Jonathan Finkelstein is the founder and executive producer of LearningTimes. He is also the executive producer of LearningTimes.org, one of the largest and longest-running free, open professional development communities for educators.

Finkelstein's book, Learning in Real Time (Wiley/Jossey-Bass), translates well over ten years of experience facilitating real-time online learning into a practical resource guide for anyone facilitating or teaching online. Finkelstein also recently authored the chapter on live online outreach in The Digital Museum: A Think Guide, published by the American Association of Museums (AAM). He can be seen as the host of the "Real Time Minute", a podcast series about online collaboration, and as the moderator and producer of many live webcasts, online conferences and 3D virtual world events for museum and education professionals. With literally thousands of hours of online air time, he is a well-recognized voice among educational, library and museum professionals worldwide, and a leader in producing meaningful and open social-learning experiences.

Finkelstein works closely with educational institutions, museums, libraries, national associations, government agencies, and other organizations. His pioneering work has brought online professional development to the New York City Department of Education, the American Association of Museums (AAM), the American Library Association (ALA), the Smithsonian, and scores of other national organizations, and he is an active producer of highly visible online learning programs for these institutions. His efforts with the AAM, for example, include developing and hosting online education programs bringing together for the first time over ten thousand of the nation's museum professionals to learn from one another and advance the causes of our cultural institutions in unprecedented ways through ongoing, meaningful online collaboration.

Under Finkelstein's leadership, the LearningTimes team produces one- or multi-day online conferences and symposia for dozens of national groups, providing free or low-cost training and professional networking opportunities for all stakeholders in the "edu" and non-profit community, not just those who can afford to attend face-to-face conferences. Institutions producing online events with LearningTimes include groups like: the Smithsonian Education, Museum-Ed, American Association of State and Local History, the state of Illinois, University of Hawaii, New Media Consortium, American Library Association, Nielsen's Training magazine, Wiley publishing, AAM, the Girl Scouts, the Australia Flexible Learning Framework, EDC, and the Public Library Association.

Finkelstein and LearningTimes have also made innovative contributions to the world of mobile learning through popular online training programs and new approaches to podcasting. Current projects include the production of free map-based podcast resources for the National Air and Space Museum, the National Mall, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, National Museum of the US Air Force, the IMLS-funded Alliance Library System, and the public teacher recruitment program in New York City.

Finkelstein and his colleagues also produce some of the most exciting technology-enabled student programs taking place in K-12 schools today. Now in its fifth year, and continuing to expand, is a live online video debate program that engages special needs learners across New York City in spirited, civil web-based debates on topics that would fluster seasoned news anchors or politicians. An online Virtual United Nations program connects students from dozens of countries with students in the US for dialogue and problem-solving on issues that affect us all - like global warning and access to clean water. And produced in association with the Smithsonian, this fall's Climate Change Online Conference will put the nation's leading researchers and scientists in direct contact with students and the public at large for an open and free discussion of the issues. The preceding Lincoln Online Conference, produced under Finkelstein's direction, reached over 5000 learners and 75 countries, and was the largest learning event ever convened by the Smithsonian.

Finkelstein has carried LearningTimes' expertise into the 3D realm, with groundbreaking programs developed in virtual worlds. He is now developing the first-ever new teacher orientation programs in 3D worlds, aimed at helping new public school teachers prepare for good classroom management and parental engagement. Finkelstein and his colleagues also developed Citywide, a SecondLife-based program for teaching autistic high school students the social and essential life skills needed to function well after leaving the public school system. The program is expanding into more NYC schools this fall. Workshops and conferences in 3D worlds have become another hallmark of the LearningTimes learning model.

Jonathan is regarded as an industry expert and is a frequent keynote and featured speaker on effective, interactive, web-enhanced learning. As the Executive Producer of LearningWeek Live, Jonathan prduced and co-hosted a live, interactive, weekly webcast about the people and technology of learning.

Before founding LearningTimes, Jonathan was a co-founder of one of the industry's first platforms for live teaching, learning, interaction, collaboration, and community-building over the Internet. As Senior Vice President of Product Strategy, Jonathan's role included establishing and executing upon the company's product vision, developing innovative ways to teach and learn online, and maintaining a deep understanding of the needs of educators and learners. Several of the products Jonathan designed were recognized for industry awards, including recognition by Online Learning Magazine, US News & World Report, Brandon-Hall, and the SIIA Codie Awards. Jonathan also oversaw the company's Professional Services division, where he led major efforts to design educational technology curricula and programs for high-profile clients, and guided the integration of multiple platforms to create engaging, interactive, innovative and useful educational applications.

Jonathan also regularly conducts seminars and courses on topics such as blending face-to-face with web-based instruction, designing effective virtual learning spaces, scaling human interaction in online learning environments, and fostering professional development communities on and offline. Valuing the power of real-time interaction and community-building, Jonathan has delivered well over 15,000 hours of live online instruction and has coached thousands of individuals on re-discovering their own teaching styles when bringing their instruction online.

Jonathan is Board member of the Media and Technology Committee of the American Association of Museums. He is also and a member of several grant review and industry award programs.

Jonathan has also worked as a strategic, multimedia, and public relations consultant in the Boston and Washington, D.C., offices of ML Strategies, Inc. There, he created a wide variety of technology-based systems and communications tools and programs for high-profile clients like America Online, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Time Warner. In addition, he has conducted formal work in a wide range of fields, including: surgery (Harvard Medical School), psychology (MIT), and entertainment (a magician since the age of nine).

Jonathan received his AB degree cum laude in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard University, where he led the world's most comprehensive civic education program for secondary school students, attracting over two thousand students in the United States and Europe annually. Jonathan is a Certified Synchronous Training Professional (CSTP). He is the proud son of two New York City public school teachers with over 60 years of teaching experience between them.