Elana is a researcher at the Center for Children and Technology at the Education Development Center, where she contributes to the design and evaluation of educational media aimed at improving teacher practice and student learning. In her former career as a New York City public elementary school teacher, she watched opportunities for educational play and creative exploration slowly diminish over the years, leaving her with the desire to create learning environments that cultivate a sense of joy and playfulness. As a student in NYU Steinhardt’s Digital Media Design for Learning program, Elana developed a framework for teaching design thinking to K-5 students as a part of her master’s thesis, a project which was largely inspired by her work with as a team lead on the S.S. Columbia Project during the 2016-2017 academic year. She is excited to continue her involvement with DFA NYU as a team mentor this semester and is looking forward to seeing how the S.S. Columbia Project will continue to evolve and grow.
