STEMvisions Blog

Education
01
Aug

The power of physical 'stuff' in our digital world | Carol O'Donnell | TEDxFoggyBottom

By Dr. Carol O'Donnell

Digital technology is quickly becoming a central part of our lives. But in our digital world, we cannot lose sight of the importance of tactile experiences in a science classroom. Dr. Carol O’Donnell argues that it’s not about resisting the shift to digital, instead, it is about finding ways for object-driven learning and digital learning to complement one another.

Dr. Carol O’Donnell is the Director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center, which is dedicated to transforming the teaching and learning of science. O’Donnell is responsible for all operational activities, including building awareness for K through 12th-grade science-education reform and overseeing curriculum, professional, and leadership development at the center. Before joining the Smithsonian, O’Donnell worked at the U.S. Department of Education where she oversaw federal investments focused on teaching and learning. O’Donnell began her science-teaching career in Virginia public schools and she currently serves on the part-time faculty of George Washington University’s Physics Department. O’Donnell earned her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh, her master’s degree in geosciences from Mississippi State University, and doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction from the George Washington University.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

About the Author

Dr. Carol O'Donnell
Douglas M. Lapp and Anne B. Keiser Director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center

Tel: 202-633-2972
Email: ScienceEducation@si.edu

Dr. Carol O’Donnell is the Douglas M. Lapp and Anne B. Keiser Director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC), an education organization of the Smithsonian Institution dedicated to transforming K-12 Education through Science in collaboration with communities across the globe. Carol is responsible for all operational activities and planning for the organization, including building awareness for Kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) science education reform; conducting programs that support the professional growth of K–12 teachers and school leaders; and, overseeing all research and curriculum development, philanthropic development, and administration.

In her role as the Lapp-Keiser Director, Carol serves as the U.S. representative on the Global Council of the InterAcademy Partnership Science Education Programme, an appointment by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which jointly founded the SSEC in collaboration with the Smithsonian. Carol serves on the United Nations Broadband Commission on Sustainable Development Working Group on School Connectivity. She also represents the Smithsonian on the Subcommittee on Federal Coordination in STEM Education (FC-STEM), which advises and assists the Committee on STEM Education (CoSTEM) of the Office of Science and Technology Policy of the Executive Office of the President. In her role on the Program Committee for the International Dialogue on STEM Education, Carol co-authored the position paper on “STEM Education for Sustainable Development”. Prior to joining the Smithsonian, Carol was a group leader at the US Department of Education (ED), supporting States’ and districts’ implementation of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) programs. She also oversaw the Cognition and Student Learning research grant program of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the research arm of the ED.

Carol is the winner of the 2008 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Graduate Research Excellence Award; 2021 National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity “Unsung Hero Award;” and the 2018 University of Pittsburgh Distinguished Alumni Award. O’Donnell’s team at SSEC was honored to receive the 2018 Smithsonian Innovation in Education Award and the 2024 One Smithsonian Education Award for their work on the Smithsonian Science for Global Goals project.

A former elementary science teacher and curriculum developer, Dr. O’Donnell served for 15 years on the part-time faculty of the Physics Department at The George Washington University, where she earned her doctorate. She earned her Executive Education certificate in nonprofit management from the Harvard Business School. Her TedX talk “The Power of Physical Stuff in a Digital World” demonstrates her passion for integrating digital and physical interactions in science classrooms.

Read about our Director on the Director's Page.