Brian Puerling

Brian J. Puerling, MS, NBCT is an Early Childhood Specialist for the Chicago Public Schools. He also worked as the director of education in a day care setting, the former director of education for SOS Children’s Villages Illinois, which supports children in foster care. Prior to that he was the director of education technology at the Catherine Cook School in Chicago for nine years, where he worked with teachers to connect students to new technologies that offer innovative ways to explore, play and learn. He was an early fellow career fellow and former guest blogger for the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media, he is the recipient of the National PBS Innovative Educator Award and the National PBS Teachers’ Choice Award. Brian is a former preschool teacher for the Chicago Public Schools, he has also worked as an early childhood teacher coach, a curriculum reviewer and a professional development facilitator for various local organizations such as the Chicago Public Schools and as well as overseas for the Early Childhood Council of New Zealand. As a consultant, he work with PBS to develop online, self-paced course for preschool teachers supporting media literacy. He has also served as an educational consultant for Nickelodeon and is a former member of the Nickelodeon Curriculum and Content Advisory Board. As a former member of the Sesame Workshop Teacher Council, he shared his knowledge of trends in early childhood education and technology to help guide the planning for future Sesame Street television shows. Puerling is also the author of the Teaching in the Digital Age series published by Redleaf Press and the upcoming book, Teaching in the Digital Age to Support Social-Emotional Development in Young Children. He holds a master of science degree in early childhood education from the Erikson Institute and a bachelor of science degree in early childhood and elementary education from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse as well as a Certificate of Advanced Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.