SESSION TYPE: Featured Speaker (Panel) SESSION TITLE: Raising Readers with PBS STRAND: English Language Arts DAY: Saturday TIME: 8:30 - 9:45 am LOCATION: Sutton Parlor South, 2nd floor

Today's children's television programming has built in education - from the initial concepts to the completed program and online adventures. Learn about the rich use of vocabulary, the art of story telling and the teaching of reading with some of PBS's award-winning standouts like Martha Speaks, Super Why! And WordGirl. Producers from each program will share strategies for making the best use of this programming in the classroom and with the families that watch this programming daily.

BIOGRAPHY

Moderator: Pamela Johnson, Executive Director of Ready to Learn, Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)
Pamela Johnson is the Executive Director of Ready to Learn at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) where she leads an early literacy collaborative that uses the power of public media to advance children’s reading skills. Earlier, she served as Vice President for Education and Community Engagement at WNED/Buffalo-Toronto where she was the founding director of ThinkBright TV, and directed national outreach for the Emmy Award-winning Children’s Series, Reading Rainbow.

Deborah A. Forte is President of Scholastic Media, and Executive Vice President of Scholastic Inc. Highly regarded as a creator and producer of children’s movies, television programming, websites and interactive games, her productions have won over 100 industry awards, including an Oscar, Emmys, and Webbies.

Carol Greenwald is Senior Executive Producer of Children’s Programs at WGBH, Boston. She was co-creator of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series Arthur and Executive Producer for its first eight seasons. She is Executive Producer for the Arthur spin-off Postcards from Buster, Time Warp Trio, Curious George, and Martha Speaks, an adaptation of Susan Meddaugh’s popular book series, which premiered on PBS in Fall 2008 and is designed to teach vocabulary.

Dr. Alice Wilder is the Co-Creator and Head of Research and Education for Super Why! on PBS. She is also the Chief Content Officer for Kidos, as well as the co-creator of Think It Ink It Publishing. Alice served as the Director of Research and Development and Producer/Writer for Nick Jr.’s breakout preschool series Blue’s Clues. Wilder also served as the Director of Research and Development for Little Bill and Oswald. Wilder earned her doctorate in Educational Psychology at Columbia University’s Teachers College.