Playing your way into Harvard

Google Tech Talks April, 17 2008 ABSTRACT We will discuss the nature of play, how play in the preschool pre-structures habits of mind that are required by creative adults, and how these precursors can be supported by the sensitive parent or teacher. The talk will be divided into two hours: the first hour can be an exposition of ideas, the second can be a dialogue with the audience. We can prepare the participants with advanced provocations using the Google intra-network, perhaps giving them links to some digital video examples. 2. Define how the "Tech Talk" is a "Tech Talk." The hook here could be that to truly understand the subtleties of play, one needs tools such as those that allow one to annotate video. Parents already add captions to the family album. We could extend this "family album" idea to something like ... something like "From My Face to Our Place: Digital Video as the New Family Album: A Tool for Understanding Our Children." We could add the power of "search" to the digital history of one's own family. Speaker: Dr. George Forman George Forman, Chief Executive Officer and Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts retired in 2002 to found Videatives, Inc. George has over 33 years of experience in university teaching, cognitive research, multimedia design, and educational consulting in the area of early childhood learning and development. At Videatives, George is responsible for product design and content development. He has authored over 7 books, 3 videotapes and many research articles on how children think and how teachers can help children reflect on their work through drawing, video feedback, and play with objects. In the 1970's he founded The School for Constructive Play, an experimental program for young children based on the learning theory of Jean Piaget. He has designed museum participatory exhibits, educational puzzles, and instructional games. He is past president of the Jean Piaget Society, serves on numerous editorial boards, and was recently advisory faculty in residence at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. His speaking engagements have taken him all over the world including Asia, Australia, Europe, and Scandinavia speaking mainly about constructivist education, particularly as inspired by the preprimary schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. George holds a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of Alabama. Speaker: Dr. Ellen Hall Ellen Hall, Chief Development Officer, is a co-founder of Videatives, Inc. and the Owner and Executive Director of Boulder Journey School, a school for young children in Boulder, Colorado. Ellen has over 30 years of experience in the field of early childhood education, working with children, families and educators as a teacher, administrator, mentor and consultant. At Videatives, Ellen is responsible for leading outreach and partnership initiatives. At Boulder Journey School, Ellen directs the Teacher Education Program, designed in partnership with the University of Colorado at Denver. Digital video assets, including video clips, videatives, and Thinkprints are utilized extensively in this program. Ellen's doctoral dissertation studies how videatives accelerate and deepen teachers' conceptualizations of children's thinking. Ellen has published in textbooks and journals and presents frequently at national and international early childhood conferences and meetings. Ellen serves on the Executive board of the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA), an organization of educators, parents, and advocates seeking to elevate both the quality of life and the quality of schools and centers for young children. Ellen holds a M.Ed. from Smith College and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Innovation from the University of Colorado at Denver.