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Renee Patton

Director of Education

US Public Sector Education

Renee Patton is the leader of US Public Sector Education at Cisco.  In this role, she is responsible for Cisco’s go-to-market strategy for education and manages a team of education consultants who help customers realize their educational visions through the logical placement of technology within schools, colleges, and universities.

She has over 19 years of business, management, sales, and marketing experience in both small start-up and large corporate environments, including Siemens. She ran her own marketing consulting firm for over seven years prior to joining Cisco full time.

Prior to moving into US Public Sector, Renee served as Worldwide Industry Marketing Education Lead within Cisco’s Corporate Marketing Organization where she was responsible for developing Cisco’s education messaging platform and driving Cisco’s position in the education market.  Prior to this role, she managed Cisco’s national E-rate Program and served as the lead for US Education Field Marketing.

While studying for her Master’s Degree in Education from Stanford, Renee began teaching high school English and French, coaching cross-country, and moderating the student yearbook and newspaper.  She then spent four years on the Los Gatos-Saratoga JUHS Board of Trustees and was responsible for managing policy and a $20M district budget.

She brings a clear perspective to addressing business issues and an in-depth understanding of the K-12 and Higher Education markets.  She is particularly interested in trends driving the massive shift in education delivery models, new educational approaches, and ways that technology can help to engage learners and prepare teachers.  Renee is a Lions' Club Member and is on the board  of the Los Gatos High School Alumni Association.  She holds a BA degree in English from Santa Clara University and an MA in Education from Stanford University.

 

Articles

March 19, 2018

EDUCATION

Going digital? 5 change management tips for schools

We’re living during a time of major change in education, with next-generation digital environments transforming the way educators teach and students learn. Some say this is the Fourth Industrial Revolution—the connecting of the physical, digital, and biological worlds in ways that are more significa…

October 12, 2017

EDUCATION

Cisco, E-rate, and the Digital Journey in K-12

Digitization, enabled by new and emerging technologies, has the power to change education as it has disrupted other industries: travel and transportation, retail, healthcare, and financial services offer consumers completely different capabilities and experiences today than in the past. We find ours…

July 13, 2017

EDUCATION

Solving the Puzzle of 21st Century Learning in a New Way

What happens when students are put on a bus full of technology and asked to problem-solve in a new way? They learn to collaborate, create and think critically. This is the concept behind iSchool Initiative’s “Escape the Bus” challenge. The bus has mobilized the popular escape room concept into a cla…

November 7, 2016

EDUCATION

Final Thoughts from EDUCAUSE 2016

While EDUCAUSE 2016 has come and gone, there were countless introductions and insights presented last week that will influence higher education until Philadelphia next year. One of the highlights this year was the launch of the new Cisco Digital Education Platform.  This platform makes it easier for…

October 28, 2016

EDUCATION

EDUCAUSE 2016: Update from the Show

Hello from Anaheim! I’ve had the chance to connect with tons of colleges and universities at EDUCAUSE 2016, and there have been many great breakout sessions. By far, the biggest trend this year is digital everything. Everywhere I look, digital challenges and solutions are front and center. In fact,…

October 27, 2016

EDUCATION

Virtual Courses Are Now Second Nature

With EDUCAUSE in full swing, Cisco is thrilled to announce the launch of a new Digital Education Platform – right from the show floor in Anaheim, California! EDUCAUSE is the premiere technology event for higher ed, and we know that higher ed faculty, staff, and administrators are eager to adopt new…

October 11, 2016

EDUCATION

Gearing up for EDUCAUSE 2016

There’s never been a better time to attend EDUCAUSE! Who wouldn’t want to hear education revolutionaries and TED Talk alumnae, Sugata Mitra and Susan Cain speak, along with the best thinkers in Higher Education IT? EDUCAUSE is higher education’s premiere technology event, and this year thousan…

September 13, 2016

EDUCATION

Technology is Transparent in the Day of the Life of this Student

Technology, when implemented correctly, can create immersive, next-generation learning environments. For students like Kajsa, technology is like the air she breathes, from the time she wakes up in the morning until she closes out her day. She makes no distinction between joining a class from her dor…

April 25, 2016

EDUCATION

The E-Rate Deadline is Extended!

Good news: the E-rate filing window has been extended! That means you have more time to apply for funding that can help your school district upgrade its IT infrastructure to better support digital learning. The filing deadline for the FCC Form 471 has been extended to May 26, 2016. This extension al…