G. Ernest Anderson





Background Information
Quoting from a 2 May 1991 document in which Ernie is introducing himself to the SCOUTS-L Youth Groups Discussion List:


 * I am Ernie Anderson, by vocation Professor of Education at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, into computers since the Mark I at Harvard, and into electronic networking since my days as a Western Union operator in the 1940's.


 * Cub and Scout 1939-1946, when I don't remember thinking anything of it if the leader wore skirts instead of pants. We were glad enough to have leaders at all more than once.  Was President of the Senior Degree, a now defunct senior scout organization with ceremonies much like the OA (including the one recently commented on).


 * Now dual registered with Great Trails Council in western Mass. where my son went thru Scouting and with Quinnipiac Council in Connecticut. I am responsible for the East Shore District's International/High Adventure activities, which include providing Scouting experiences for the youth and their leaders of the Soviet Mission to the United Nations.  They are coed; Girl Scout troops come to our Camporees.  We also organized what I think was the first High Adventure trip to the Peoples Republic of China, which was to have left June 10, 1989 (!!).


 * Formerly Assistant Leader of a Junior Troop, then organizer and Leader of a Cadette troop, GSUSA. (I have a daughter too.)


 * Active in United Church of Christ Association of Scouters.


 * Peace be with you all.


 * Ernie Anderson

Quoting from the November 28, 2006 issue of The Beacon, a University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Education Newsletter:


 * Congratulations to Professor Emeritus G. Ernest Anderson, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Connecticut Educators Computer Association on October 23. Ernie’s career in telecommunications started 63 years ago as a telegraph operator with Western Union. … A certificate signed by Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell officially proclaimed October 23,2006 as “G. Ernest Anderson Day for the State of Connecticut.

Email # 1from Ernie Anderson to David Moursund 6/15/09
In November of 1992, right after our Presidential elections, the Citizen Ambassador Program of People to People International hosted a Computers in Education Conference in Beijing. I was to be the American Co-Chair.

Thanks to IEARN contacts, I knew they were starting an Institute for Global Communications hub in Beijing, to reduce the trans-Pacific satellite costs of intra-China school messages.

With the possibility of his interest in mind, I sent then Senator Al Gore a message asking if he would like to send a ceremonial first message for the dedication of this new Hub. There were polite inquiries about People to People, the Citizen Ambassador Program, IEARN, this Conference, and who I was. The answer came back that yes, he would. What should he say and when and how should he say it?

The opening of the Conference was in the Great Hall of the People in Tienanmen Square. On stage was our Ambassador Roy, speaking fluent Chinese but with nothing special to say since then President Bush (the 1st), honorary President of People to People International, had failed to send his customary greeting. There I sit front row center with a ceremonial first message from the newly elected Vice-President of the United States. That is how I got on stage to give the dedication that "Our Schools are no Longer Ten Thousand Miles Apart, they are Ten Seconds Apart."

For some time afterwards, I heard from people in China I don't think I had met who remembered this dedication.

Email #2 from Ernie Anderson to David Moursund 6/15/09
Dave - the Association for Educational Data Systems had its start in 1962, and was formally organized in 1963. I was its President in 1967-1968, partly because we were on the brink of financial trouble and no else seemed willing to take on the job. Bob Gates was a founding figure, as were several State people.

Recognizing that the AEDS name had too narrow a focus (e.g.administrative and state data systems rather than instruction). AEDS changed its name to IACE in the 1970's, following its 10th anniversary celebration. As you indicated, a further merger with the organization that was sponsoring a national computer in education conference resulted in what we know as ISTE today.

Email #3 from Ernie Anderson to David Moursund 6/15/09
Update: in 1982 AEDS presented me with a 20 year service award, so the change to IACE was after that.

Some time later a fine, upstanding Executive Secretary of IACE or ISTE asked me why I had a lifetime membership. He got a lot of early detail at that time, including herculean efforts to keep AEDS afloat financially. This included convincing NEA to forgive a lot of back rent for our office in their building, our publisher tor substantial unpaid bills using the argument that forcing us into bankruptcy he might get one desk, one chair, one lamp, and one typewriter, several commercial firms to up the ante to keep us going as long term good professionally and for their business. etc. And reining in a popular Executive Secretary, Jay Fast, whose financial acumen included burning in his ashtray any bill we couldn't pay. Our Treasurer, Phil Shaw of the Florida SDE, resigned saying he could not make sense out of Jay Fast's financial accounting statements, despite apparent certification by an accounting firm (Arthur Anderson as I recall). So, yes, I think I earned that lifetime membership.

EDNET dates back to 1992 as an e-mail discussion list. It was the first list of its kind to be fully archived in ERIC (althogh there is no hint today of where such archive records might be). It still exists today as EDNET2, managed by Mark Ahlness on Yahoo Groups. Subscription list today is closer to 400, down from a one-time 4000 or so. I simply had to let go as old age and severe osteoporosis (broken bones) crept in.

Template for a Pioneer Page
This is brief outline that writers of this page might want to follow.

1. General demographic types of information such as birth date and place, education, employment, and so on.

2. Setting the scene. This might go all the way back to the Pioneer's childhood. Try to capture the essence of how the world was before the pioneer began to do his or her pioneering work. Pay particular attention to the levels of Information and Communication Technology, and their use in education, at the time.

3. Major pioneering efforts and contributions. Try to capture the essence of the Pioneer's legacy contributions to the field of ICT in education. Be factual. Provide references if possible.

4. Up close and personal stories about the Pioneer. These can be contributed by many different authors. Try to flesh out the pioneer as a person and his or her contributions as part of the overall human endeavor of developing the field of ICT in education.

5. Autobiographic materials written by the pioneer in the past and/or written especially for this IAE-pedia document.

6. Interview. If the Pioneer is not deceased, try to gather interview information via face to face meeting, phone, or email. Here are three sample interview questions:


 * Q. Looking back over your pioneering activities, which do you feel best about? What is your legacy?


 * Q. Drawing upon your years of experience and accumulated wisdom, what do you think are some of the very best ways to improve our current informal and formal educational systems?


 * Q. What else do you want to say to today's students, teachers, parents, and other people?

Author or Authors
Names of major contributors to this page.