Bio
Jim Gray is an expert on children’s play, learning, development, and media. He specializes in curriculum development, learning design, educational innovation, and business strategy for kids’ educational apps, toys, and other interactive media. His unique perspective comes from having straddled academic, research, school, community, corporate, and startup environments over two decades of work in the field.
Jim began his career as a preschool teacher and special educator, where he first saw the potential of educational media for young children. He has conducted research at the Center for Innovative Learning Technologies at SRI International, and the Center for Research on the Influence of Television on Children at the University of Kansas. At Harvard University, Jim studied the use of television and interactive media for cross-cultural understanding, and led video production and documentation of a major national school reform project. Jim was Director of Learning at LeapFrog Enterprises, where he oversaw the educational content development of all products.
Jim has a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Michigan State University, an advanced degree in Interactive Media Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and a doctorate of Education from Harvard University. At home, Jim is an avid photographer, videographer, and bicyclist. As the father of twin preschoolers, he loves inventing toys and playful learning activities for his whole family.
Full chrological CV | Brief thematic Resume
Services
Curriculum Design
Plan, build, and support a taxonomy of learning goals for one or more subject areas, aligned to standards as required, and organized to meet the needs of your project.
Learning Design
Envision and guide development of learning goals, content, and interactions to support engagement, play, and learning for children and families.
Strategic Planning
Analyze business landscape, educational trends, and learning technologies to identify opportunities and avoid dead ends.
Innovation Facilitation
Engage individuals or groups in a process of envisioning new directions or innovative approaches to existing ones.
Clients
- Disney Imagicademy
- Toca Boca
- StoryBots
- FingerprintPlay
- YogiPlay
- Kindertown
- ImagineK12
- Kidaptive
- Dreambox
Presentations
- Dust or Magic AppCamp (2014)
- World Congress of Play (2013)
- National Reseach Council (2013)
- Interaction Design and Children (IDC) Opening Keynote (2011)
- Fred Forward Panel (2010)
- Kids@Play CES (2010)
- CHI Panel (2009)
- Sandbox Summit Panel (2009)
- Dust or Magic Institute (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012)
- Kid Power Conference Keynote (2005)
Other Professional Activities
- J.B. & M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation, Early Childhood Innovation Accelerator’s Impact Advisory Committee
- Co-author: Harnessing the Science of Learning to Promote Real Educational Apps for Psychological Science for the Public Interest (in process)
