More Educate to Innovate Initiatives Announced

HASTAC network members might be interested in this email from Michael Levine, Executive Director Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop  Michael.Levine@sesameworkshop.org l www.CooneyCenter.org

Colleagues:
 
I wanted to brief you on some very interesting developments in the digital innovation, games and learning field that got a nice boost this week.  If you haven't gotten through your NY Times Magazine today it is must reading for several articles on educational re-design and fresh thinking on the promise and pratfalls of digital media and ed tech.   Below is a link to an excellent article in that issue by Sara Corbett detailing the pioneering work at the Quest to Learn School (a New Visions school in NYC) which has laid forth a compelling new learning model based on new research, and leveraging philanthropic initiative in the games and digital space.  It is so well written--balanced and fair--unusual these days!
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/magazine/19video-t.html?pagewanted=all  Games and literacy leader James Paul Gee is also answering readers queries all week on line for the Times.
 
For those of you who missed it, I have also linked the White House's press release from this past Thursday on a new series of announcements that will expand the "Educate to Innovate" campaign President Obama launched last November.  Over 100 CEO's have joined a new campaign called Change the Equation, and STEM educators, museums and libraries, and major philanthropies from MacArthur to Carnegie to Hewlett and Gates have added leadership resources to the STEM work  http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/09/16/president-obama-an... Meanwhile several other public media institutions from CPB to PBS to Sesame Workshop, WNET and WGBH--to name a few-- are focusing new attention on STEM literacy and making the connections between early learning and more in-depth skills needed in a digital and global age.  The Workshop, for example, launched a 'Math is Everywhere' campaign at the Field Museum in Chicago this week, with generous support from PNC as a key building block for public media's leadership in this area.  http://www.sesameworkshop.org/newsevents/pressreleases/math-is-everywhere
 
Finally, one of the initiatives announced by the President--the National STEM Video Game Challenge--described in the attached press release--brings together experts from the Cooney Center, E Line Media as well as the challenge sponsors--AMD, ESA and Microsoft, and leaders from the Boys and Girls Clubs, the American Library Association, the International Game Developer Association and BrainPop.  The competition which has a prizes pool of approximately 200k will officially launch on October 12th.  We are eager to work with all of you to help spread the word about the potential of high quality professional leadership with the aid of digital media to help make significant inroads to improve children's learning in a digital age.  Look forward to your comments and queries.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Michael H. Levine, Ph.D.  l  Executive Director
Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop
One Lincoln Plaza  l  New York, NY 10023
212.875.6510 p  l  212.875.7308 f
Michael.Levine@sesameworkshop.org l www.CooneyCenter.org

You can now follow us on Facebook & Twitter
Become a fan of the Cooney Center Prizes
Join-up and spread the word!