A day in the life of David Berliner

Hero worship never gets old; but we do and so does the nature of our heroes. I was (am) a Batman fan. In response to a personal tragedy, Bruce Wayne dedicated himself to defending the citizens of Gotham against the evils of crime. I am also a David Berliner fan. Although I don’t know what personal experiences might have started Berliner on the path as education crime fighter, I am grateful that he is here to protect our children from the evils of greedy and misguided reformers. From his role as educational researcher, to his leadership roles in professional organizations, to authoring bestselling books in education, David Berliner has earned the respect of those looking for a hero. Every year Ball State University acknowledges the contributions of a noted scholar through the selection of the John R. Emens Distinguished Professorship. This year the Teachers College nomination of David Berliner was an easy choice. In acknowledgment of Ball State’s most famous alum, David Letterman, and with apologies to Lennon and McCartney, this article presents a Top 10 List of points made during Berliner’s four presentations on Thursday, February 5, 2015. The evening before, after a two-hour car ride through a snowstorm and past the cornfields between Indianapolis andMuncie, Berliner had dinner with Ball State’s president and provost, the dean of the Teachers College, and a few guests. Connections were made and issues were discussed before again braving weather not seen in David’s home state of Arizona.