Jonathan Maier

Jonathan Maier

Client Lead & Producer

For more than 25 years, Jonathan has created groundbreaking educational and entertainment media for children. His early career started in the computer gaming industry as an art director, before designing and producing games for preschool and elementary audiences. Over the years his focus has turned to educational titles and tools for grades K-12, as well as writing and consulting on children’s books and instructional products.

Highlights

As a Client Lead and Producer, Jonathan uses his considerable expertise in product development and interactive design to help clients identify the specific needs of their end-users while building powerful solutions that not only facilitate deep learning, but delight those learners as well. Among his past accomplishments, Jonathan orchestrated the development of Inspiration 8, the award-winning visual learning tool for middle- and high school students. He also produced and designed the first software titles based on Blue's Clues, the hit Nickelodeon educational television program. The initial titles were the #1 and #4 best-selling children's software the year of their release. Jonathan is also a writer, most recently authoring two chapter books in a series published jointly by Random House and Sylvan Learning.

Professional affiliations

  • ISTE – International Society for Technology in Education 

Education and/or certifications held

  • BA, Humanities, Marylhurst University
  • Film Production, Fine Arts and Creative Writing, University of Oregon  

Select software titles

  • Ten visual mathematics’ apps across multiple platforms for the Math Learning Center, including Geoboard, Pattern Shapes, and Number Pieces (2008-2016)
  • Read With Me, reading app (2015)
  • Smarterville, online educational website for young children
  • Inspiration 8, an educational tool for concept mapping and visual thinking (2001-2006)
  • Seven software titles for Humongous Entertainment, including Blue’s ABC Time and Blue’s Birthday Adventure, based on the hit Nickelodeon show, Blue’s Clues (1996-1999)
  • Castle Infinity, the first of its kind, massive multiplayer game for kids (1994-1996)

Awards  

  • Distinguished Achievement Award From Association of Educational Publishers (2007)
  • BESSIE Award (2007)
  • CODiE Award (2007)
  • iParenting Media Award (2006)
  • Technology and Learning Award of Excellence (2006)

Publications & presentations

  • Escape from Camp Calamity and Shadow over Camp Sunny-glo, middle grade novels for Sylvan Learning and Random House (2009)
  • My Giant Bunny (co-writer) and This Book is Broken, early readers for Hooked on Phonics (2008)
  • Make Your Own Book Kit, Hooked on Phonics (2008)
  • Inspiration® in Language Arts: Standards-aligned Lesson Plans (editor, 2005)
  • Inspiration in Science: Standards-aligned Lesson Plans (editor, 2005)