Wikipedia

Esther Wojcicki

Esther Denise "Woj" Hochman Wojcicki (/wʊˈtʃɪtski/ wuu-CHITS-kee[1]; born 1941[2]) is an American journalist, educator, and vice chair of the Creative Commons advisory council.[3] Wojcicki has studied education and technology.[4] She is the founder of the Palo Alto High School Media Arts Program in Palo Alto, California.[5]

Esther Wojcicki
Wojcicki in 2014
Born
Esther Denise Hochman

1941 (age 82–83)
New York City, New York, US
EducationUniversity of California, Berkeley (BA, MJ)
Paris-Sorbonne University (MA)
San Jose State University (MA)
Occupation(s)Journalist, educator
Known forMoonshots: The Woj Way Pedagogical Philosophy (Trust Framework)
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1962; died 2023)​
Children3, including Susan and Anne

Early life and education

edit

Wojcicki is the oldest of three children and was the first in her family to attend college. Her parents were Russian Jewish immigrants who came to New York City in the 1930s. Her family moved to Southern California after she was born.[6][7] Wojcicki was valedictorian of her high school class[6] and attended the University of California, Berkeley, graduating with a B.A. in English and political science. She also received a secondary teaching credential and a master's degree in journalism from Berkeley. She has an M.A. in French and French history from the Sorbonne as well as both a secondary school administrative credential and a M.A. in educational technology from San Jose State University.[4][8]

Career

edit

Wojcicki taught journalism and English at Palo Alto High School from 1984 to 2020.[9] There she began a journalism program which has become one of the largest in America.[10] She has also worked as a professional journalist for multiple publications and blogs regularly for The Huffington Post.[4]

Wojcicki was the 1990 Northern California Journalism Teacher of the Year[4] and was selected as the California Teacher of the Year in 2002 by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.[10]

She served on the University of California Office of the President Curriculum Committee where she helped revise the beginning and advanced journalism curriculum for the state of California.[8] In 2009, she was awarded the Gold Key by Columbia Scholastic Press Association in recognition of outstanding devotion to the cause of the school press.[11] Wojcicki is also on the Board of Trustees of the "Developmental Studies Center"[12] and on the Board of Governors of the "Alliance for Excellent Education".[13]

She serves as chairman of the Board of "Learning Matters"[14] and is part of the advisory board at the THNK School of Creative Leadership.[15] She is Chief Learning Officer for Explore[16] Planet3, an exploration based science platform for middle school students. Wojcicki is on the board of the Newseum in Washington, D.C., and the Freedom Forum. She holds an honorary doctorate from Palo Alto University (2013) and from Rhode Island School of Design (2016).[citation needed]

Wojcicki founded the Journalistic Learning Initiative at the University of Oregon School of Communications and School of Education (2016). She is also the founder of the Moonshots in Education Movement (MiE) (2017). In 2019 she published a book titled How to Raise Successful People,[17] a parenting book on the philosophy she used in raising her three daughters. Wojcicki has discussed her life and the book on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour in May 2019.[18]

Wojcicki mentored Steve Jobs' daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs at Palo Alto High School.[19]

Personal life

edit

Her husband was Stanford University professor of physics Stanley Wojcicki, marrying in 1962.[20] They have three daughters: Susan (former CEO of YouTube) who died in 2024, Janet, a Fulbright-winning anthropologist, assistant professor of pediatrics and researcher, and Anne (co-founder of 23andMe), and ten grandchildren.[10]

Works

edit
  • How to raise successful children : simple lessons for radical results, London : Hutchinson, 2019. ISBN 9781786331267, OCLC 1090425189
  • Moonshots in Education: Launching Blended Learning in the Classroom, Pacific Research Institute, San Francisco, 2015 ISBN 978-1-934276-20-4

References

edit
  1. ^ "Esther Wojcicki - Empowering Students" on YouTube
  2. ^ Who's who in the West: A Biographical Dictionary of Noteworthy Men and Women of the Pacific Coast and the Western States. A.N. Marquis Company. 2004. ISBN 9780837909356. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
  3. ^ "Board of Directors - Creative Commons". Creative Commons. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  4. ^ a b c d Hwang, Tim (2008-07-10). "Education Innovator Esther Wojcicki Joins Creative Commons Board". Creative Commons. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  5. ^ Esther Wojcicki (2013-06-09), Journalism and the Common Core Writing Standards, retrieved 2019-04-29
  6. ^ a b Lorenz, Elizabeth (1998-04-29). "People: Esther Wojcicki: Carrying the torch for free speech". Palo Alto Online. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  7. ^ Tramiel, Preeva (April 18, 2012). "Esther Wojcicki: A Jewish mother of the tech revolution". Jewish Woman's Archives.
  8. ^ a b "Curriki - Wojcicki". Archived from the original on 2015-02-07. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  9. ^ Yip, Jaures; Mir; Li, a; Nemerov, Lucy; Rivera, Frida; Lifestyle, Annie Chen (2020-06-02). "The Woj Way: Campanile co-adviser Esther Wojcicki announces retirement". The Campanile. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
  10. ^ a b c "Esther Wojcicki". HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  11. ^ "Esther Wojcicki receives Gold Key". Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Archived from the original on 2009-06-15. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  12. ^ "Board of Trustees". devstu.org.
  13. ^ "Governing Board | Alliance for Excellent Education". 2013-03-29. Archived from the original on 2013-03-29. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
  14. ^ "Education Week Video". learningmatters.tv.
  15. ^ "Innovation & Creativity Development- THNK School of Creative Leadership". THNK.
  16. ^ "Home". Planet3. Retrieved 2017-02-18.
  17. ^ Wojcicki, Esther. "How to Raise Successful People". How to Raise Successful People.
  18. ^ Presenter: Jenni Murray (2 May 2019). "Small Island, Esther Wojcicki, Natalie Haynes". Woman's Hour. 0:47 minutes in. BBC. BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  19. ^ Bowles, Nellie (2018-08-23). "In 'Small Fry,' Steve Jobs Comes Across as a Jerk. His Daughter Forgives Him. Should We?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
  20. ^ "Miss Hochman Becomes Mrs. Stanley Wojcicki". Valley Times. Vol. 25, no. 4. January 4, 1962. p. 8.
edit
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Esther Wojcicki.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Esther_Wojcicki&oldid=1253618612"