Parenting is outrageously difficult; it asks us to tap into qualities and competencies that we may not yet have. If you look closely into the past for such supportive guidance, you will find a well of wisdom about child wellbeing offered by a neighbor who promoted healing, gratitude, forgiveness, and acceptance of others. That neighbor was Mister…

Too many of today's children spend too much time indoors, often interacting with screens. They don't get enough physical exercise. Their learning about nature comes from books and teachers rather than from firsthand exploration of natural phenomena. These issues affect most modern American children, but they are particularly prominent among…

Television--public television, in particular--has come to be seen as a great educational resource for the home, but it hasn't been as widely embraced in the classroom. Thanks to a number of recent, large-scale research projects, it's time to put those concerns to rest. Not only does educational television have powerful effects on children's…

Educators are well aware that in order to positively impact children's learning, media and technology must be integrated into the teaching and learning activities of instructional environments. In order to be a powerful catalyst for learning, media and technology resources must complement the learning goals, the instructional practices, and the…

In knowing hands, public-media resources can help young children growing up in socially and economically disadvantaged circumstances become better prepared to succeed in school. This vision, which has held steady since the original authorizing legislation for the program was written, continues to guide the work of the Corporation for Public…

As part of the "Ready to Learn" Initiative, Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), was charged with addressing the evaluation of Technological Enhancements for the outreach efforts of three producers: Out of the Blue's Super WHY! Technology Add-On; Sesame Workshop's The Electric Company School's Initiative Curriculum; and WordWorld's…

In 1964, in "A Guide to Instructional Television," editor Robert M. Diamond defined "educational television" as a "broad term usually applied to cultural and community broadcasting which may include some programs for in-school use" (p. 278). His definition for instructional television was "television used within the formal classroom context on any…

Activities of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in its fiscal year ending September 30, 1979, are described in terms of telecommunications activities, planning and research, human resources development, satellite technology, and general financing of public broadcasting. Other information includes a CPB assessment of its goals and…

Describes use of the public television program "Between the Lions" in one kindergarten classroom to help develop literacy skills. Reports that 75 to 85 percent of children were engaged by the program, with the most attentive children being those who understood some letter-sound connections and enjoyed trying to read along. Most of the…

Activities of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in its fiscal year ending September 30, 1977 are described in terms of television, radio, and other educational activities, as well as technology, legislation, long-term funding, human resources development, and general financing of public broadcasting. Other information includes CPB…

Illustrates public television's early commitment to children's programming, discussing the popularity of "Sesame Street" and noting other shows launched under Joan Ganz Cooney, president of CTW from 1970 until 1988. Discusses the erosion of television network ratings by cable television in the mid '80s, and concludes by posing questions…

This article reports how the Ready to Learn program, which has helped transform children's educational television over the past decade, faced scrutiny after it aired a controversial topic. The Ready to Learn program attracted unusual attention when one of the shows it helped get on the air, "Postcards from Buster," drew criticism from…

This report presents an overview of the distribution formats for instructional television. While broadcast means of distribution have ben the mainstay of instructional television in the past, there are at least three television technologies that are considered as appropriate delivery mechanisms: over the air transmission, including broadcasting,…

Describes the development of a new television show on PBS called "Between the Lions" that is aimed at developing literacy of primary school children. Set in a library, the show's producers met with librarians for advice and will have libraries participating in local outreach programs to help promote the show. (LRW)

Discusses television in the 1960s as a form of communication including commercial television (CTV), public television (PTV), educational television (ETV), and instructional television (ITV). The Educational Media Study Panel (EMSP), an official advisory group to the Commissioner and the U.S. Office of Education, studied the growth of television…