Initiatives

First Book Literacy Initiative

This model development project is examining how to deliver printed and digitally formatted books and other rich interactive educational media through existing distribution channels to low-income and minority children in the United States. The Center has established a partnership with First Book, an internationally acclaimed literacy network of preschool, afterschool, and school-based programs that have distributed more than 50 million books in the U.S. Key partners in the planning are Dr. Allison Druin, whose Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Maryland is developing prototypes and exhibitions of digital books from the International Children's Digital Library and Christopher Cerf of Sirius Thinking Ltd., the noted children's literacy expert and Creative Producer of the Public Broadcasting System's Emmy Award-winning early literacy program, Between the Lions.

Key Tags:  First Book, literacy, development model, Allison Druin, HCIL, ICDL, Christopher Cerf, Sirius Thinking, LongView Foundation, Between The Lions

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The Global Schoolhouse Project

Which digital curricula and literacy elements will help define the "classroom" of tomorrow for elementary school kids? Working closely with leaders from internationally themed schools, principals, and curricular experts, the Center is reviewing educational media materials, websites, and game content that focus on reading, writing, second language acquisition, and global understanding to define how an elementary school or extended learning setting for diverse, low-income and minority kids can be transformed with rich, multimedia content. The Center's research will take place in tandem with Asia Society, the nation's leader in the creation of global education initiatives, including the International Studies Schools Network, a school development initiative that serves urban youth in urban settings with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Key Tags:  GS, Global Schoolhouse, global learning, Asia Society, Gate Foundation, ISSL, Panwapa

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Digital Age Teacher Preparation Council

The Cooney Center, in collaboration with the Stanford Educational Leadership Institute, has convened a Digital Age Teacher Preparation Council, co-chaired by Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University and Susan Zelman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which held its first meeting at Sesame Workshop on January 28, 2010. The council's sixteen members from academia, industry, and policy are assessing current practices in early education and elementary school teaching. They will then design 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. The final report will be issued in Fall 2011. 

Key Tags:  CPB, DATPC, SELI, Linda Darling-Hammond, Susan Zelman, educational leadership

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Kids Closer Up: Case Studies of Digital Youth

Researchers from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center observed four ordinary 8-year-old girls to get a sense of what they are doing on Club Penguin, with their Nintendo DS systems, and on the Internet and why. We also asked their parents what they think their children might be learning from this daily diet of digital technologies.

Key Tags:  Kids Closer Up, Club Penguin, Nintendo DS, digital learning, James Paul Gee, new literacies

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Cooney Center Fellows Program

The Cooney Center Fellows  participate in a wide range of projects and, in doing so, develop broad exposure to scholarship, policy, and practice in the field of digital media and learning. This professional development program offers opportunities to:

• · Conduct research on digital media use among elementary school-age children;
• · Publish research that responds to practical industry and practitioner needs;
• · Expand the influence research has in government, education, philanthropy, and industry decision making; and
• · Develop new skills and perspectives that are critical to becoming a leader in the field of digital media and learning.

  Key Tags:  fellowship, educational research, Cooney Center Fellows

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