Michael H. Levine, Ph.D.

Dr. Levine directs the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, an independent organization based at Sesame Workshop that catalyzes and supports research, innovation, and investment in promising educational media technologies for children. Prior to joining the Center, Michael served as Vice President of New Media and Executive Director of Education for Asia Society, managing the global nonprofit organization’s interactive media and educational initiatives to promote knowledge and understanding of Asia and other world regions, languages and cultures.

Previously, he oversaw Carnegie Corporation of New York’s groundbreaking work in early childhood development, educational media, and primary grades reform and was a senior advisor to the New York City Schools Chancellor, where he directed dropout prevention, afterschool, and early childhood initiatives. Michael has been a frequent adviser to the U.S. Department of Education and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, writes for public affairs journals, and appears frequently in the media. He was named by Working Mother magazine as one of America’s most influential leaders in shaping family and children’s policy and serves on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Forum for Youth Investment, We Are Family Foundation, PBS’ Next Generation Learning Media, and Journeys in Film. Michael received his Ph.D. in Social Policy from Brandeis University’s Florence Heller School and his B.S. from Cornell University.

Selected publications and guest blog posts:

• Sesame Street Meets the Apps Age: How to Nurture Creative Learning with Bjorn Jeffery (KQED MindShift)
• Upgrading Afterschool: Common Sense Shifts in Expanded Learning for a Digital Age (Engaging Minds Compendium)
• Pioneering Literacy in the Digital Wild West: Empowering Parents and Educators (Campaign for Grade Level Reading)
• Educational Apps Alone Won’t Teach Your Kid to Read (Slate)
• Kids Online: What’s Next in Social Learning and Technology Will Be… Well, Unexpected (Huffington Post)
• Can Video Games Unite Generations in Learning? (Slate)
• No More Reading Wars! Getting Ahead of the Transition from Print to Digital Books (Huffington Post)
• Transforming Teaching for Tech-Savvy Young Children (Huffington Post)
• Scaling Up a Video Game-Learning Link: Isn’t it time we leveled up? (EdWeek)
• Video Games Can Unleash a Learning Revolution (Boston Globe)
• Policy Brief: The Digital Teachers Corps: Closing America’s Literacy Gap (Progressive Policy Institute)
• Gaming Ed Reform? (Education Nation)
• Gaming Education Reform: Put Down Your Pencils and Play (Huffington Post)
• Heads-Up, Media Producers: Families Still Matter Most in a Digital Age (Huffington Post)
• The iTot Challenge: Getting Young Children Ready in the Jetsonian Age (Huffington Post)
• Make Teaching Creativity More Than Just a Song and Dance (VIDEO) (Huffington Post)
• Stop Waiting: Learning for a Digital Age (Huffington Post)
• Teaching for a Shared Future: American Educators Need to Think Globally (Huffington Post)
• Students, put down those pencils and pick up joysticks
• TV Guidance (Democracy Journal)
• Scaling Up a Video Game-Learning Link (Education Week)
• Let’s Get Over the Slump (Education Week)