By Chris Otis, Executive Director, SMART
Public education, the state of public education, and the children who are part of this system, are frequently in the news. Sometimes the news is good; often it isn’t. Read more.
In the last 15 years, the use of technology can easily be described as an explosive force into the lives of families and children. Children’s exposure to technology tools has skyrocketed in the home, the community, and the classroom setting.
I spent much of the past week in Michigan, traveling from east to west, visiting a wide range of early childhood programs operated by a variety of different providers. It was a great opportunity to see some wonderful programs for young children, but also to learn more about the serious challenges facing those who want to provide children with the best start in life.
In last week’s post, I talked about the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) annual convention in Anaheim, California, and how parents would have been inspired by the dedication and passion of today’s early childhood educators in supporting young children with high quality early learning experiences.
Berry Brazelton. Except for Dr. Spock, Dr. T. Berry Brazelton is probably the closest thing to a household name in infant care.
It is hard to believe that this week (April 11 – 17) is 2010’s Week of the Young Child, as it seems that it was only yesterday that we celebrated this last year. For those of you that are not familiar with this event, it is a weeklong opportunity to focus on the importance of early childhood education and acknowledge the important role that teachers play in the lives of their children.
Just last week, President Obama announced a $250 million funding package new and innovative public-private partnerships with companies, universities, foundations, and government agencies to reward and encourage outstanding educators in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). In addition, the President honored over 100 outstanding mathematics and science educators for excellence in teaching and mentoring.