Newswise — The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) is a core partner with the Alliance for Excellent Education, the organization responsible for creating Digital Learning Day (DLD), a national celebration of educators that highlights successful instructional technology practice in classrooms across the country.
DLD includes yearlong activities across the United States that will culminate in a celebration Feb. 6 in Washington, D.C. Last year’s inaugural DLD included tens of thousands of educators representing nearly 2 million students.
NCFL Vice President Emily Kirkpatrick, who is leading the organization’s technology efforts, can discuss strategies and tools, including NCFL’s award-winning Wonderopolis.org. The site, named one of the 50 best websites of 2011 by TIME magazine, embodies the core principals of digital learning with its daily educational content and activities. The site’s Wonders of the Day® are designed to ignite a love of learning and engage a child’s natural sense of wonder to make learning fun. Wonderopolis® is supported by the Verizon Foundation.
She also can discuss the organization’s participation in Digital Learning Day, including:• NCFL resources are included as part of the Science and Project Based Learning toolkits: http://digitallearningday.org/learn-and-explore/digital-learning-tools/.• On Feb. 6, NCFL will participate in a Twitter chat to engage educators in sharing digital resources for the classroom and best practices on using technology for learning. The one-hour chat will use the hashtag #edtechchat.• NCFL will launch a challenge to students to create their own video demonstrating a “try it out” activity using a Wonder of the Day as inspiration. Videos will be uploaded to the Wonderopolis SchoolTube channel and available for viewing and use by the SchoolTube community. • Wonderopolis Leads – teachers who serve as thought partners and ambassadors for the program – will blog about how they use Wonderopolis as a digital learning tool in their classrooms. • NCFL staff will attend the invitation-only convening of core partners and education leaders in Washington D.C. on Feb. 6. The event includes a live Town Hall featuring U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and education leaders.• NCFL’s FACE (Family and Child Education) program, which is sponsored by the Bureau of Indian Education and provides culturally responsive education, resources and support for American Indian families, is also participating in Digital Learning Day by providing FACE sites with tip sheets on how families can use digital tools to learn, including writing their own books through Realebooks and using Wonderopolis as a learning tool. • All of NCFL’s partners - such as its Toyota Family Literacy Program sites - were encouraged to sign up for and celebrate Digital Learning Day at their respective schools and community sites.
Bio
Emily KirkpatrickVice President, National Center for Family Literacy
Emily Kirkpatrick is vice president of the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL). In her current role, she passionately leads new initiatives and signature efforts and shepherds the organization’s continuous growth to address the learning needs of the 21st century family. She also establishes and develops NCFL’s strategic and long-term partnerships with individuals, corporations and foundations.
Kirkpatrick is devoted to expanding NCFL’s reach and impact. Notable recent achievements include the creation of Wonderopolis®, NCFL’s learning website and app for teachers, parents and children that was recently named one of TIME magazine’s best sites of 2011 and “Best Kids App” by Parenting magazine.
She is frequently interviewed by national media and is a close collaborator with notable journalists, education and nonprofit thought leaders and philanthropists. Emily is an advisor to Ele, an initiative of the Fred Rogers Center, and has chaired the nonprofit section of the Public Relations Society of America. She holds a B.A. from Centre College and an M.B.A. from Bellarmine University. In 2012, she became the proud mother of twin boys.
ABOUT NCFL:The National Center for Family Literacy, founded in 1989, is the worldwide leader in family literacy. More than 1 million families have made positive educational and economic gains as a result of NCFL’s work, which includes training more than 150,000 teachers and thousands of volunteers. For more information, contact 1-877-FAMLIT-1 or visit www.famlit.org.
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