A child was having a hard day, slumped in the corner of a classroom, shirt pulled over his head. He poked out of his shirt to yell to the teacher across the room who was engaged with the other children in the class: Hey, can we play that love song again? The teacher, one of the educators in the Educators’ Neighborhood...
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The 2019-20 school year is in full swing and educators who are part of the Fred Rogers Center’s Educators’ Neighborhood have been selecting and playing episodes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for their young students since September. A group of fourteen early childhood (preK-Grade 3) educators from Pittsburgh and across the U.S. have been thinking about how the life and work of...
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Recently, my third edited book was released featuring essays by 17 international thought leaders from the United States, Australia, Great Britain, Israel, Norway and Scotland. In Exploring Key Issues in Early Childhood and Technology: Evolving Perspectives and Innovative Approaches (Donohue, 2020), the contributing authors share their unique perspectives, innovative approaches and powerful ideas about the role of technology and media...
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In December 2018, I wrote a piece entitled “Beechwood Kindergarteners Learn With Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Now five months later, this same group of children continues to watch a new episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood each week, selected by their teachers. Teachers select episodes based on something that has happened in school, something children are discussing or reading about, or because...
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In his 1990 week “Caring for the Environment,” Fred emphasized the importance of recycling. This week first aired in coordination with the twentieth anniversary of Earth Day, celebrating its international campaign....
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“After 30 years of teaching, I never would have thought I’d be showing Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood to my students,” says Kathy Brown, a Kindergarten teacher at Pittsburgh Beechwood preK-5, in Pittsburgh Public Schools....
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Thanksgiving Day is one of the most important days of the year for my family. All of my mother’s relatives come over to spend the afternoon and evening with my parents, brother, and me. Every one of my Thanksgivings has been at my parents’ house, and the flow of the day is the same every year. There is a level...
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The Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media at Saint Vincent College extends our deepest sympathy to those affected by the tragic events in Squirrel Hill on Saturday. ...
Read MoreBack in 1968, Fred Rogers started a challenging career in television to “make goodness attractive.” That was back when televisions were the size of washing machines, and you could count the number of children’s television programs on one hand. Although the children’s media landscape has changed dramatically, Fred Rogers’ values have not. In my study of children’s apps, I’ve found that Fred’s...
Read MoreDuring a dinner date with my wife last week, we observed a startling interaction involving children, their parents, and screens. The restaurant was particularly busy, and a family of four had just been seated nearby. Mom, dad and daughter (a young teen) were immediately glued to their phones, while the youngest -- a boy of about 8 who was probably too...
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