As children everywhere tap into the new digital playground through gaming, mobile devices and the Internet, educators, researchers, policymakers and high-tech industry leaders are joining forces to examine how these latest technologies are shaping the education of today’s children. Galvanizing this effort is the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop ( http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/ ), an independent, not for profit research institute named for Sesame Street’s visionary founder. Today, Center executives announced plans to host a May 9 symposium in New York, "Logging into the Playground: How Digital Media are Shaping Children’s Learning." ( http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/events/index.html ) This first ever, invitation-only event will explore how digital media can improve children’s literacy, learning and development.

Sponsored by McGraw-Hill Education ( http://www.mheducation.com/home/index.shtml ), a leading global provider of instructional, assessment and reference solutions, and Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) ( http://www.ea.com/language.jsp ), the leading interactive entertainment software company, the gathering will convene thought leaders from across research, communications and policy to discuss new research findings, the expansion of effective models, and new partnerships.

Michael Levine, the Center’s Executive Director, said: "Today’s children are growing up in an era of rapid change. Unprecedented learning tools are at their disposal: real breakthroughs and remarkable gains in education are possible. We can and we must harness these promising communication technologies for children now, especially those who are lagging behind. The early endorsement of partners like McGraw-Hill, EA, CPB and PBS reinforce the importance of our mission. The symposium is a timely opportunity to convene the critical sectors to advance innovation and mobilize change."

The agenda for the day-long event, comprised of panel discussions, children-led demonstrations of new technologies and a hands-on forum promoting two dozen of the best digital media initiatives in the nation, features a keynote address by EA’s Chief Creative Officer, Bing Gordon, and one of the first demonstrations of BOOM BLOX, a new game for Nintendo Wii developed by EA in association with director Steven Spielberg. All panels will be streamed on the web by the Center’s partner Global Kids."

This a momentous event, thought leaders from many different industries have come together to work toward one cause -- to better the achievement of our nation’s children, " said William Oldsey, executive vice president, McGraw-Hill Education. "The classroom is likely to change more in the next five to 10 years than it has in the last 50 or even 100 years, with technology being the key driver. McGraw-Hill Education is at the forefront of this change. Events like this one allow us to incorporate expertise from varied fields to better serve the technological needs of teachers and students."

"EA is delighted to sponsor the very first Joan Ganz Cooney Center symposium on digital media’s impact on children’s development," said EA Casual Entertainment Marketing Vice President, Russell Arons. "Digital Media’s impact on children is an area of great interest to EA and we’re excited to showcase the upcoming video game, BOOM BLOX, which combines strategic puzzles with fast paced action as an example of the video game evolution of learning and fun."

The results of three special reports will also be released at the symposium. The Cooney Challenge report will focus on the perspectives and recommendations of over 60 thought leaders who identified key research, policy, and practice issues to accelerate children’s learning; a national survey (developed in association with Common Sense Media) exploring the perception of parents and educators about new media’s educational potential; and a report featuring potential strategies to promote children’s literacy and learning by the noted game expert and professor James Paul Gee from Arizona State University.

Journalists and experts in the field of digital media for children including Time Magazines’ Claudia Wallis, author Lisa Guernsey and Children’s Technology Review Editor and NY Times columnist Warren Buckleitner, will moderate and participate in panels on a variety of topics including the ways in which digital media shapes literacy development, critical thinking, creativity and cultural awareness. In addition they will discuss how to meet the new challenges that come with the growth of digital media, emerging learning technologies and which priorities the next President and the critical sectors should tackle first.