Conversations Archives - Page 6 of 8

Make. Learning. Relevant.

Dean Kamen’s Vision for Building Community

Mark Swartz·Jul 1, 2019·5 min read

Imagine a world where baseball is a subject taught in school. Just one thing is missing from this imaginary curriculum: the students never actually get to play the game. In September, they open their textbooks and read about the origins and rules of baseball. After winter break they take tests on pitching and hitting records set by the greatest players. By the spring, classes delve into the nuances of base stealing and bunting. So what if they never swing a bat themselves or catch a line drive, right? It’s not like any of them are going to become professional ballplayers, right? To Dean Kamen, this scenario is no more absurd than the way math and science have been taught traditionally.

Meeting (and Teaching) Families in Unexpected Places Can Transform Cities

Grocery stores, bus stops, laundromats… what’s next?

Mark Swartz·Jun 25, 2019·5 min read

School is a great place to learn, but it’s not the only place. No matter how excellent our teachers are, no matter how enriching the curricula, school accounts for only about 20 percent of children’s waking hours. That’s why a growing number of education pioneers are building out nontraditional sites for young minds to develop their language skills and to learn about their world.

Act Naturally: The Benefits of Wet Hands and Muddy Feet

An Interview with Richard Louv

Mark Swartz·May 22, 2019·7 min read

How do we get today’s kids active and in tune with nature? And if the current generation of young parents missed out on personal experiences with nature, who will teach their children?

A group of three children smiling broadly

When Teaching Sex Education and Consent, How Young is Too Young?

Tom Kertscher·May 14, 2019·6 min read

Some experts say that when it comes specifically to teaching consent, sex education for young children can be done without being explicit, and it can help kids learn about boundaries and empathy when it comes to their own bodies and the bodies of other people.

Wes Moore: Taking the Poverty Fight to Early Education

The Editors·May 8, 2019·7 min read

Want to fight poverty? Robin Hood CEO Wes Moore – bestselling author, Army combat veteran, social entrepreneur – explains why improving education is an excellent place to start. Filmed for Early Learning Nation’s Mobile Studio at the Society for Research in Child Development’s biennial meeting in Baltimore, MD, on March 22, 2019. #SRCD19

Ellen Galinsky: Move Aside Helicopter and Snowplow Parents, Here Comes Autonomy Support

The Editors·May 6, 2019·4 min read

From “helicoptering” to “snowplowing,” parents are often tempted to simply remove obstacles from children’s way, preventing them from learning how to deal with challenges themselves. Instead, as Ellen Galinsky, Bezos Family Foundation Chief Science Officer and Founder/Executive Director of Mind in the Making, explains, the better approach is to build “Autonomy Support” – helping children gain the independence skills they’ll need to become successful adults. Filmed for Early Learning Nation’s Mobile Studio at the Society for Research in Child Development’s biennial meeting in Baltimore, MD, on March 22, 2019. #SRCD19

Lawrence Aber: Effects of Poverty, Violence on Child Development

The Editors·May 1, 2019·4 min read

According to NYU University Professor Lawrence Aber, poverty and violence are the two most toxic challenges for child development – areas he has researched from the U.S. to Africa and the Middle East. Regardless of location, children can experience poverty and violence in difference ways and levels. Aber explains the research, tools and tactics required to give children the best opportunities for successful development. Filmed for Early Learning Nation’s Mobile Studio at the Society for Research in Child Development’s biennial meeting in Baltimore, MD, on March 22, 2019. #SRCD19

Sarah Smith: Bringing Childhood Education to the World’s Hardest to Reach Places

The Editors·Apr 30, 2019·4 min read

It’s an ongoing global crisis: More than half of all refugee children – some 62 million – have no access to any form of education. From establishing schools in refugee camps to bringing Sesame Street to the Middle East, Sarah Smith, Sr. Director of Education at the International Rescue Committee, explains how the IRC addresses this humanitarian emergency every day. Filmed for Early Learning Nation’s Mobile Studio at the Society for Research in Child Development’s biennial meeting in Baltimore, MD, on March 22, 2019. #SRCD19

Megan McClelland: The Skills & Tools of Self-Regulation

The Editors·Apr 29, 2019·4 min read

Self control. Attention. Focus. These foundational skills make up a key area of early childhood development: Self-regulation. So what can teachers, parents, caregivers –even children themselves – do to help those skills grow? Oregon State University Professor Megan McClelland explains the science and the practical things we all can do. Filmed for Early Learning Nation’s Mobile Studio at the Society for Research in Child Development’s biennial meeting in Baltimore, MD, on March 22, 2019. #SRCD19

Stephanie M. Carlson & Philip David Zelazo: The Tools to Measure Executive Function

The Editors·Apr 26, 2019·5 min read

Executive function – the skills to focus and manage tasks – is, of course, central to childhood development. Given that, measuring executive function becomes imperative. How does that work? University of Minnesota professors Stephanie M. Carlson & Philip David Zelazo explain their research and the powerful tool they’ve created. Filmed for Early Learning Nation’s Mobile Studio at the Society for Research in Child Development’s biennial meeting in Baltimore, MD, on March 22, 2019. #SRCD19

Roberta Michnick Golinkoff & Kathy Hirsh-Pasek (Part 2): Say What? Helping Teachers Measure Children’s Language Skills

The Editors·Apr 24, 2019·4 min read

According to Roberta Michnick Golinkoff & Kathy Hirsh-Pasek – researchers and co-authors of “Becoming Brilliant, What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children” – language is the single best predictor of how young children will do in school. That’s why they’ve created an innovative, easy way for practitioners to measure students’ verbal progress. Filmed for Early Learning Nation’s Mobile Studio at the Society for Research in Child Development’s biennial meeting in Baltimore, MD, on March 22, 2019. #SRCD19