Thomas Arnett Email & Phone Number

Thomas Arnett is a Senior Research Fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute. He is proficient in Spanish. Colleagues describe him as "Tom was the founding director of a pilot digital learning summer academy for students in grades 2-4 at Achievement First Amistad Academy Elementary School in New Haven, CT. He brought to the work a great combination of management skills, grit, good nature, solid teaching, capacity for reflection, humility and collegiality. As with any new program, there were scores of decisions to made and at least two dozen stakeholders (principal, deans, teachers, parents, and of course - students) to engage. During the planning stages from April to June, Tom was adept at identifying key questions that needed answers, suggesting possible ways forward, recommendations, and alternatives. We worked together to identify the curriculum that would be taught for reading and math, the daily schedule of the program, the bus route and communication with parents, use of the school facilities, and orientation on the technology. He studied the Achievement First teaching methods, apprenticed himself to several full-time teachers, and made calls home (in fluent Spanish, as needed). During the four-week program, Tom rode the bus to/from the school with scholars every morning and afternoon. In the second week, we introduced wireless tablets that would facilitated a "mobile extended learning day" on the hour+ bus ride; Tom used the added time to conference with scholars on their progress, set new personal learning goals, and monitor appropriate use of the technology. In the classroom, Tom co-taught with a full-time teacher, taking the lead on math instruction and sharing in classroom management. He developed visual anchors to guide scholars in proper use of the equipment, trackers mounted on the wall to help them monitor and recognize their own progress, and delivered small group lessons while monitoring other students who worked on the computer. His teaching colleagues had very positive things to say about Tom's teaching persona, his mature leadership and complete reliability throughout the summer. The New Haven Register visited the classroom and wrote this piece - including video interviews with Tom and scholars - about the program: http://nhregister.com/articles/2012/07/25/news/new_haven/doc50109415e3c85821175512.txt?viewmode=fullstory At the conclusion of the program, Tom did an amazing job of capturing the knowledge we gained as an organization through the pilot. He created a concise and comprehensive powerpoint deck and an accompanying blog post that will enable future school leaders to stand on the shoulders of his work when developing their own summer academy. The deck and post will be published on the Gates funded blog: http://blendmylearning.com/ I highly recommend Tom and would be happy to serve as a reference. He's an outstanding thinker and doer, with an able passion for exploring and optimizing the digital intersection of learner, mode and content." and "Tom was a fantastic fellow in our cohort! Without a doubt, he demonstrates his unwavering commitment to improving educational outcomes for students and the community he serves. Through hard work, optimism, creativity, seeking research to inform practice and being a reflective practitioner, he made a huge impact. Tom’s work was highly regarded by his supervisor and he was an integral part of our learning community where he gained the respect and trust of his colleagues. Tom is poised for great success in all of his future endeavors!"

Listed skills include Teaching, Research, Data Analysis, Leadership, and 19 others.