Diane Levin

Professor of Early Childhood Education
Email: dlevin@wheelock.edu
Phone: 617-879-2167
Office: Classroom 207B

Educational Degrees

B.S. 1968, Cornell University
M.S.Ed. 1969, Wheelock College
Ph.D. 1978, Tufts University

Diane Levin teaches courses on play, media literacy, violence prevention and peace building, and action research. She leads an annual Wheelock Service Learning Program to Northern Ireland that focuses on How Early Childhood Programs Can Help Communities Affected by Violence Heal and a summer institute on Media Madness. An internationally recognized expert, she helps professionals, parents and policymakers understand and respond to the impact of various societal forces-such as violence and sexualization, and media and commercial culture-on children's development and learning.

Levin is the author or co-author of eight books including: Beyond Remote Control Childhood: Working Effectively with Young Children in the Media Age (in press); So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids; The War Play Dilemma: What Every Parent and Teacher Needs to Know; and, Teaching Young Children in Violent Times: Building a Peaceable Classroom.

She is a founder of Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment (www.truceteachers.org), which helps parents deal with the impact of media and promote quality play, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (www.commercialfreechildhood.org), which works to end the commercial exploitation of children, and Defending the Early Years (www.deyproject.org), a project, which encourages educators to speak out about how current early childhood policies are affecting the education of young children and their teachers. And, she has consulted for the American Psychological Association's ACT against Violence Program and been Senior Advisor for four PBS Parents' websites and the PBS Parents Magazine.

Levin has a B.S. from Cornell University, a M.S.Ed. from Wheelock College, and a Ph.D. from Tufts University.

Selected Recent Publications:

• Beyond Remote Control Teaching and Learning: The Special Challenges of Helping Children Construct Knowledge Today. Exchange Magazine. May/June 2011.
• In Harms Way. Or Are They? War, Social Justice, and Young Children in the United States. In Promoting Social Justice for Children: Facing Critical Challenges to Early Learning and Development, Beatrice S. Fennimore & A. Lin Goodwin (Eds.). 2011. [With J. Van Hoorn].
• War: U.S. Children and Parental Deployment. In The Encyclopedia of Peace Psychology, Daniel J. Christie (Ed.). Wiley/Blackwells. 2011 [with J. Van Hoorn].
• Common Core Standards: One Size Doesn't Fit All." Boston Sunday Globe Op Ed. April 18, 2010. (N. Carlsson-Paige, Co-Author). http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/04/18/one_size_doesnt_fit_all/
• Danger, Danger Everywhere: Growing Up in a Culture of Fear. Exchange Magazine-in Beginnings Section on "Safety and Risk." March/April 2010.
• The Impact of Violence and Disaster on Children and How to Help Them Heal and Thrive Afterwards. In Rebuilding Sustainable Communities for Children and Their Families After Disasters: A Global Survey, Adenrele Awotona (Ed.). Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2010.
• Remote Control Childhood: Combating the Hazards of Media Culture in School. New Horizons in Education, Journal of the Hong Kong Teachers' Association. Special Issue on Media Literacy, Guofang Wan, Guest Editor. Vol. 58, No. 3, December 2010.
• Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Or Is It? The Impact of the War in Iraq on Children in the United States. Childhood Education: August 2009. Int'l. Theme Issue on Impact of War, Terrorism, and Disaster on Children's Wellbeing and Development. (With Judy Van Hoorn). [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Out+of+sight%2c+out+of+mind.+Or+is+it%3f+The+impact+of+the+war+on...-a0206851501]
• Good Guidance: Dealing with Today's Sexualized Childhood. Teaching Young Children (NAEYC). October 2009. [http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/TYC_V3N1_Levin.pdf]
• Problem Solving Deficit Disorder: Creative Versus Programmed Play in Korea & the US. Where Do Children Play? E. Goodenough (Ed.). Detroit: Wayne U. Press, 2007. [Adapted for: Paradigm Magazine. Winter 2009.]
• Compassion Deficit Disorder? Consuming Culture, Consuming Kids, Objectified Relationships. Risking Human Security: Attachment and Public Life. M. Green (Ed.). London, UK: Karnac Press, 2008.

Selected Major Keynote Presentations and Trainings:

2010

• American Montessori Association Annual Conference. Boston. March.
• New England Head Start Annual Conference. Newport, RI. April.
• Akron, Ohio. Summit County Violence and Injury Prevention Coalition Professional Symposium.. April.
• Romney, West Virginia. Coalition of Organizations Leading Children's Programs. April.
• 2010 Prevention of Early Learning Failure Conference. Saginaw Valley State Univ., MI. August.
• Capitol District Child Care Council Annual Education Conference. Troy, NY. Oct.
• Mount St. Vincent University. Halifax, Nova Scotia, CAN. October
• Southern Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conf., Tucson, AZ. Nov.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference. Anaheim, CA. Nov.

2011

• Montessori Training Center International. Denver, CO. April
• Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children Spring Speaker Series. Burlington, VT. May
• World Forum on Early Care and Education. Honolulu, Hawaii. May

Media Mentions

July 2010

• Hartford Current Newspaper. Grace Merritt. Story on new survey reports 70% of CT HS seniors report having had sexual intercourse.
• Business Week. Chris Prentice. "NERF: Hasbro's Play in the Toy Arms Race. July 26. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2010/tc20100726_811886.htm
• NPR's "Living On Earth. Sean Powers. "Lessons Young Children Can Learn from the Gulf Oil Disaster." July 12. http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=10-P13-00030&segmentID=3
• Emily Rooney Radio Show. WGBH. Sexualized fashions being marketed to young girls. July 8
• "Culture Shock," News Talk Radio, Ireland. Fionn Davenport. Disney opening ESL schools for young children in China. July 8.
• Boston Globe. Participated in panel of experts helping Globe frame a series of articles on the impact of new technology on the family. July 7.

August

• MSNBC.com. "Mom's Homeroom." The importance of friends and friendships in the lives of young children and the modern-day stressors that affect them.
• LiveScience.com. Wynne Parry. August 29. "Battling the Boys: Educators Grapple with Violent Play." http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/battlingtheboyseducatorsgrapplewithviolentplay
• Oregonian Newspaper Parent Blog. Amy Wang. How parents can deal with the sexualization of childhood with their children.
• WebMD. Denise Mann. Release of the American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media. (http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20100830/parents-schools-should-talk-to-kids-about-sex)

September

• TD Magazine. Pete Fernbough. Interview re fashion industry's relationship with toy/doll industry and the impact of the relationship on girls.

October

• New York Post. Stella McClear. Sexy children's Halloween costumes.
• Lexington Patch. Denise Dube. "Forum Explores What's Behind Bullying and Bad Behavior in Children." http://lexington.patch.com/articles/forum-explores-whats-behind-bullying-and-bad-behavior-in-children.
• Arizona Daily Star. Patty Machelor. Story about talk on Violence Prevention for Southern Arizona AEYC. http://azstarnet.com/lifestyles/relationships-and-special-occasions/article_f63de07c-4df2-5990-999a-0d0b942e2657.html

November

• New England Cable News (NECN). Steve Aveson. "So Sexy So Soon: Are Children at Risk?" Nov. 15. http://www.necn.com/pages/landing?blockID=353604 or http:/www2.wheelock.edu/Wheelock/x3608.xml
• Channel 4 News-Tucson. Martha Vazquez. Live interview on "So Sexy So Soon"-news magazine show.

December

• KGO Radio. Gil Gross Program. San Francisco, CA. Sexualized clothing for young girls. December 17. http://www.kgoam810.com/sectional.asp?id=25697
• Boston Globe. Maria Cramer. Sunday, Dec. 19. "Disarming the Toy Box: Providence Program Destroys Children's Toy Guns. (http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2010/12/19/providence_program_destroys_childrens_toy_guns/?page=full)
• Times Live. Barry Ronge. "Fallen Stars" (End of Disney Princess Movies) http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/article820969.ece/Fallen-Stars?service=print

January 2011

• "Your Time with Kim Iversen." Children's Beauty Pageants. [Entercom Communications nationally syndicated radio.]

February

• Redbook. Rachael Combe. "Little Girls Gone Wild: Why Daughters Are Acting To Sexy Too Soon." Feb. issue. http://www.redbookmag.com/kids-family/advice/sexualization-of-young-girls?click=main_sr
• Fox Business Network. Kate Rogers. Promoting "modesty" in the age of sexualized childhood. http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/02/01/teaching-teens-modesty/
• The Guardian. Charlotte Richardson Andrews. The impact of pop music lyrics on children.

October 2011

FM 101.9 News in NYC and Chicago: Interview with Jennifer Sendrow about Princess Halloween costumes:
Clip One
Clip Two
Clip Three

Awards

• Recipient of "2009 Family Advocate of the Year" Award. From the Boston Parents Paper in celebration of its 25^th Anniversary.