Education Issue

"The only thing this channel will ever sell is the lure of learning." -- Edward R. Murrow march 2011 Education Issue Celebration of Teaching & Learning Performance Premieres MetLife is proud to be a lead sponsor of the 2011 Celebration of Teaching & Learning. Sharing the voices of teachers for over 25 years. www.metlife.com/teachersurvey Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 200 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10166. L0111153688[exp0112][All States][DC] © 2011 PNTS 1101-0089 “ThE only ThIng ThIs channEl will For K-12 teachers across the country, ever sell is the lure of learning,” Edward R. there’s no place like the Celebration of Murrow famously said when THIRTEEN Teaching & Learning, our world-class debuted in 1962. Nearly 50 years later, professional development conference education is still the heart and soul of “where knowledge meets inspiration.” what we do—and we’re more dedicated And as leaders around the world to it today than ever before. realize the urgency of improving K-12 With our public schools facing education, we’re honored to participate drastic budget cuts, literacy skills in the first-ever International Summit plummeting, and drop-out rates reach- on the Teaching Profession, which ing crisis proportions, we know the will take place in New York City as a importance of providing programs that prelude to Celebration. inspire, tools that teach, and resources This special edition of THIRTEEN—our for students, educators, families, and third annual Education Issue—showcases underserved communities in New York the many educational services we bring City and beyond. you year-round. In addition to our award-winning pro- “Education is our business—on-air, gramming like Nature and Cyberchase, online, in schools, homes, and communi- we offer innovative lesson plans and ties,” says Ron Thorpe, Vice President online resources free of charge via ser- and Director of Education at WNET. “It’s vices such as VITAL (Video in Teaching a great and serious responsibility, and it’s and Learning) and The LAB@Thirteen. the proud legacy of public television.” 2 WhaT happEns WhEn you combine 10,000 educators from across the ilverstein S country, THIRTEEN’s longstanding NNE A commitment to education and some of the world’s best thinkers? You get the Celebration of Teaching & Learning, the nation’s premier professional development conference for K-12 educators. On March 18 and 19, educators will gather at the Hilton New York to attend the sixth annual Celebration, proudly presented by THIRTEEN and WLIW21. Every spring, Celebration unites leading experts in a variety of disciplines to inspire teachers and administrators. This year, attendees will experience four distinct learning environments through “Like the best schools plenary sessions, featured speaker sessions, hands-on workshops, and and classrooms, the interactive exhibitor halls. Celebration of Teaching “Like the best schools and classrooms, & Learning is a place the Celebration of Teaching & Learning is a place where knowledge meets where knowledge meets inspiration,” says Ron Thorpe, Vice inspiration.” President and Director of Education at WNET. “It has become one of the —RON THORPE, Vice President and country’s leading conferences, and Director of Education at WNET the largest gathering hosted by public television anywhere.” Celebration of Teaching & Learning Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19 Hilton New York; 1335 Avenue of the Americas at 53rd Street. Register and learn more at thirteencelebration.org Over the past 20 years, the U.S. has slipped from first to 26th in world education, a sobering reflection of the state of education in America today. THIRTEEN is committed to helping make a differ- Celbration ence. As a prelude to the SPEAKERS: Celebration of Teaching Leymah Gbowee & Learning, the first-ever Brian Williams Soledad O’Brien International Summit on Dr. Mehmet Oz the Teaching Profession Dr. Oliver Sacks will take place in New York City—and THIRTEEN is playing a vital role in the This year’s event will feature nationally-acclaimed planning of this landmark speakers including Anchor NBC Nightly News event. The summit will and Managing Editor Brian Williams; CNN anchor unite leaders from the U.S. Soledad O’Brien; best-selling author and Department of Education, professor of neurology and psychiatry Dr. Oliver the Organisation for Sacks; leading surgeon and host of The Dr. Oz Economic Co-Operation Dr. Mehmet Oz; and documentarian and Show and Development, and executive director of Women Peace and Security Education International Network Africa Leymah Gbowee. to foster a collaborative “Our commitment to education is one of the exchange of ideas between most important ways THIRTEEN fulfills its funda- nations to better serve mental mission,” says Neal Shapiro, President and youth around the world. CEO of WNET. “Through Celebration and our many “The summit will impact other educational services, we bring essential classrooms across America resources to educators, schools, and students in and around the globe for our community and across the nation.” many years to come,” says Ron Thorpe. “We’re hon- THIRTEEN and WLIW21 gratefully acknowledge sponsorship support ored that U.S. Secretary from Lead Sponsors: MetLife, National Education Association, Simons Foundation; Premier Sponsors: Adobe Youth Voices, American Federation of Education Arne Duncan of Teachers, NYSUT, Pearson Foundation, SMART Technologies/Teq; has chosen Celebration as Major Sponsors: Corwin, CSA-ELI, Fordham University Graduate School the stage to host this truly of Education, Hilton New York, NJEA, UFT; Presenting Sponsors: DELL, Inc., ETS, Hofstra University; Event Sponsors: Barnes & Noble, historic event.” Connecticut Education Association, EmblemHealth, NYSSAC, The College Board, and Media Sponsor: Education Week. q & a WITh sandra shEppard At ThIrTEEn, we’rE dEdIcated to creating programs that spark children’s imaginations and fuel learning—with no commercial agenda. Our commitment to this goal grows stronger every year. As Sandra Sheppard, Director of Children’s and Educational Programming at WNET and Executive Producer of IBBS G Cyberchase, says, “Our goal as a public media producer RUCKEL is to make sure that children’s screen time is valuable.” K Sheppard spoke with THIRTEEN about creating erry K OF content that educates, entertains, and has lasting value. Education has been at the core of our mission since our founding. Fifty ourtesy THIRTEEN: : C years later, why is it still important? IRLS G SaNdRa SheppaRd: Our mission has always been to harness the power of televi- IBBS G sion and other media to positively impact the life of our public. We’ve always had a HE stake in improving the lives of children and their families, and serving the needs of the underserved. Today, that goal is more critical than ever. When you look at the /WNET.ORG; T /WNET.ORG; educational progress reports, it’s clear that we as a country need to do better. innott S How do you measure the impact of our programs on viewers? TH: oseph : J SS: We have a core group of advisors and educators who evaluate understand- IBBS ing of content by youngsters both before and after they watch our programs. The G National Science Foundation, which has supported Cyberchase since its inception, RUCKEL K funded a landmark study examining the impact of television, online, and hands- erry on learning, using Cyberchase as the model. Results showed that kids would learn K AND math skills from the television show and apply them online, which is very exciting. It affirms that the work we’re doing is making a real difference, and that a smartly heppard designed on-air and online package can have real impact. S ANDRA S thirteen.org 7 TH: What are some of the new programs we’ll see in 2011? SS: I’m super excited about Noah Comprende, the first foreign language broadband series public media has created for young children. It introduces kids ages 5-8 to Spanish and premieres in April. In February, we launched Get the Math, a reality- style TV show and website introducing tweens and teens to algebra. Later in the year, we’re also releasing a new edition of Mission US, our interactive, online American history series for teens. And we recently launched our firstCyberchase app ever— and it hit the top of the kids chart the first week. Check it out at the iTunes store! TH: What is the most rewarding aspect of your work? SS: Working with smart people who are passionate about what they do is incredibly rewarding. But there’s nothing like hearing from fans. An elementary school student wrote to tell us that because of Cyberchase, he no longer needs a math tutor. A little girl said she feels less alone when she watches because she could relate to Jackie, an African-American character. To hear that kind of story, and to know we’ve had a profound impact on a child’s life, is extremely gratifying. It’s a window into the world of what we do. Read the complete interview with Sandra Sheppard at thirteen.org IBBS G RUCKEL K erry as ThE moThEr of four daughters, K OF Kerry Kruckel Gibbs, Vice President of Development and Communications ourtesy : C at WNET, has learned the power of IRLS THIRTEEN’s children’s programming. G IBBS When she started working at WNET, G HE she and her family made a commitment to watch regularly—and it has paid off. Two-year-old Alexa is wild about Super Why!, nine-year-old Rory sharpens /WNET.ORG; T /WNET.ORG; her math skills with Cyberchase, and 13-year-old innott S Kendra gets her history fix fromMission US. oseph Sid the Science Kid is five-year-old Kelly’s personal : J favorite, and Kruckel Gibbs marvels at the way her IBBS G daughter incorporates lessons from the show into RUCKEL her daily life.

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