Category Archives: Commentary

“Interactive” is one of the most overused words in the 21st Century, a label attached to thousands of digital devices, apps and TV shows for kids. Interactive tablet apps will read a book to your kid and interactive cartoon characters will invite your kid to dance during a TV show. The word “interactive” can make anything sound more educational. But what does it mean, really? Digital devices generally provide solitary experiences for kids, but these tools are marketed to parents…

Last week I almost wrecked the imaginary birthday party my daughter was throwing for Strawberry Shortcake. I was sitting on the floor in her room next to Plum Puddin’, Lemon Meringue, Orange Blossom and a few other three-inch-tall plastic guests, when she looked up and casually asked: “What’s more, daddy, four and a half or five years?” I jumped up, got the wooden blocks out and started piling them up in five columns. I was hoping that the concreteness of…

When studying media for early learning, researchers must keep equity at the forefront, says Shelley Pasnik.  Pasnik, director of the Center for Children and Technology, was one of a group of media creators, scholars, and educators who met in Pittsburgh in early June for the 2014 Fred Forward Conference. Experts discussed how to help children build consistent, positive, and meaningful connections with human beings and new media.  This article was originally published on the Fred Rogers Center blog and appears…

The pediatrician’s office is becoming a new player in helping children learn foundational skills for communication, language development, and eventually reading. But a project in New York is taking this concept a step further, by bringing digital technology—specifically, video cameras and video players—into the doctor’s office. The Video Interaction Project (VIP) is underway at the Langone Medical Center at New York University. Specialists meet with parents and caregivers during regular well-check visits and record them playing with or reading to…

Remarks delivered by Michael Levine at the Anytime, Anywhere Summer Learning Forum co-hosted by New America and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop in partnership with the National Summer Learning Association and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading on June 10, 2014. Thanks Lisa, and thanks very much to New America, the Campaign for Grade Level Reading, and the National Summer Learning Association for convening the first of what I hope will be a series of conversations on the…

There’s no doubt we need companies and schools, and teachers that welcome female entrepreneurs and executives en masse. We also know that it takes a few unruly renegades to blaze a new trail, reshaping norms and role-models for those that follow. And before all that—how do we incubate all kids equally, if they’re inclined, to pursue their dreams with confidence? When does this incubation begin? At Beyond, we are exploring the space of technology to discover the fastest route to…

The poets of the early eighteenth century saw it as clearly as we do: “slugs, snails and puppy dog tails” delight all kids equally. But on International Womens’ Day 300 years later, despite all our advancements, “sugar and spice and everything nice” persists as our overwhelming message to girls—and the cumulative effect is anything but advanced. From toddlerhood, girls are inundated by messages that “princesses” are either not cut out for math and science or not welcome in it. A…

Lisa Guernsey, Director of the Early Education Initiative at the New America Foundation, moderated the “Maximizing Impact” discussion at the Learning at Home Forum in New York on January 24.  Her commentary on the report appears on Slate.com; an excerpt appears here with permission. Any self-respecting skeptic has to be careful with the word educational. Thousands of games in the iTunes App Store describe themselves as “educational,” but are they? On TV, preschool shows declare that it’s “learning time,” but is…

Dale Kunkel, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus of Communication at the University of Arizona. He spoke as a provocateur at the Learning at Home Forum on January 24, 2014 in New York. Here, he shares his thoughts on the dearth of quality educational content for older kids on various platforms, including television, mobile devices, and video games. A video of his remarks is available below. Kids spend several hours every day with screen media – watching TV, surfing the Internet, playing…

David Kleeman, SVP, Insights Programs and PlayVangelist, PlayCollective, delivered these provocative remarks at the Learning at Home Forum in New York on January 24. The text of his commentary is posted below the video. You can read his blog post, “Kids and Educational Media: Desire to Learn vs. Design to Teach” on the Huffington Post. Good morning, and thanks to the Michael and Vicky for inviting me to comment.  I’ve been outspoken about educational media before, and hope to be…