Today on the podcast we have a super exciting guest with us: Adam Croom! We chat all about shifts in education, teaching philosophies and connections in the classroom. This is such a stellar episode and I can't wait for y'all to hear it! About Adam: Adam Croom is a faculty member in the Strategic Communication area of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Croom also serves the university in a separate capacity as the Director of the Office of Digital Learning. Croom teaches courses related to concept, strategy, print and web design, social media, and portfolio work. As an instructor, his aim is to support individual growth and self-actualization through an educational environment that is built on autonomy, trust, cooperation, participation, and self-directed learning. His courses are very hands-on and interactive. Social learning is his favored form of education while experimentation and discovery methods are also encouraged. He believes that his role as an instructor is to be a facilitator, assistant, and partner in the learning process. Croom completed his Masters at Pepperdine University where he studied education and learning technologies. His research focused on networked approaches to online learning in public relations design courses. In 2012, Croom founded TEDxOU, an independently organized TED event dedicated to ideas worth spreading. The event produced more than 80+ TEDx Talks which have accumulated more than two million views in more than 120 countries worldwide. From 2012 through 2014, Croom was the Project Director for freedom.ou.edu, an online education platform dedicated to promoting civic education through talks related to citizenship, freedom, and the Constitution. He was named a Journal Record Innovator of the Year Honoree in 2013 and was recognized in 2014 as a Journal Record Achiever Under 40. He has served on numerous committees for national organizations including the Association of Public Land Grant Institutions (APLU), Online Learning Consortium (OLC), and the Commission on Innovation, Competiveness, and Economic Prosperity (CICEP). Croom is also a former board member for Norman Next. At OU, he has served on the Provost Advisory Committee for Learning Technologies, Digital Initiative Working Group, United Way Steering Committee, and co-chaired of the Canvas Implementation Committee. Croom is a proud alum of OU and the Gaylord College where he was heavily involved with OU Student Media, Gaylord Ambassadors, and the Center for the Creation Economic Wealth. Before returning to OU, Croom spent time in marketing and public relations roles focused on corporate engagement, technology transfer, and economic development. To get the latest scoop on his adventures, read his blog at adamcroom.com.
