Presented by Scott Miller, Ph.D., Principal, Avonworth Primary Center, PA; and Emily Neff, Public Policy Associate, Trying Together
Hosted by Christina Luke, Ph.D., Director of Digital Certifications and Credentialing at Digital Promise

Sponsored by Digital Promise

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In this edWebinar, the presenters discuss the best practices for technology use with young children (birth through age five) and their families, as well as how to support early childhood educators in grades K-3 with effective technology strategies. Research on technology use in early childhood education from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Common Sense Media provide the framework. With digital devices becoming more readily available in school settings, the logistics of implementing technology in the classroom as a tool for learning must be examined in order to utilize emerging technology most effectively.

The edWebinar also shares insights from a roundtable facilitated by Hi5!, a kindergarten readiness and registration campaign in the Greater Pittsburgh Region. The roundtable served as a professional development and networking event for over 20 school districts to share best practices for how they are using technology to support the transition to kindergarten for students and families. The discussion included developmentally appropriate technology use across the early childhood continuum.

This recorded presentation will be of interest to preK-3 teachers and school leaders.

About the Presenters

Dr. Scott Miller is Principal at Avonworth Primary Center (K-2), part of the Avonworth School District located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His expertise and interests include early childhood education pedagogy, creativity in the elementary school setting as part of effective lesson design, implementation of Common Core State Standards, and the development of makerspaces. Dr. Miller holds leadership positions on his district’s technology committee and on Allegheny County’s Hi5! Kindergarten Transition Committee and is an active member of Trying Together.

Emily Neff serves as a public policy associate for Trying Together, engaging in statewide and local advocacy and policy activities with the goal of expanding access to high-quality early care and education. She supports the public policy agenda through research and the creation of issue briefs, white papers, and a variety of professional development resources, including webinars and workshops focused on developmentally appropriate practice and the early learning continuum. Additionally, Emily serves as the coordinator for Hi5!, a kindergarten registration and readiness project for over 40 school districts in Allegheny County. Previously, Emily worked as a family support coordinator for a superintendent in New York City and as first grade teacher.

About the Host

Christina Luke, Ph.D., Director of Digital Certifications and Credentialing, leads the Marketplace Research initiative at Digital Promise which is focused on increasing the amount of evidence in the edtech marketplace. Before joining Digital Promise, Christina led program evaluations for federal and state initiatives and delivered professional development and technical assistance to school districts at Measurement Incorporated. Formerly a high school English teacher, Christina left the classroom to study education policy with a desire to improve student outcomes by offering a practitioner’s perspective to education research. Christina earned a Ph.D. in education administration and policy from the State University of New York at Albany and a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and English from Boston College. Follow her on Twitter @ChristinaLukeDP.

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