Games for Change is the leading global advocate for supporting and making games for social impact. The annual Games for Change Festival is the largest gaming event in New York City and the only international event uniting “games for change” creators, the public, civil society, academia, the gaming industry and media.

The 8th Annual Festival is happening in New York City on June 20-22. This year’s lineup includes Vice President Al Gore, Pulitzer Prize winner Sheryl WuDunn (co-author of Half the Sky with Nick Kristof), Laura Hartman (head of Zynga.org), world-famous game designer Jesse Schell, in addition to numerous case studies on recent “games for change” projects with the World Bank, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Veterans Affairs, Knight Foundation and more.

Attendees of the Festival can enjoy over 30+ hours of keynotes, presentations, panels and more. This year’s Festival will feature multiple games and learning activities and workshops. Monday’s “Inspiring Digital Kids With Game Design”, sponsored by AMD, is a day-long program for educators and organizations looking to engage youth ages 10 – 18 through designing digital games. Tuesday will feature James H. Shelton III from the US Department of Education and Wednesday offers yet another day-long games and learning track with the Festival’s hosts, the Games for Learning Institute.

Register for the Festival now at http://gamesforchange.org/festival

While managing the @cooneycenter Twitter feed and live blog during this week’s Learning From Hollywood Forum, my mental gears were continuously whirring.  Rich threads of conversation spun back and forth online and in face-to-face conversation, through the #cooneyforum hashtag and the generous physical space provided by the USC School of Cinematic Arts (even the terrific film soundstages where lunch was held!)

During the coming weeks, I’ll be working with the Michael Levine and Rebecca Herr-Stephensen from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, as well as fellow USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism doctoral students Neta Kliger Vilenchik and Ioana Literat to produce a comprehensive report on the event.  However, I wanted to post just a few of the key takeaways in order to spark further synthesis for those who were and were not able to attend in person.

These threads coalesce into three areas: 1) “trampoline thoughts”, 2) “sticky sentiments”, and 3) “quicksand questions.”  By “trampoline thoughts,” I mean those ideas and conversations that became immediate launch pads for new innovations and iterations ready to take off.  “Sticky sentiments” were the worked examples that attracted a lot of excitement and merit continued investment.  The “quicksand questions” were those rough patches in which many of us working in education, media, and technology have struggled with, and are discovering that getting out of these ruts will require new approaches, lest struggling students sink deeper.

Trampoline thoughts
Student opportunities for big impactful events: We cannot underestimate the human impact of being able to share one’s story.  From the forum speakers, to the child from the LA’s Best afterschool program whose story was performed by the Story Pirates, to the teen student ambassadors from Global Kids who produced multimedia during the event – all of the above took great pride in telling stories and in having their stories heard.  As Janet from Global Kids tweeted, “Being a hs student surrounded by CEOs & directors of companies inspired me to fill their shoes & look at DM in a new way.”  How might we be able to support giant, awesome, mindblowing memories of self-expression that become lifelong touchstones for students (and teachers and parents) as they develop their social and emotional skills alongside traditional and new media literacies?

Industry bridges:  Though the Forum took place in the heart of “Hollywood,” media making is not exclusive to LA and is becoming increasingly decentralized.  In fact, telling original and heartfelt stories may be more a recollection of Hollywood’s days of yore than a reflection of the film and television industry as it currently stands.  The Forum highlighted a number of documentaries exploring issues in formal education, from “Waiting for Superman” to PBS’ “Digital Media: New Learners of the 21^st Century.”  However, as media consumers and creators, we should not be satisfied with the existing media texts alone if we are truly looking to embrace the plurality of experiences within the US educational system.  Might we look to the past of this genre, including the overlooked but deeply moving Robert Downey documentary, “A Touch of Greatness”?  Andrea Taylor of Microsoft urged audience members to consider the affordance of digital media for allowing fuller narratives of history and pluralities of America(s).  Who within and without Hollywood will make the next great educational documentary that sparks debate about early childhood education, special needs education, or the educational needs of indigenous Americans?

Sticky sentiment
Story Pirates: The overwhelming highlight from the Forum was the performance at the end of Day 1 by the Story Pirates.  Having gotten a glimpse into the early development of this group as an undergraduate at Northwestern, I am inspired by their commitment to the deep well of children’s emotional and imaginative capacity, embodied by the work in Chicago by Vivian Paley and Northwestern’s Theater Department Chair Rives Collins.  This Friday, the Story Pirates host their annual gala, The After School Special, headlined by Jon Stewart.  As a non-profit with branches in NYC and LA, this model has the potential to send seismic waves through curriculum and communities across the country – but can only do so with generous contributions.

Quicks and questions
Planning for planned obsolescence: There were number of interesting breakout panels during the Forum, with topics ranging from targeted public engagement campaigns to STEM, STEAM, and literacy.  I attended a panel on storytelling, interactivity, and engagement, moderated by Dr. Ellen Seiter, Professor, USC School of Cinematic Arts.  Seiter challenged the crowd to consider the paradox in developing sophisticated digital technologies and applications to address the literacy struggles of low SES students, who might not have access at home.  These students may have access at school but under severe time constraints and using hardware and software that is often purposefully designed to be obsolete in the following years.  Considering that there are multiple “digital divides,” should we be guiding children in how to use specific tools, or develop the habit of mind for experimentation?  If homes and schools in low income areas cannot keep up, what about public interactives that engage children’s curiosity and imagination, as well as community members, with digital media instillations that address local needs?

I’ve taken up well over 140 characters with this post, and there’s still so many more “trampoline thoughts,” “sticky sentiments,” and “quicksand questions” to delve into, so please comment further below.  I urge all of us to heed the call at the Cooney Forum by Dr. Linda Roberts: Let’s build from the heart, be absurdly ambitious, and seek out advocates in one another in order to channel this excitement into action.

Meryl Alper is a Ph.D. student in Communication at USC Annenberg.  Prior to her graduate studies, she worked as a researcher for Sesame Workshop and Nick Jr.  At Annenberg, her research focuses on young children’s evolving relationships with analog and digital technologies. She is particularly interested in intergenerational media use among children and families, media literacy in early childhood education, children’s psychological processing of interactive media, and representations of nationality in children’s television.

These videos are courtesy of Scott Traylor, 360kid.com.

Merriam Webster defines an ecosystem as “the complex of a community of organisms and its environment functioning as an ecological unit.” The Kids+Creativity movement in Pittsburgh is creating a new kind of ecosystem for learning in and out of school, beginning with children in the earliest years and continuing through higher education at institutions that work at the cutting edge of innovation in technology and digital media. Once home to Fred Rogers, a media pioneer in his own right, Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania now are home to modern-day Fred Rogers, who—like Fred—make use of child-centered media, technology, and the arts to engage kids in learning, inspire their creative play, and generally provoke their innate curiosity about the world around them.

What started with a few colleagues brainstorming over breakfast has grown into an avant-garde group of nearly 300 education and technology professionals working together to create the ecosystem of “Kidsburgh.” This video, produced by filmmaker Carl Kurlander, a member of our Cooney Forum action team who returned to Pittsburgh a few years ago after establishing himself as a Hollywood writer, producer, and screenwriter, showcases some of the leading organizations and individuals in Kidsburgh.

The “community of organisms” in the Kidsburgh ecosystem generally can be described as working in six major areas of innovation. But, it’s important to note that, just as creativity itself has no boundaries, a great deal of collaboration occurs both within and across the six areas. And, all of the areas will be represented on the Kidsburgh action team at the Cooney Forum.

Thought Leadership. From Maya Design, where research is focused on the complex technological challenges of the next 10 years, to the community-wide “think-and-do-together ” approach of the Making Sparks community-wide brainstorming sessions and collaborative projects sponsored by the Sprout Fund, to the national field building and field bridging programs of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College, and extending to other regional forums for creative, out-of-the-box thinking around issues of creativity, innovation, and digital media, Kidsburgh provides many opportunities to seed programs and new initiatives with bold ideas.

Talent. Nowhere in Kidsburgh—or perhaps anywhere in the U.S.—do the arts and technology find as fertile ground for coming together to nurture new talent than at the Entertainment Technology Center of Carnegie Mellon University and the CREATE Lab of the Robotics Institute at CMU. For K-12 arts and technology educators, professional and talent development occurs through the regional programs of the Arts Education Collaborative and the Three Rivers Technology Council. And the Pittsburgh Technology Council plays a leading role in bringing technology entrepreneurs into the Kidsburgh ecosystem.

Design and Programming. If you’re looking for technology-based products and experiences that promote thinking, sharing, and talking about good health, that give young children a voice on issues in the world around them, that enable children and adults to create their own stories, or that give young teens an opportunity to create their own video and other media, then you likely will find what you need in Kidsburgh-based creations such as fitwits™, Voices of Youth Pittsburgh, Hear Me, Carnegie Library Digital Learning (based on YouMedia at the Chicago Public Library), and so much more. The relationships among Kids+Creativity members from colleges and universities, K-12 schools, informal learning organizations, arts groups, and others ensure that everything created for and by kids is grounded in research and principles of learning and child development.

Formal Teaching. In Pennsylvania, the system of intermediate units throughout the state provides leadership in professional development for pre-K-12. In southwestern Pennsylvania, through the Center for Creativity, Arts and Technology, the intermediate units serving Pittsburgh and regional rural counties are making their mark in empowering teachers as both users and creators of technology applications for learning. Through STEAM Grants for school districts, the Intermediate Units are helping to forge new and creative connections among the schools, community organizations, and institutions of higher education to integrate arts and technology across academic disciplines.

Informal Learning. Whether it’s music, theater, museums, filmmaking, youth radio, or informal STEM activities for girls, Kidsburgh is alive with the creative arts and with opportunities for families and children of all ages to share in these world-class formative and informative resources. Many of the organizations for informal learning, including the Carnegie Science Center, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, the Saturday Light Brigade, and the Warhol use technology and digital media to make creativity through the arts a life-shaping experience for adults and children alike.

Blended Networks. And, it all comes together in a variety of communication networks for sharing and stimulating new ideas. The Kids+Creativity NING and the Pop City blog site spotlight innovation right here in Kidsburgh while also keeping Kids+Creativity connected to new ideas, research, and events from throughout the U.S. Earlier this year, The Pittsburgh Entertainment Project began to make the kinds of connections between digital media creators in our area and Hollywood that we hope to explore even further at the upcoming Cooney Forum.

As Pittsburgh Councilman Bill Peduto recently blogged, “Pittsburgh is Kidsburgh because a group of Pittsburghers are dedicated to making Pittsburgh ‘the best place for kids on the planet’.” Our Cooney Forum action team looks forward to sharing more about our ecosystem for Kids+Creativity at the Forum and throughout the coming year, but we also hope to bring home new ideas and strategies for having an even greater impact for children here and everywhere.

We hope to meet you at USC.

The Kidsburgh Action Team for the Cooney Forum

Gregg Behr, The Grable Foundation (in absentia but always with us in spirit)
Bob Bechtold, Sarah Heinz House
Rita Catalano, Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College
Drew Davidson, Entertainment Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon University
James Denova, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Kim Chestney Harvey, Pittsburgh Technology Council
Linda Hippert, Allegheny Intermediate Unit
William Isler, The Fred Rogers Company
Carl Kurlander, Steeltown Entertainment
Michael Robb, Fred Rogers Center
Jane Werner, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Alice Wilder, Kids+Creativity Fellow, The Grable Foundation
Joe Wos, the Toonseum

Scholastic has a 90-year history of helping kids learn to read and encouraging them to love to read. A recent New York Times editorial asks, “Should we be alarmed?” about the availability of e-books. I would respond, quickly and succinctly, no — and yes.

No—because at Scholastic, we are committed to meeting kids where they are. If they are reading traditionally or electronically, they have the opportunity to be informed and inspired by the power of the book. When we released the 2010 Kids & Family Reading Report we were excited by two promising findings. One was that a third of the kids who responded said they would read more if they had an e-book reader. We know from the Cooney Center that kids spend lots of time in front of screens, and I can’t think of a better way for them to use that time than for reading. However, 66% of those same kids responded that they still want to read the kind of books we grew up with. I think this generation of readers is fortunate to be able to read across platforms and media and to experience text in new and interesting ways.

Yes—I’m alarmed, not by the presence of new ways to read, but by the reality that some children experience what might be called “book poverty.” I’m concerned about children who don’t have reading materials at home and who may be affected by reduced hours and limited collections at local and school libraries. I am also concerned that not all kids have the digital tools that invite them into the world of reading. Summer is upon us and there’s well-documented research on the summer slide: the loss of skills experienced by children who don’t read for months.

I’m taken aback by the number of children who can’t read well enough to meet new, challenging standards for college and career preparedness, or who won’t read because they haven’t found the book or books that could make a difference in their perceptions about reading and themselves. I hope that this summer we will put ALL our available resources toward getting more young people to read well and read widely—in any format.

Francie Alexander is the Senior Vice President of Scholastic Education and Chief Academic Officer of Scholastic Inc. She works across both the education and consumer divisions of Scholastic, advising on the creation of educational products and services for children both in and out of school. A distinguished thought leader in education research and policy, Ms. Alexander oversees the Scholastic Education research and evaluation team, ensuring the qualitative validation of all of the company’s educational products and programs. She also serves as a spokesperson on educational best practices, literacy, and parenting.

If you were challenged to define what math is, what would you say? How about science? What makes the two different, or maybe even the same? I started exploring the idea of what makes up these educational disciplines as a result of hearing the term STEM more and more in the news. STEM is a short-hand way of referring to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but is this term simply a collection of separate items, or could there be something larger at play here because of the overlaps between these disciplines? Is there greater benefit to the whole than simply its parts and could this concept be applied to other similar examples outside of education as well?

While noodling with the idea of categories and boundaries, I remembered a discussion I had with Vinton Cerf from Google many months ago. Vint is frequently cited as “the father of the Internet,” a title he will quickly point out involves the contributions of many of his fellow colleagues, and not just those of his own.

During our meeting we talked about how Google looks at the world of content. Vint shared with me the following:

“In the academic world it has become traditional to speak of disciplines, and that’s an organizational artifact; geology, history, English, physics, chemistry, medicine, and so on. Yet when we dive down deep we discover this is all a continuum. These things are not really broken up with such hard walls and barriers between them. Understanding that those disciplines are actually related to each other in a very intimate way is an important thing. I want to be careful about the idea of organizing information into categories. That can be helpful abstraction but it’s dangerous if you actually believe these things are segregated from each other.”

Upon reflecting on Vint’s words, I immediately thought of a quote by the great media thinker Marshall McLuhan, who famously said:

“Anyone who makes a distinction between entertainment and education doesn’t know the first thing about either.

Connecting the dots between the two statements came over me like a tidal wave. Could we as media creators, educators, researchers, whatever the industry, be carrying with us artificial boundaries that prevent us from making real breakthroughs in our field? If we look for new ways to engage audiences through media creation, wouldn’t it be in defining new boundaries that reshape society’s thinking about these boundaries?

Simply being aware that we have the ability to redefine those boundaries may actually be the first step in creating something larger, something that is truly breakthrough. How would you define the boundaries between education and entertainment? Or should we instead define the overlaps, or maybe even define how we wish those boundaries to be drawn? The overlaps appear to change and grow with every advance in technology. Their sum is greater than the parts. To separate the two diminishes our ability as creators to discover new opportunities and reach audiences in ways never before dreamed possible.

Scott Traylor defines the vision behind the Boston-based digital development and consulting firm known as 360KID. His youth-focused company specializes in product ideation, market testing, and product development as a service to companies interested in engaging kids through through a variety of different media platforms used in the consumer marketplace as well as in the classroom. Scott is actively involved in research, writing, and speaking about user engagement through new technologies, social media, and various consumer-based delivery systems. When Scott started his business over 21 years ago, he also doubled as a computer science teacher, working with graduate students to develop new digital experiences. He is involved with many consumer and education events related to kids and technology. Scott is a Board of Director and Trustee member to two youth-focused educational organizations and advises a small number of venture backed eLearning startups and virtual worlds for kids. Recently Scott has also been nominated the 2011 Ed Tech Pioneer to Watch.

Bringing together a creative vision with a strong curriculum is a dance, not a science! You can have it all – a true synergy between creative vision and education but success is in the balance of the two.

Let me first say, as a creative researcher, I consider myself very lucky. I have always worked with people who care about kids and providing them with entertaining, educational experiences. I also feel fortunate because I went to Teachers College, Columbia University where I got a breadth of theoretical knowledge and applied skills which make me a different kind of researcher – a creative problem-solver who knows kids, education, and how to apply it all to production.

Here are a few of the “rules of thumb” for bringing the creative vision and curriculum together I have learned throughout my career in making children’s media:

Start with Both a Creative Idea AND an Educational Purpose

Start with the creative idea and ask yourself, why do you want to do this idea? What is the end goal? What is the impact of this creative visionary idea on its audience? The passion and vision for the project has to drive and be the guide that helps everyone else do their jobs and support the mission – meet the end goal(s).

Be Egoless — “It’s about the kids.”

The product being made is ultimately about and for the end-user, not about the people making it. Imagine this scenario: mutual respect between the creative vision person and the curriculum/researcher/education person. In this scenario, the creative visionary can tell a really good story that expresses their creative vision and captures the attention and imagination of its viewers and the curriculum/researcher/education person can tell everyone why what is being created is working educationally and how to change it to make it even “stickier.” Together, the impact will be learning.

Incorporate the True Experts: The End-User

When Blue’s Clues started, Angela Santomero and I created a formative research process that checked in with our end-user (2-5 year olds) three times during the production of each episode. We knew we should never assume their point of view and that the only way to make an entertaining and educational show (brand) for our audience was to include them in the conversation. In addition, whenever possible we tried to give the production team direct interaction with the kids. Writers were always welcome and often encouraged to come to research sessions with kids. And animatic tests were always videotaped so we could show kids’ reactions to groups of designers and animators. This always helped get everyone as invested in the kids’ POV as the research team was. (Look for more from me on this topic in another blog post or leave a comment below if you want to talk more with me about formative research…I love the topic!)

Be in the Same Room or Next Door

In order for a creative vision and curriculum to work it needs to be a synergistic process in which everyone is in the “same room” throughout the process. In the beginning, I used to sit in Angela’s office every day (I know, seems annoying but by listening I absorbed. And this way, conversations didn’t happen without both of us present.) Today, as people become better able to work from remote places everyone needs to be careful not to lose that creative back-and-forth process that happens from being next door or in the same room.

Know Your Medium

What works in a classroom doesn’t necessarily work on a screen. For example, in a classroom, a teacher has the students’ attention with few distractions (we hope) and if not, he or she can see that student, call out his/her name, and bring them back to the discussion. None of that applies on a screen. Screens follow different rules. Screens have different formal features (for more on this you NEED to read Dan Anderson’s work on children and television — see this article for some more information). Know the rules of the medium and apply them.

It’s Not Easy!

If you think it’s easy – it’s not! If you think it’s too hard or not worth it – it’s not that either. The synergy is the magic that makes you proud to say, “I made that and I am glad it has touched lives in positive ways!” When something is being created, there will always be resistance and along with that arguments and disagreements. However, we need not be two distinct factions: “creative’s” and “educators/researchers.” Because there is really only one faction – the end-user and what they take away from the media experience. Split the difference and magic can be created! It is that push-and-pull that is the creative process and ultimately makes the end product better!

What would you add to these rules of thumb?

Alice Wilder is Co-Creator and Head of Research and Education for Super Why!, a PBS property that helps preschoolers learn reading fundamentals through interactive stories. Alice is the co-creator of Think It Ink It Publishing, a venture designed to promote creative writing for kids. She is also developing an NSF pathways funded pilot with National Geographic Kids Entertainment about water with the goal of providing foundational knowledge, skills and habits for 3-6 year olds to become informed scientists and water stewards of the planet. In addition, she is currently a Fellow to The Grable Foundation, helping to support educators, technologists, and makers as Kidsburgh creates a model and movement around the integration of the arts, sciences, and technology to inspire creative learning and play throughout Pittsburgh. For over 10 years Dr. Wilder served as a Producer and the Director of Research and Development for Nick Jr.’s Blue’s Clues and Developer of Blue’s Room. She conducted the formative research used in the creation and ongoing production of the series, and its ancillary businesses including publishing, online, magazine, consumer products and special events. Her ground-breaking work was cited in Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point. Alice has been nominated for Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Preschool Children’s Series as well as Outstanding Writing in a Children’s Series.

Still image from Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (2005), Directed by Tim Burton from tiff.com; QR code from http://www.qrmonkey.com/.

When I was in Toronto a few weeks ago for the Sprockets panel on transmedia, I had the chance to walk (ok, run) through the Tim Burton exhibit in the new TIFF building. This exhibit reminded me of a few things. First, that I am way overdue for a re-viewing of Edward Scissorhands. Second, that trips to the museum have been replaced with trips to the grocery store since I left New York and had a baby. And finally, the exhibit — which incorporates QR codes — reminded me of how much I love these little codes.

QR (quick response) codes are basically images that contain data (think of a bar code at your local grocery store). In order to read a QR code, a user simply launches a reader on their mobile device and takes a picture of the image. The software then launches a URL which can link to a web page, display images or coupons, or stream audio or video. So, in the Tim Burton exhibit for example, the codes linked me to audio content that provided additional background on the art. QR codes have been huge in Asia for years (we talked about them in our 2009 report on mobile learning, Pockets of Potential), but it seems that they are finally picking up steam in North America.

Not surprisingly, advertising seems to be the first area of penetration. From McDonalds to Verizon, many of the biggest brands are using these codes in their ad campaigns, telling consumers to simply “snap the code.” On a smaller scale, I’ve seen them recently at both my local bakery and farmers market. However, despite the increase in their use by marketers, QR codes are definitely still emerging. It seems that many are unaware of these codes, and even once they notice them, a lot of people still don’t know what they are or how they work. But they are easy, free (usual network charges apply), and popping up everywhere. With smartphone ownership reaching the masses, I wouldn’t be surprised if this awareness shifts in the very near future.

Of course, at the Cooney Center, we are excited about how this tool can be used for children’s learning. I think that they have great potential, and have heard of many innovative projects. The GeoHistorian project, for example, uses QR codes to link classrooms with local historical landmarks. Children use mobile phones to take photos, videos, and audio clips of local landmarks, which are then combined into short movies and uploaded to the Internet. Then, using QR codes, regular citizens passing by these historical landmarks can access the student-created content.

I asked mobile learning expert Liz Kolb whether QR codes are taking off in education in North America. “In both higher education and secondary education we are seeing an increase in the use of the codes for just about every subject,” she said. “It is not common place yet (and will not be for a while), and most educators are still unfamiliar with them, but there is a slow movement happening.” Check out this great video she pointed me to about how one high school is using QR codes in a variety of subjects.

Both in their creation and consumption, QR codes have terrific educational potential. They are free to use and have a low technology investment, making them a noteworthy tool in our digital toolbox. As with all technologies however, it’s important to remember that it’s not the QR codes themselves that will provide rich (or poor) learning opportunities; rather it’s the quality of the content and the fit of the experience that will entertain, engage, and ultimately educate.

Susan Hildreth is the director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. She was appointed to the position by President Obama, and has previously served as the city librarian in Seattle, California’s state librarian, deputy director and city librarian of San Francisco Public Library, as well as on staff at Sacramento Public Library, the Placer County Library, the Benicia Public Library and the Yolo County Library. She has also served as president of both the Public Library Association and the California Library Association. Ms. Hildreth provides a unique perspective on children’s literacy in the digital age, drawing from her distinguished 30+ year career as a leader in public libraries.

Cooney Center: What concerns you most about the impact that digital media are having on children’s healthy growth, learning, and development? What excites you about the new potential of technologies to support learning?

I am concerned that digital media can be mind-numbing so that the creativity of children is really hampered. I think the excitement is found in the potential engagement of a well-designed, interactive learning experience that can bring together many different formats and information streams.

Is there a better way to optimize the time and effort that kids are spending with entertainment media?

If we can provide engaging and knowledge-based content within the framework of entertainment media, I think we can turn the kids’ interest into a valuable investment of their time and energy.

Are there new values, skills or perspectives which media can promote to help children prepare for work and play in a global world?

This is an interesting question. I think our children are not, for the most part, receiving the analytical training to be able to parse or evaluate the massive flow of information which they will have to deal with in their lives. I think media could help develop these skills but I don’t have the answer as to how to make it happen.

Are the “fields” of entertainment or creative media at “cross-purposes” with education? What are important synergies or connection points to probe? Are there key responsibilities for digital media producers and educators in our new age?

Creative media could be in synergy with learning. I think we have to determine the best method to engage students in whatever we teach them, and other that is represented by linking the lesson to something that the student is familiar with in his own life. Because students are accustomed to a variety of media formats, the message may be better received in a media format than in a traditional print or lecture format.

If you had a $10 billion budget to spend to promote the learning of children under the age of 10, what would be your highest priorities? What role would digital media and technologies play in advancing these priorities?

My highest priority would be getting children ready to read before they enter kindergarten. The early primary grades are important, but if ready readiness does not start prior to entrance into formal education, the battle may already be lost. Although early learning is often as simple as one-on-one personal reading, I am sure there are technologies that could engage both care-giver and child that would help both have a successful learning experience.

Last Wednesday, April 27th, New York University held a special event to celebrate the work of University Professor Jerome Bruner. This year marks the 50th anniversary of his landmark publication, The Process of Education. Panel discussions between leading researchers who worked with Bruner in the 1960s and notable authors and academics working in education today, provided the audience with a sense of the legacy of Bruner’s work, along with ideas of how we might yet see it realized 50 years later.

When the book was released in the 1960s, the Soviet Union had just launched Sputnik, completely changing the course of the Space Race. Whereas the U.S. thought it was miles ahead of the rest of the world in innovative thinking and the development of advanced technology, watching the first satellite launched into space by the Russians sent people into doubt about American superiority – and most of all, about the American school system. The government looked at the accomplishments of other countries and conjectured that schools were doing, to quote Mr. Bruner, “a lousy job” of teaching science. The United States began investing large amounts of money into programs that would produce more engineers and scientists. Committees were formed with scientists, policy makers and psychologists to examine how science was being taught and what was specifically in the curriculum… sound familiar yet?

Luckily for all of us in the generations that followed, Jerome Bruner was part of one of these committees to improve education, and out of their “egghead” conversations, The Process of Education was born. That moment in history is still thought of today as the start of “The Cognitive Revolution,” the point of a major paradigm shift in educational thought and practice. The Process of Education was full of many ideas that were considered controversial at the time, but have since proven empirical in our understanding of how people learn.

Bruner encouraged educators to help teach children how to think rather than what to think. So if a child wants to know where clouds or rain come from, a teacher should encourage him or her to look to the skies and question, predict, and test to find answers. In short, if you want to teach science effectively, have the child be a scientist. His work also emphasized people’s individual perceptions of learning, claiming that how children view a subject should effect how it is taught to them. Because of all of these methods centered around, “putting the learner first,” The Process of Education is credited with bringing the child back into education.

Which brings up poignant questions for those of us working in education in 2011: Where do children stand in their learning today? Do we put the learner first? Are we teaching kids in terms of how they understand the world? In one of the panel discussions of the night, “Education in the U.S. Today,” Ellen Condliffe Lagemann of Bard College reminded the audience that, “generations are defined by the aspirations they hold for education.” What are ours?

Much like the atmosphere described by events of the early 1960s, we’re currently at a point in the US where we feel concerned about our school systems and how our children’s education levels compare to the rest of the world. Our government has poured money into educational reform, placed a major emphasis on STEM learning (science, mathematics, engineering and technology), and encouraged us to “Race to the Top.” States are being granted funding to improve their schools if their educational systems align with criteria determined by such initiatives, but amidst individual efforts, it’s difficult to tell whether we getting any closer to solving our problems as a nation. Roy Pea of Stanford University claimed that one of the things we’ve lost over the last 50 years is momentum: “The sense of inevitability in a national coming together to solve these problems in Process has still not been fulfilled.”

So by the end of this discussion of the last 50 years, many panelists called for Jerome Bruner’s dreams and ideas to finally become a reality. Over time, we’ve seen revolutions in education come out of major world events, but when asked if we’re now at a place where we can make changes without something happening to threaten us all, Pea spoke for many in the room by saying, “we do not need another Sputnik, but instead will rise to the challenge because we can and should.”

I’ll end in the same way this exciting night did, with some final advice from the 95-year-old Bruner on changing our process of education: “We have a long way to go… my urging is to be as impatient as possible.”