Tag Archives: teachers

Like many people attending the jam-packed SXSWedu event in Austin, TX last week, I found that so much information was exchanged that I had to divide it all into categories.  At the end of four days of conference sessions, informal meet-ups and parties, product launches, and personal introductions, a few trends emerged. So with no further ado—here are the Top 5 topics of conversation at SXSWedu related to our research and teacher development work here at the Joan Ganz Cooney…

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center is proud to partner with the Education Software Association (ESA) Foundation on a number of initiatives, including our very own National STEM Video Game Challenge. We are especially excited about the ESA Foundation for the Education Challenge Grant, which launched this winter.  The program recognizes and rewards educators who “incorporate creativity and technology in their lessons” and reflect the ways that games can make to a positive contribution to children’s learning. The ESA Foundation’s Education Challenge…

One of the most exciting things about receiving a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the opportunites the foundation provides to connect and collaborate with other organizations.  Last week, Michael Levine and I had the chance to attend the Gates Foundation’s annual convening of organizations working on Teacher Effectiveness.  The groups who attended and presented at this meeting, including The Center for Teaching Quality, VIVA Teachers, Educators 4 Excellence, Purpose, Student Achievement Partners, The Hope Street Group…

For this video case study, our fifth in the series, we interviewed three educators at St. Philip’s about their goals for using games: third grade classroom teacher Regina Lauricella, Director of 21st Century Learning Katrina Allen, and Director of Technology Jerri Drakes. All three speak eloquently about the process of introducing digital games into the curriculum and how using games has affected the way they think about teaching and learning at St. Philip’s Academy. It’s an evolving effort, but one that has a team of dedicated educators and enthusiastic students behind it. We hope to check in with St. Philip’s again and see their progress!

Still buzzing from the exciting events of the previous evening, many participants from the STEM Video Game Challenge‘s Celebration of Success attended The Atlantic’s second annual Technologies in Education Forum on May 22 in Washington, D.C.  The Forum continued a lively discussion around the role that games play in STEM learning, with editorial staff from The Atlantic asking probing (often skeptical) questions and speakers generally offering optimistic answers. A panel on “Framing the Role Games Will Play in Future Learning” addressed whether there is a danger that…

“Radical change” and “storm the Bastille” were the rallying cries of the inspirational opening keynote of the 2nd Annual New School Venture Fund Summit, held on May 2, 2012 in San Francisco, CA.   This invite-only conference attracts big names from the education reform movement, including:  school chancellors from Newark and Washington DC, representatives from the US Department of Education, charter school network leaders, educational technology entrepreneurs and of course the venture capital managers who invest in them. The Joan Ganz Cooney…

Today at the Cooney Center, we are proud and excited to announce that the 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge is officially open for entries. This nationwide competition invites game makers of every age to show their passion for both playing and making video games, while aiming to motivate children’s interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). With four different categories and multiple streams to submit to, there’s something for almost everyone.  The Middle School and High School categories…

Today at the Cooney Center, we are proud and excited to announce that the 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge is officially open for entries. This nationwide competition invites game makers of every age to show their passion for both playing and making video games, while aiming to motivate children’s interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). With four different categories and multiple streams to submit to, there’s something for almost everyone.  The Middle School and High School categories…

Dan Caldwell was a finalist in the 2011 National STEM Video Game Challenge who inspired the creation of the Educator Prize. Participating in the first National STEM Video Game Challenge has opened amazing doors for me, most importantly the opportunity to work full-time on my sciTunes Education Products Inc. curriculum.  I have also had the pleasure to meet with a number of incredible people who have shared great insights with me, and I hope to continue to build and develop…

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 Imagination in Multicultural Classrooms, which she co-authored with Catherine L. Belcher. The authors interview teachers who choose to teach Harry Potter in their classrooms and…