Rae Pica

"If students aren't learning the way we're teaching, we need to teach the way children learn," says our guest. However, learning difficulties can make this wisdom challenging to apply. In this segment our guests give practical guidance for teaching students with learning difficulties. Susan Winebrenner is the author, Teaching Kids with Learning Difficulties in the Regular Classroom. Ann S. Epstein, Ph.D., is Senior Director of Curriculum Development of HighScope Educational Research Foundation. Second grade teacher, Erin Klein has her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and is the technology co-chairperson for the Michigan Reading Association, a national A Plus Workshop Presenter, SMART Technologies Exemplary Educator, and award-winning EduTech Blogger at Kleinspiration.com.

Out guests assert that to be more engaging and effective with students we need to connect to the various cultures of the students in our classes. They suggest that teaching to the culture increases interest, comprehension, and student achievement. So what does this mean in practice? Learn more... Holly Elissa Bruno, MA, JD, ECE keynote speaker, host of Heart to Heart Conversations on Leadership and as well as Adjunct Instructor, Wheelock College. Gigi Schweikert is author of 12 books including Becoming a Team Player. Susan Ochshorn is the founder of ECE PolicyWorks, a consulting firm specializing in early care and education policy research.

Out guests assert that to be more engaging and effective with students we need to connect to the various cultures of the students in our classes. They suggest that teaching to the culture increases interest, comprehension, and student achievement. So what does this mean in practice? Learn more... David Freeman is a professor of ESL and reading at the University of Texas at Brownsville. Geneva Gay is Professor of Education at the University of Washington-Seattle where she teaches multicultural education. Karen Nemeth, Ed.M., founder of Language Castle LLC, is the author of Many Languages, One Classroom and consulting editor for NAEYC.

There are a number of approaches to assessing a child's progress in early childhood settings. Some are formal and rely on a standardized approach. others are more individualized and rely primarily on observation. Our guests in this segment weigh in on the best ways to assess young children. Margo Dichtelmiller is a professor of Teacher Education. She is a developer of the Work Sampling System, an assessment system for young children and author of The Power of Assessment. Barbara Ann Nilsen, Ed.D is professor emerita, Chair of Teacher Education/Early Childhood from Broome Community College, Binghamton, NY and author, Week by Week: Plans for Documenting Children's Development. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed. is the Executive Educational Director over three childcare campuses..

Children and classrooms gone wild. It's an early childhood teacher's nightmare. Most agree that it's superior to have children with good self-control, versus having to consistently and persistently manage a child's behavior. In this segment our guests offer proven strategies to help you create the best kind of control in your classroom -- self-control. Ellen Galinsky, President and Co-Founder of Families and Work Institute (FWI) and author of more than 40 books and reports. Author Sandra Aamodt, Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Rochester, joined Nature Neuroscience, a leading scientific journal in the field of brain research. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed., over 20 years in the field of early childhood education.

NAEYC, in conjunction with the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media, recently issued a position statement on technology and interactive media in early childhood education. Today we're going to dig a little deeper for guidance of this topic. Rae Pica with Kimberly Tice, Executive Director of the Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC); Suzanne Gellens, Executive Director of the Florida AEYC; Aaron Carrara, President and Board Chair of the Texas AEYC, works for Metropolitan Montessori Schools in Houston, Texas; Lisa Guernsey is a Director of New America's Early Education Initiative and regular contributor to the Early Ed Watch blog.

Classroom setup and structure are critical elements in teaching and controlling behavior and student interactions. What do you need to know? What are the best practices? How might rearranging your classroom help you? Dr. Rebecca Gail Isbell has been working in early childhood education for over 25 years. She is co-author Early Learning Environments That Work. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed. is the Executive Educational Director over three childcare campuses.

Why do young children who don't bite at home come to preschool or day care and suddenly mimic carnivores? Our guest explain why young children bite, how to talk to parents about the problem and how to minimize the occurrences. Susan Campbell was a Principal Investigator on the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development and author of Behavior Problems in Preschool Children: Clinical and Developmental Issues. Gretchen Kinnell is the author of No Biting:Policy and Practice for Toddler Programs. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed.,over 20 years experience in the field of early childhood education as a teacher, director, curriculum writer.

The definition of child abuse varies from state to state, as do the laws regarding abuse. The problem of understanding and meeting your mandated requirements as an educator is further complicated by the fact that policies regarding child abuse tend to change as well. Here are the basics you need to know. Jody Martin has worked over 20 years in the early childhood field, she taught preschool and directed a Children's World Learning Center. James M. Hmurovich is the President & CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America and was the Indiana State Welfare Director. Dr. David Bloomfield is Professor of Education Leadership, Law, and Policy at Brooklyn College and the City University of NY Graduate Center.

You know the student we're talking about. Yes, the one who regularly makes you want to consider a new career. Dealing with difficult students has always been a part of teaching, but with all the new demands, many teachers are feeling more challenged in this area than ever before. Our guests offer proven strategies that can make a difference immediately. Sheryl K. Pruitt, M.Ed., ET/P, is the Clinical Director of Parkaire Consultants, a clinic she founded to serve neurologically impaired individuals. She is the Co-author of Challenging Kids, Challenged Teachers. Ross W. Greene, Ph.D. is the author of The Explosive Child and Lost at School and he is Associate Clinical Professor, at Harvard Medical School. He is also founding director of the non-profit, Lives in the Balance, through which he provides free, web-based resources on Collaborative Problem Solving.