Part Three: Technology that enriches, rather than replaces, human interactions Sometimes an innovative learning idea will go beyond a one-time exposure or a one-afternoon experience. It can become embedded within the extended and intimate relationships children have already formed with the adults near them. The “Baby Promise” project, funded through a Spark award from The Sprout Fund, was delivered through a...
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What makes us try new things, especially when new things do not come easily? What makes us stick with challenges when we can see that others appear better and faster? Persistence, or grit, or stick-to-it-ness develops in us through enriching interactions with those near us, especially when we are trying, failing, and struggling. Fred Rogers often talked about the importance of...
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For many years, on the desk of Pittsburgh’s favorite neighbor, Fred Rogers, visitors would spot a framed piece of calligraphy of the famous theme from the children’s novel “The Little Prince” that read, “What is essential is invisible to the eye.” Fred Rogers, with his gentle persistence and deliberate approach, tried to find and articulate for children and families what...
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I want to tell you something: I wasn’t always in favor of technology and media in early education, and I still am skeptical about much of the media itself and many of its applications in children’s earliest experiences. I know many of you are, too. You worry about how technology and media are changing the fabric of childhood—and with good...
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I had the distinct pleasure and honor to attend and present at the 2015 National Association for the Education of the Young Child (NAEYC) Conference & Expo. This year’s theme was titled “The Power of the Profession.” After my experience there, I would like to retitle it: The Power of the Profession, Connection, and Relationships. Ruby Bridges, the first African-American child...
Read MoreWhen I was asked to write this blog post about my holiday traditions, I wasn’t sure I wanted to. To me, family traditions are very personal and sentimental. I enjoy hearing other people tell me their traditions and routines, some of which have been passed down for generations, but I was protective of ours. But the more I thought about it,...
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I hope you’ve had your flu shot already. It’s that time of year, and getting a flu shot is pretty much a must for anyone who is around sneezing and coughing children. In my case, that means my kids at home and the “kids” in my college classroom. For years, I didn’t know how a flu shot worked. It’s quick. It...
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Note from Dr. Junlei Li, Co-Director and Associate Professor: This blog post is written by Abbey Zorzi, an undergraduate psychology student at Saint Vincent College, the academic home of the Fred Rogers Center. Abbey was in my Child Development class in the fall of 2014. In her class essays, she relayed tidbits of her powerful personal story about addiction and...
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“Imagining something may be the first step in making it happen,” Fred wrote, “but it takes the real time and real efforts of real people to learn things, make things, turn thoughts into deeds or visions into inventions.” At the start of the school year, we shared this whimsical illustration by the artist (and orthodontist!) Grant Snider on “how to grow...
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Sometimes it takes staying true to your roots to discover your voice. By focusing on the themes that were central to Fred Rogers’ life we’re connecting with people in news ways to advance his legacy. On January 2, 2014, I walked through the doors of the Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College to start my role as Executive Director. It...
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