Vered’s Blog

Television today has become a drug for most adults and children. They say that the average kid in US watches more than 6 hours a day TV, here in Holland it is estimated as 4-5 hours. In both cases it is obvious that when our mind is exposed to so many hours of mass information, that mostly is negative and frightening, then the impact of it on our world view and how we perceive the world, our life and even our selves is distorted.

On top of this alarming fact we have to add that while internet, which is the second time consumer of kids and adults, is an engaging thought activity, which means that the person has to engage in active thinking while doing this activity, television is a passive one and therefore numbs out our consciousness and actually lower down our intelligence once we engage in it for longer periods. That is the reason why so many busy parents tend to regard television as a good substitute for babysitter. What they do not take in account is that this can become harmful for their child if is being used on long hours (more than two).

However, television does not necessarily become an enemy for our intelligent. Once used correctly it can become a huge source of learning and educational. In order to be able to do that people need to think out of the box and become creative, but more significantly they need to have a vision to see where to take this instrument.

On November 30 one of those visionary people is celebrating her birthday. On November 30 1929 Joan Ganz Cooney was born in Phoenix Arizona.
Joan Ganz Cooney is the one of the visionaries and the chief moving force behind the creation of Children’s Television Workshop (CTW) and the most successful children’s television show in the history of either commercial or educational television, Sesame Street.

Before Sesame Street, successful children’s programs were entertainment oriented and appeared on commercial television; educational programs were thought to be boring and pedantic and appeared on public television which garnered a small, more affluent audience. Joan Cooney recognized that television could do more than entertain; it could provide supplementary education at a fraction of the cost of classroom instruction.

Joan Cooney demonstrated that quality educational programming could attract and hold a mass audience and established an organization which continues to produce innovative programming for all ages. And, via Sesame Street a larger, more diverse audience discovered public television, bringing it to the forefront of the national consciousness.

For me Joan Cooney is a wonderful role model for how to think creatively. She demonstrated the focus of Feminine Leadership, which is education and the future of our children.

On this day my intention for myself is finding new and creative ways to educate and learn.

Have a great day!