Gregg Behr’s family had four channels to choose while it grew in the 1970s. Although there was not much to choose, a particular program would play a disproportionate role in their future.
One of the rare channels was PBS, which means that the native of Pittsburgh regularly watched Fred Rogers appear on his television screen when episodes of “Mister Rogers’ Quarter” (1968-2001) were broadcast on WQED-TV.
“It was the district of Mister Rogers, and there was a feeling that you could learn in all kinds of places,” said Behr. “You could teach Make Believe’s country, you could learn in Mr. Rogers’ living room or its kitchen. And you can also go to a pencil factory, a community garden, a merry -go -round and all kinds of places.”
And even if the Rogers show finished more than two decades ago, he still inspires Behr and others.
Educators from across the country go to “Fred Camp” each year, a conference held this year at the Fred Rogers Institute in Latrobe, to discuss the teaching of Rogers “Blueprints” and how they could use them to innovate in their classes.
Jennifer Toney, teacher of the third year of the primary school in the Sharpsville region, played a key role in the start of Fred camp. She first learned Rogers during a presentation on the book “When you wonder, you learn” by Behr and Ryan Rydzewski at the Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo & Conference.
“Even if I swore that I was not going to buy another book, I went directly and I was the first person to buy a copy of” when you wonder “,” said Toney about the book, which transforms the lessons of the “Mister Rogers district” into an educational guide.
Rogers’ “plan” is a framework for his ideas that educators can still learn, said Rydzewski. The three main principles: use science to inform how children learn, creating a safe space to learn and get children from the class and in the “neighborhood”.
“We look at the plans he has left us, but the plans are really just a guide,” said Rydzewski. “You can add a modern swing to the plans or you can make things suitable for your own time. But the bones of what really matters, that’s what Fred has shown us and I think that is what people continue to learn from him today.”
In Pete & C, Toney was also connected with the first -year teacher in the school district of the Wilmington region, Tracy Andrews. Shortly after, they both met Behr and Rydzewski to plan the first Fred camp, which made its debut in May 2023.
He has continued to evolve since, with teachers visiting the archives of Fred Rogers (which includes more than 22,000 articles in his personal and professional life) as part of the experience.
These days, Toney continues to use what she learned from the Rogers frame in class.
“I just started reading more books on (Rogers) and watching some of the episodes and now I try to sprinkle (” Mister Rogers’ Quartier “) with my third year students,” said Toney.
She also creates practical experiences that connect to the learning of her students, similar to the way Rogers has imitated her audience the “top and down” of a scale in the very first episode of “Mister Rogers’ Quartier”.
Many of his students grew up with “Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood” (2012), a animated series of PBS based on the “Mister Rogers’ Quarould” Original “, so Toney generally shares a story of Fred Rogers with his class while looking.
The show was initially filmed and produced at WQED-TV in Pittsburgh. His first episode was broadcast over 50 years ago and has since been an educational inspiration for people like Behr, who is currently executive director of the Grable Foundation, and is the founder of Remake Learning – a free peer network that links educators and innovators to “Enrich” the Pittsburgh learning ecosystem.
Toney thinks that Rogers’ intentionality with technology was also important.
Relatively “new technology” used in the emission included the push button phone and the computer mouse. Toney compared them to today’s latest iPhone or tablet, noting that, whatever the calendar, technology can be used in a positive and negative way. People can always find ways to use it “inspire” and “make people a better place,” she said.
“I try to remember that when I do anything with technology in my class, whether it is a high -tech or low technology event,” said Toney.
Andrews also embraces many teaching ideas from Rogers – one, in particular.
“My goal with students has always been to build a relationship with them first and create an environment of trust in my class so that everything we do requires creativity or curiosity, this gives them a safe place to take these risks,” said Andrews.
She said that she was taking more time with students who could struggle and move “to the eye” with them by doing so in order to make sure they feel heard.
“Fred was very deliberate in everything he did with the children,” said Andrews. “It is known for his very slow way of speaking and it was very, very deliberate on his part because he knew that it helped the children at that time to listen to and to learn better.
“I just appreciated his intentionality in everything he did.”
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