Technology has transformed many things. Most things. I remember one of my amazing professors at the Harvard Ed School, the venerable Chris Dede, asking us to imagine walking into a number of different spaces. Picture a movie theater. A bank. An airport. A living room. Can you tell whether you are in the past or […]
Monthly Archives: August 2011


Teaching Harry Potter
August 25, 2011
Rebecca Herr Stephenson, Cooney Center fellow, has been in the New York office for a few days this week working with the Research team on the e-book QuickStudy out at the New York Hall of Science. We were thrilled that she brought a copy of her newly released book, Teaching Harry Potter: The Power of […]
Changing the Game at Becker College, September 14, 2011
August 24, 2011
On September 14, Michael Levine will participate in “Changing the Game: How Digital Games are Changing Entertainment and Education,” an academic panel at Becker College in conjunction with the inauguration of the college’s new president, Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. The honorary chair and moderator is Gordon Bellamy, executive director of the International Game Developers Association […]

Come Read With Us! News from the E-Book QuickStudy
August 23, 2011
Research Assistant Meagan Bromley reflects on our most recent time in the field for the Cooney Center’s E-Book QuickStudy. Find out what our research team has been up to lately as well as how you can get involved in our upcoming follow-up study this week! “Oh yes, I read Miss Spider on the iPad at […]
Philadelphia’s Action Team
August 15, 2011
The Philadelphia Action Team is comprised of a set of core partners, Philadelphia Academies Inc., the City of Philadelphia, the Urban Affairs Coalition, Philadelphia Youth Network, Drexel University, and the Knight Foundation. We attended the Joan Ganz Cooney Center’s 2011 Leadership Forum, “Learning From Hollywood: Can Entertainment Media Ignite a New Learning Revolution?” hosted by […]

The End of Summer: Reflections on My Cooney Center Internship
August 11, 2011

What Do You Get When You Cross a Pony with a Unicorn?
August 3, 2011
What do you get when you cross a pony with a unicorn? According to 5 year-old Cassie Creighton, you get a ponycorn. According to renowned game blog Kotaku.com, you get what may just be “the most adorable video game ever created.” According to me, you get an intergenerational father-daughter experience around media creation that is […]
Gaming Ed Reform?
This post originally appeared on the Education Nation Learning Curve Blog. Last week, President Obama announced an innovation and competitiveness initiative designed to stimulate children’s interest in math and science careers. It was filled with solid ideas for engaging both struggling and advanced students in rigorous and relevant science and math study, but fell short […]