Ask the MITM Team to Speak

The Mind in the Making team at Families and Work Institute is made up of professionals with an impressive mix of academic, policy, and practitioner experience. As you read the biographies for Ellen Galinsky, Dr. Marijata Daniel-Echols, and Dr. Julie Riess, you will see that they offer a strong set of knowledge and experience on a range of topics – for example, early childhood education, education and poverty policy, running demonstration programs, delivering professional development to future educators and caregivers, evaluating early childhood programs and policies and explaining complex concepts to a variety of audiences. All three share a passion for using research in practical ways to improve the lives of children and their families and are well versed in the content and application of Mind in the Making.

Families and Work Institute makes every effort to meet the requests of all organizations that would like to have a member of our team share their insights as a speaker. However, there are times due to issues related to scheduling, travel, and intended audience that we might not be able to connect you with the specific team member you request. In those instances, we will suggest another member of our team who is available during the dates you requests and/or who has an in-depth knowledge of the topic or group(s) that you wish to address. We also encourage you to consider the option of distance presentations, for example webinars and conference calls, that offer more flexibility in scheduling and reduced travel costs.

Ellen Galinsky

"Galinsky has spent her career observing and analyzing how children learn. Collaborating with top researchers in the science of childhood brain development for the past decade, she identifies seven life skills that help children reach their full potential and unleash their passion to learn. The skills are presented in a readable and accessible volume enlivened by parents' narratives about what works and what doesn't, hints and tips, and over a hundred “suggestions” (games and family activities) for involving kids in the pursuit of learning. Each of seven chapters focuses on one skill, most of them involved with the “executive” (or management) function of the brain, such as focus and self-control, communicating, and critical thinking. Galinsky urges parents to instill in their children a grasp of different kinds of knowledge to best tap inborn “sense” and foster self-motivation. The big message is simple: teaching children to think may be the most important thing a parent can do. It doesn't take a village and it doesn't require fancy courses or equipment—Galinsky's everyday, playful, parent-child learning interactions offer a place to start..." -- Publisher's Weekly

By synthesizing the lessons she has learned from filming and interviewing hundreds of leading researchers, Ellen Galinsky has identified a set of seven essential life skills that are the most important for children AND for adults to succeed in the 21st century. In a series of events throughout 2010, Ellen is engaging in conversations about Mind in the Making with diverse audiences across the country.

In her presentations, Ellen uses an interactive approach that is based on research-based principles of adult learning. Participants will be engaged in direct experiences that help them think about their own learning in relation to the seven essential skills. They will see videos of researchers “in action” sharing studies on the same topic, and they will be able to apply what they have learned to their own lives.

Marijata Daniel-Echols, Ph.D.

Marijata C. Daniel-Echols most recently was the Director of Research at the HighScope Educational Research Foundation from 2003 - 2011. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan as well as a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and an M.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles. In addition to program evaluation, Daniel-Echols has been involved extensively in the development of tools designed to measure child outcomes and early childhood program quality. She has served as Principal Investigator for projects at the local, state, and national level addressing a range of topics including - teacher professional development, early language and literacy, early math, special education, family, friend, and neighbor care, Head Start, and state-funded preschool. Daniel-Echols has used her knowledge of experience conducting rigorous early childhood education research to serve as a consultant to human services agencies seeking to develop and implement early childhood education strategic plans grounded in research-based decision-making. In addition to early childhood education, Daniel- Echols' knowledge base includes organizational theory, policy creation and implementation, and program evaluation applied to the areas of welfare reform, employment policy, and political participation.

Dr. Daniel-Echols has served on several professional early childhood policy committees. Most recent examples include the state of Michigan's Child Care Quality Rating Improvement System Standards Committee and the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) and Division of Early Childhood Joint Position Statement on Response to Intervention Early Childhood National Steering Committee.

She has conducted training workshops for teachers and administrators (for example at the National Association for Elementary School Principals and the NAEYC annual conferences and professional development institutes), and presented at academic and practitioner conferences across the country (for example the biennial Society for Research in Child Development conference, the annual American Educational Research Association conference, and the annual National Head Start Research Conference). She has given keynote addresses (for example at the Young Children Without Homes National Conference) and presentations to audiences of several hundred attendees (for example at the United Way for Southeastern Michigan's Early Childhood Summit). In her presentations, Daniel-Echols uses a mix of anecdotes from the field, personal and professional experiences, the latest research, and an up to date understanding of policy issues to engage audiences. When presenting Mind in the Making and the seven essential skills, her talks also include videos of researchers and children ‘in action’ and discussion throughout the session with participants.

Julie A. Riess, Ph.D.

Julie A. Riess, Ph.D. is a developmental psychologist, early childhood educator, author and mother. She received her bachelor's degree from Vassar College and her doctorate in developmental and social psychology from Brandeis University. As a faculty member at Vassar, she has taught courses on the applications of developmental psychology research in understanding children in the context of their lives at home and school. For the past seventeen years, she has been the director of Vassar College’s early childhood laboratory schools, which serve children six weeks through 9 years old. As the director of an early childhood school, she embraces the joy and complexities of working with children, parents, student teachers, teachers, and administrators to mutually support a learning community where everyone is a lifelong learner.

Dr. Riess has conducted regional and national workshops for early childhood educators, parents, administrators, researchers and health care professionals on matching teaching, parenting and health care practices to contemporary research in child development. Whether in the intimacy of the college seminar room or the excitement of a conference presentation to a large audience, Dr. Riess pursues how to bring theory and research into practice by modeling facilitated, intentional learning and reflective practice.

This constant exchange and flow of theory and practice mutually informing each other begins with her use of many examples from her years in the early childhood and college classrooms. Dr. Riess writes, “I collect observations of and stories about children like some people collect vintage wines or teddy bears. While I don’t always know how I will use a particular example, each observation or experience adds to my teaching and writing treasure chest.”

Dr Riess’ goal is to help audience participants to understand children to the best of our knowledge so that they will teach or parent to the best of their knowledge. What does each person bring to her or his own learning? To the collective learning of the group? What are their life stories, and how do those stories inform their knowledge about children and their families? Dr. Riess believes that when we seek to understand where participants are in their own knowledge and lives, and reflect on how we can help them take the next step, we help them connect to their own learning. In turn, she hopes her passion will help participants deepen their understanding and find meaningful applications to better the lives of the young children in their own learning communities.

Here is a link to MITM Speaks pricing and responsibilities.

If you'd like to invite Ellen, Marijata or Julie to speak at your event, please fill out the form below (all fields are required) or download and complete this FWI Speaks Presentation Form and fax or call Marline Griffith at phone: (212) 465-2044, fax (212) 465-8637.

Daily Kid

Mind in the Making is now available as a Vook

Mind in the Making: Experiments in Children's Learning (DVD)

Here is a list of Mind in the Making researchers and educators filmed to date

Community Schools: “Mind in the Making and Community Schools: Crossing Boundaries and Creating Strong Linkages for Children Birth through Eight and their Families,” is a collaborative project with The Children’s Aid Society’s National Center for Community Schools and the Institute for Educational Leadership. (Read more)

Learning Communities: Throughout the country, groups of parents, educators, and other family support and health professionals have joined together to learn more about the research on children’s learning from birth through the early elementary school years, and about how to use this research to promote better outcomes for children. (Read more)

Learning Modules for Educators: Mind in the Making Learning Modules for Educators is an 11-part, facilitated learning process designed to bridge the gap between research and teaching practice. (Read more)

Seven Skills Modules: We have created new Modules from the book, called the Mind in the Making Seven Essential Skills Modules. (Read more)

Experiments in Children's Learning DVD: This two-volume series of 42 videos take viewers on a series of virtual “field trips” to laboratories in the U.S. and abroad. (Read more)
View a crosswalk of the experiments to the seven essential life skills

Download a companion Catalogue to Mind in the Making: Experiments in Children's Learning

Have you seen the Marshmallow Test?

What does eating marshmallows have to do with how your kid does on the SAT?
Watch the video

Ask a MITM team member to speak at your event.

The MITM staff is having conversations about Mind in the Making with audiences across the country. Click here to invite a team member to speak at your event.

The Seven Skills:

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