There were no numeric rankings given to the people on the list.

Richard Prawat, Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education chairperson, is one of Mishra’s colleagues and said he was excited to hear of the nomination.

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving,” Prawat said. “He’s a very charismatic and likeable person — one of our very best teachers.”

Tech & Learning Magazine is a national magazine for K-12 educational technology specialists. Its list of the 10 Most Influential People in Educational Technology consists of leaders with innovative ideas in the field of educational technology.

“This is a huge honor, mainly because of the other people in the list,” Mishra said in an email. “For instance, to be included in the same list as Jonathan Ive, the lead designer for Apple, is not something I had ever expected.”

Mishra earned a spot on the list because of the innovative work he has done to integrate technology into the education system.

The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, or TPACK, framework Mishra co-developed with colleague Matthew Koehler, an associate professor of educational psychology and educational technology, has been used by many teachers as education programs worldwide.

“TPACK is becoming known as the foundation for technology in education,” said Mishra’s colleague and Chapman University professor Joel Colbert. “(Mishra) really laid that foundation.”

TPACK is used to better understand the kinds of knowledge teachers need to possess to successfully integrate technology into their teaching, something Mishra said is becoming increasingly important.

Being recognized among the top 10 has given him proof that his hard work is paying off, Mishra said.

“Our work over the past years has attempted to go beyond merely academic writing and research,” Mishra said. “This honor means that our work is having a significant impact.”

Prawat said Mishra stands out among others in his field because he is highly respected and an excellent teacher.

Unlike some professors who prefer to work strictly with graduate students and not with undergraduate students, Mishra likes to teach at all levels, Prawat said.

“I think our work stands out for its commitment to teaching and teachers,” Mishra said. “There are lots of extremely smart people working in this area. What we did, and (what) made our work stand out, was finding the right balance between research and scholarship and actual practice.”