| For Immediate Release: Dec. 15, 2009 |
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NAEYC Radio presents...
Can digital media enhance learning?
(Washington, DC) – This month’s NAEYC Radio segment features Susan Zelman, who discusses how computers, the Internet and other technologies can enhance early learning. Ms. Zelman, senior vice president for Education and Children's Content for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), advocates for the use of digital media in their Ready To Learn Initiative. The initiative is funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
Rae Pica and Mark R. Ginsberg interviewed Ms. Zelman in this month’s segment of NAEYC Radio, a program brought to you by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the BAM Radio Network.
In this segment, Ms. Zelman says that while digital media should not replace other forms of play, it is important to allow children to use these new tools for learning purposes. She also called digital media a “strong teaching tool to promote intergenerational learning.” The Ready To Learn Initiative has been around since the 1990s and is based on research that some digital media can help foster pre-reading and reading skills needed for success in kindergarten and beyond.
“I don’t think it’s dangerous to allow children to watch TV or go on a website if it’s done in moderation, and the best way to use these materials are really with a lot of co-viewing with parents and children working on these things together,” Ms. Zelman says.
As senior vice president for Education and Children's Content, Ms. Zelman develops and oversees the vision, focus and related strategy for CPB's education and children's content initiatives and manages CPB's administration of the Department of Education's Ready To Learn grant.
Mark R. Ginsberg, Ph.D., is the executive director of NAEYC.
The BAM Radio Network was originally launched as a resource for parents, aimed at delivering the most reliable information on early childhood development and developmentally appropriate parenting to busy moms and dads. Created by leading early childhood experts, the programming quickly became a popular resource among teachers and educators and was expanded to include an Educators' Channel.
Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has nearly 90,000 members worldwide. The association is the largest and most influential voice for early childhood education professionals and the field of early childhood education in the United States.
Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest and most influential advocate for high-quality early care and education in the United States.
