Curriculum

Grover Promotes Harvard Course

By Debra Viadero — March 01, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Students at Harvard University’s graduate school of education are used to seeing visiting dignitaries on campus.

But none that were cute, furry, and blue.

At least that was the case until last month, when Grover, the lovable muppet of “Sesame Street” fame, came to grace the Cambridge, Mass., campus.

Grover was visiting to promote a new course on children’s informal learning that the education school is launching with help from Sesame Workshop, which created the famous “Sesame Street” children’s television program.

Joseph Blatt, the professor who developed the course, said it focuses on how to harness the positive power of the media to improve children’s health, particularly problems that stem from alarming levels of obesity among youngsters nationwide.

Visiting speakers for the course will include executives, producers, and writers from the New York City-based workshop as well as Harvard experts on pediatrics and early-childhood development.

As part of the course, students, working individually or in small groups, will develop a proposal for a media project to promote healthy behaviors among 6- to 9-year-olds, and then pitch their ideas to Sesame Workshop executives.

“The opportunity to pitch a proposal to top executives from Sesame Workshop is something a lot of people would like to do,” Mr. Blatt said.

Who knows what could happen? The workshop, which is launching its own children’s health initiative this spring, just might find some of those ideas useful.

According to Mr. Blatt, the recent collaboration actually rekindles a relationship the education school had with Sesame Workshop back in the 1960s and 1970s, when the educational media group was known as the Children’s Television Workshop. Back then, consulting Harvard professors helped shape both “Sesame Street” and the now-defunct “Electric Company,” another popular educational TV show.

Although no plans are now in the works to have Big Bird come to lecture at Harvard, Mr. Blatt said he doesn’t rule out that possibility.

“Grover was such a hit,” he said. “I’m sure we’d love to have the entire muppet crew.”

A version of this article appeared in the March 02, 2005 edition of Education Week

Events

Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata
Classroom Technology K-12 Essentials Forum Tech Is Everywhere. But Is It Making Schools Better?
Join us for a lively discussion about the ways that technology is being used to improve schools and how it is falling short.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Curriculum Letter to the Editor Curriculum Is More Than Academic Requirements
"The reality our children face requires of them a lot more than a mastery of academics," says this letter writer.
1 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Curriculum Roblox Makes Its Move Into STEM Education. What Are the Risks for Schools?
Roblox counts 60 million daily users. Now it's pushing into K-12 schools—with the help of influential nonprofit partners.
3 min read
Pathogen Patrol is PLTW's first learning experience on Roblox, providing educators with innovative tools to help students enhance their critical thinking abilities, learn in unique ways, and work together in teams.
Pathogen Patrol is Project Lead the Way's first K-12 learning experience on Roblox, a virtual environment that is increasingly popular with kids. Nonprofit PLTW integrated it into its K-12 curricula to help students learn how the human body fights off infections.
Business Wire via AP
Curriculum Opinion Making the Case for Restoring Wisdom to America’s Schools
A Johns Hopkins professor discusses how to improve what he sees as a siloed, incoherent education system to best serve students.
7 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Curriculum Swim Lessons Save Lives. Should Schools Provide Them?
A push is on in some states to make swim lessons part of the school curriculum.
5 min read
Close up of African American person's legs in the pool.
E+/Getty