Colin Mably

Infobox Person
name=Colin Mably


caption=
birth_date=birth date|1942|12|25|mf=y
birth_place=London, England flagicon|ENG
occupation=Educator
Curriculum Developer
Teacher Educator
Video Producer
Multimedia Production Specialist
Musician

Colin William Fisher Mably (born 25 December 1942) is a teacher and teacher educator with extensive experience as a curriculum developer. He is also a video producer, multimedia production specialist and accomplished artist and illustrator.

An educator at all levels from K-12 through university post-graduate, he has been a developer for a number of published science and mathematics curricula. His academic career has included designing and teaching bachelor and masters degree programs, the co-founding of the International Society for Teacher Education (ISTE), soon to celebrate in its twenty fifth anniversary, and the promotion of international study research and exchange programs.

For the past sixteen years, Mably has worked from his own company, Educational Visions, producing innovative curricula and multimedia learning material, including products commissioned by the British government and major professional scientific organizations in the United States.

Childhood and education

Mably was born in Muswell Hill, London, England on December 25, 1942. The eldest son of a Methodist minister, his childhood years saw many a relocation as his father was re-posted once every three to four years to different parishes across the UK, including London, Newcastle, Bedford and Welwyn Garden City. At the age of 11, he joined Kingswood School in Bath as a full-time boarding student.

Mably left Kingswood in 1959 and took up his first teaching role at a primary school before beginning his three-year teacher education program at the Oxford University Institute of Education, Westminster College. In addition to his qualification from Oxford, he received an Advanced Diploma in Education from the Froebel Institute.

Career

Mably began his teaching career as a primary school teacher in London, teaching at three schools in the inner city. From there, he became a Lecturer in Education, Furzedown College of (Teacher) Education, London. In 1974, he joined the faculty of the Department of Education at the North East London Polytechnic (now the University of East London), where he eventually became a Principal Lecturer. His duties as Principal Lecturer for Education included first Director of Short Programs followed by Director of Development for the School of Independent Study.

In 1988 he became one of three founding partners of Evergreen Communications, Ltd, a UK/US company specializing in developing such exemplary video-based educational materials for the K-12 schools audience as MIST (Modular Investigations in Science and Technology) and World of Number.

In 1989, Mably was awarded the Medal of Peace by Charles University, Prague, Czechoslovakia, in recognition of his services to international teacher education.

Mably is also a founding partner of Educational Visions, a US-based company started in 1995 that provides curriculum development, teacher education and program evaluation services to major science organizations and school districts. Mably is also an adjunct professor of education at both the University of Maryland and Loyola College in Maryland.

Publications

Mably, C., Smith M.J., & Southard, J.B.. (2003). Investigating Earth Systems. Armonk, NY: It’s About Time Publishing Company
Benbow, A. & Mably, C. (2001) Science for Elementary Teachers: An Investigation-based Approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing
Benbow, A. & Mably, C., Eds. (2000). Science in a Technical World. New York, NY: Freeman Publishing
Benbow, A. (2000). Science in a Technical World, Teachers’ Edition. New York, NY: Freeman Publishing
Benbow, A. (1996). Ed. FACETS: Foundations and Challenges to Encourage Technology-Based Education. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing
Benbow, A. & Mably, C. (1995). Another Awesome Aerosol Adventure. American Aerosol Council, Washington, DC
Benbow, A. & Mably, C. (1991). MIST: Modular Investigations into Science and Technology: Teacher Support Materials. Glenview, IL: Silver Burdett Ginn
Mably, C & Morley, P.J., (1990), The World of Number, elementary mathematics interactive videodisc package, commissioned, published and distributed by the Department of Education and Science (Government), England and Wales, UK
Mably, C & Morley, P.J., (1987), MIST: Modular Investigations into Science and Technology: series of six elementary science interactive videodiscs with teacher support, Evergreen Communications, London, UK

ynergistic Activities

Curriculum Development
Production Designer, Contextual Laboratory Curriculum for Chemistry & Technology (C3T), a CD-ROM based two-year college chemistry curriculum supported by NSF’s ATE Division, Athens Technical College, GA. 2000 – 2004
Professional Development Consultant and Video Producer, Constructing Understanding of the Earth System (CUES), a middle school curriculum in development by the American Geological Institute, supported by the NSF’s Instructional Materials Development Division. 2001–2003
Production Director, Science in a Technical World (STW); a high school curriculum development project in technician preparation supported by NSF’s ATE Division, American Chemical Society, 1999–2002
Project Director, Investigating Earth Systems; a middle school modular curriculum developed by the American Geological Institute and supported by the NSF’s Instructional Materials Development Division and Chevron. 1996–1999
Designer, Writer and Instructor, Operation Primary Physical Science (OPPS), a national K-3 teacher education program, supported by NSF’s Teacher Enhancement Division, American Institute of Physics and Louisiana State University, 1996-1998
Pedagogic Consultant and Instructor, Operation Chemistry, a national teacher education program in chemistry, supported by NSF’s Teacher Enhancement Division, American Chemical Society, 1993–1997
Writer/illustrator, and Co-editor, FACETS middle school curriculum development project, an integrated curriculum supported by NSF’s Instructional Materials Development Division, American Chemical Society, 1992–1995

Video, DVD and Multimedia Production
Associate Producer, System Earth (currently in production): a four-part television documentary series by the American Geological Society (AGI) to be first aired by the Science Channel (part of the Discovery Channel network) in 2006 and then worldwide, funded by a consortium including Exxon Mobil and partners
Producer, Where are the Girls? a six-minute feature item focusing on the low take up of STEM by gifted girls, for the television series Discovery this Week to be broadcast on the Science Channel in July 2004
Producer/ Director, VHS: Opening Doors of Opportunity: Chemical Process Technician Education (2003) - 12 min. for ChemTechLinks, ACS, funded by NSF
Producer/ Director, Interactive DVD: Green Chemistry: Meeting Global Challenges (2003) – 120 min., interactive. for the Green Chemistry Institute, funded by U.S. EPA
Producer/ Director, Interactive DVD: Mentoring Investigations into Science and Technology (2003), a prototype to pilot an elementary science informal educational product for use by home schooling, intergenerational education projects, libraries and museums
Producer/ Director, VHS: Opening Doors of Opportunity: Chemical Technician Education (2002) –15 min. for ChemTechLinks, ACS, funded by the NSF
Producer/ Director, VHS: Green Chemistry: Innovations for a Cleaner World (2000) – 25 minutes – Co-production of ACS and EPA, funded by EPA
Producer/ Director, VHS: Foundations for the Future – Building Industry/Education Alliances (2000) – 2 min. for Department of Technician Activities, ACS
Producer/ Director, VHS: Careers for Geoscientists (1998) – 40 min. for the American Geological Institute, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Production Coordinator, VHS: Series of twelve 15-minute videos Science in a Technical World high school curriculum (2000 – 2002). ACS, funded by NSF
Production Coordinator, CD-ROM: Series of 12 CD-ROMs for Science in a Technical World high school curriculum (2000 – 2002). ACS, funded by NSF
Production Coordinator, FACETS Connections (1997) – 30 min. interactive videodisc supporting the FACETS middle school curriculum, made for and funded by ACS
Production Coordinator, Chemistry in the Community Connections (1997) – 30 min. supporting the ChemCom high school curriculum, made for and funded by ACS
Production Coordinator, Chemistry in Context Connections (1997) – 30 min. supporting the Chemistry in Context community college curriculum, made for and funded by ACS
Educational Editor and Associate Producer (1990), The World of Number, elementary mathematics interactive videodisc package, commissioned, published and distributed by the Department of Education and Science (Government), England and Wales, UK
Educational Editor and Associate Producer (1987), MIST: Modular Investigations into Science and Technology: series of six one-hour elementary science interactive videodiscs with teacher support, Evergreen Communications, London, UK

Recent Evaluation
Evaluation Consultant. 2004. New Jersey Department of Education
Web site Evaluator. 2003. The Lewin Group and the Maryland Health Care Commission
Program Evaluator. 2001-present. MGM-STEP in-service science and mathematics professional development project for teachers. Montclair State University, New Jersey

References

TBC

External links

* http://www.educationalvis.com - the website for Educational Visions, the educational materials company operated by Colin Mably and Ann Benbow