while leading our work in the transformation of spaces, technologies, and library services.
Dr. Pam Moran, recently retired superintendent of thirteen years also has worked as a teacher, staff developer, elementary principal, and assistant superintendent. She was the 2010 president of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents and the 2016 Virginia Superintendent of the Year, one of four finalists for the national superintendent of the year. She authored articles and posts for Education Week, School Administrator, EdSurge, the Alliance for Excellent Education and has presented several Tedx Talks across the U.S. Known for her commitment to helping school leaders "get to yes," Pam has taught at the middle school, high school, and university level, and has served as an assistant principal (in middle school), an elementary principal, a science content leader, an professional learning leader, an assistant superintendent, as well as superintendent. She is a coauthor with Ira of Timeless Learning: How Imagination, Observation, and Zero-Based Thinking Change Schools.
Dr. Moran is a Principal of Socol/Moran Partners and serves as Senior Philosophy and Policy Advisor, while leading our work in the transformation of administrations and professional learning.
Pam and Ira have led the development of some of the most contemporary learning spaces in the United States, represented by a commitment to a “search, connect, communicate and make” model for unleashing the lifelong learning potential of young people across rural, suburban and urban environments in their former school district. They have also helped numerous other districts and schools, across America and beyond, to change philosophies, practices, and assumptions. They are well known for their work to infuse active learning across the curricula through initiatives to redesign learning spaces. This has increased opportunities in every school for learners to research, design, build, engineer, and “make to learn” as well as “learn to make” using a variety of old and new technologies accessible in libraries, mechatronics labs, media labs, arts studios, multi-age spaces, maker spaces, and informal learning settings created throughout schools.
@irasocol Ira Socol on Medium Ira Socol SpeEdChange Blog
@pammoran Pam Moran on Medium Pam Moran's A Space for Learning Blog