The Corporation Learning Way corporationlearning@comcast.net Meet the Presenter John O'Hara is a graduate of Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ where he received his BS degree in Math/Science Education and his Masters Degree in Student Personnel Services from Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ. He is an Instructional Technology consultant and a Registered Professional Development Provider for the New Jersey Department of Education. John taught in the Kearny, New Jersey School District for thirty-five years. In 1992, unhappy with the lack of interest, enthusiasm and academic ability of many of his students, O’Hara focused his energy on implementing successful business techniques such as empowerment, collaboration, honesty, and critical thinking in his classroom. O’Hara reengineered his physics classes so those students, enabled by technology, could use the workplace readiness skills every day in Corporation Physics. While concepts are still taught in Corporation Physics, O’Hara also requires his students to excel in the three R’s of the 21st Century: rigor, responsibility and respect. His students are taught workplace readiness skills and they practice these skills daily. Students work collaboratively and are taught how to use technology in their daily activities. All students are responsible for their own learning, the success of their team, and the achievement of the entire class. In Corporation Physics, the bottom line is learning physics as well as skills that will serve them well in the 21st Century. Now known as Corporation Learning, this process is applicable to the seven Core Curriculum Content areas of instruction. Corporation Learning workshops have been given in the Lawrenceville, Orange, Cumberland Regional, Lakewood and Scotch Plains-Fanwood school districts, at the NJ Education Summit, and at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), and many school-to-career workshops. The physics classes in Kearny High School have been using the Corporation Learning process for more than ten years. O’Hara also taught Aerospace Science using Interactive Television (ITV) Distance Learning and has presented more than 600 Aerospace Science shows nationwide to a variety of audiences. John retired from the school district as a faculty trainer, the Web Master and Coordinator for Public Relations in July 2005 and, in addition to training faculty in the Corporation Learning pedagogy, John also is an Instructional Technology consultant.
In 1996, John received a Best Practice Award
from the NJ Department of Education for Corporation Physics and in 1997 a Best
Practice Award for his Distance Learning ITV Aerospace Science course. He has
received many teaching
awards including Princeton University’s Distinguished Teacher Award, the NJ
Business Coalition for Education Excellence Award and the Governor’s Teacher
Recognition Award. His lively presentations
are always informative, interesting and fun for everyone.
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