The nonprofit 501(c)3 Children’s Media Workshop was founded in 1983 by Director John Schaefer in Salt Lake City, Utah. Organizational highlights include creating the largest teacher training network in US history (800,000 educators), the Visual Learning Program, using instant photography to teach literacies across the curriculum.
The CMW has conducted learning workshops around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art (NYC), Columbia Teachers College, the High Museum (Atlanta), the Museum of Contemporary Art (LA) as well as in Paris, Madrid, Casablanca, Rome, and Tokyo.
The CMW addresses the huge disconnect between schools and students, who are spending 10 hours and 45 minutes a day on media.
CMW programming uses best learning practices (Interest – Doing – Learning) and the dominant language (media) to transform classrooms and empower teachers and students to be critical thinkers and life-long learners.
Nothing is more fun than learning.
Students vote to keep working/learning rather than taking recess.
Supporters and collaborators include:
Dan Pink on the inefficiency of incentives vs. intrinsic rewards – 2 min video
CMW works in Bluff, Utah as part of a US Dept. of Education School Improvement Grant, using media to transform a predominately Navajo school into a 21st Century Learning Community.
Collaborative learning coupled with authentic (to author) media and technology builds skills in literacy, math, STEM, and CORE competencies.