Take a Giant Step: A Blueprint for Teaching Young Children in a Digital Age

In January 2010, the Cooney Center, in collaboration with the Stanford Educational Leadership Institute, convened a Digital Age Teacher Preparation Council, co-chaired by Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University and Michael H. Levine, the Cooney Center’s Executive Director, at Sesame Workshop. The Council’s 18 members from academia, industry, and policy assessed current practices in early education and elementary school teaching and have designed a professional development “blueprint” to advance the use of effective digital media in teaching and learning, with a special emphasis on instruction for underserved students. This report, Take a Giant Step, represents the Council’s multi-sector action plan to enhance teacher education and a higher quality, 21st century approach to the learning and healthy development of children in preschool and the primary grades. The report sets forth several goals for the nation to meet by 2020, including advancing technology integration and infrastructure; a more robust professional training program for early education professionals; the expanded use of public media as cost-effective assets for teachers; and the establishment of a Digital Teacher Corps.

The report was authored by Brigid Barron, Laura Bofferding, Gabrielle Cayton-Hodges, Carol Copple, Linda Darling-Hammond and Michael H. Levine.