Handheld Learning 2009

Dr. David Cavallo is the Chief Learning Architect at One Laptop per Child (OLPC). He also was OLPC’s coordinator for the Latin American and Caribbean region. As Chief Learning Architect Cavallo is responsible for helping countries develop a vision, local teams, and an operational framework to create a large-scale, high-impact change in the learning environment of their countries; for the development of materials to support learning projects; for coordinating efforts to instantiate initial sites of 1-to-1 learning with connected laptops; for coordination of a new international network of 1-to-1 educators; for conception and development of all electronic support materials; and creating and writing the philosophical basis for the learning effort.

Prior to taking a leave from MIT to join OLPC, Cavallo was a Research Scientist, Principal Investigator and co-director of the Future of Learning Group at the MIT Media Laboratory. His work focuses on human learning, designing technology to facilitate learning, and large-scale reform of educational systems. He designs, implements and helps deploy new technologies for learning through design, expression, and construction. Through his work on “models of growth,” he has focused on comprehensive approaches to large-scale change, including content development, educational methodology, teacher development and organizational change. His recent project work has focused on educational reform in urban areas in the United States, as well as in Brasil, Costa Rica, and other Latin American countries.

Prior to MIT, Cavallo led the design and implementation of medical informatics as part of a reform of health care delivery and management at the Harvard University Health Services. He was also the founder of the Advanced Technology group for Digital's Latin American and Caribbean Region. Dr. Cavallo holds a Ph.D and Master of Science degree from the MIT Media Laboratory where Prof. Seymour Papert was his advisor, and did his undergraduate work in Computer Science at Rutgers University. He has published widely on these issues, and has served as an advisor to governments and international agencies national efforts of educational change catalyzed by technology.