Sometimes a Remake Learning idea will go beyond a one-time exposure or a one-afternoon experience. It can become embedded within the extended and intimate relationships children have already formed with the adults near them. The “Baby Promise” project, funded through a Spark award from The Sprout Fund, was delivered through a home-visiting program for parents and young children. The project sought to promote creative and constructive use of new technology, like touchscreens, in the early development of young children.

What makes us try new things, especially when new things do not come easily? What makes us stick with challenges when we can see that others appear better and faster? Persistence, or grit, or stick-to-itiveness develops in us through enriching interactions with those near us, especially when we are trying, failing, and struggling.

Looking at Pittsburgh’s Remake Learning movement, it is easy to be dazzled by the array of technology-enhanced approaches to support children’s learning. From traditional computers to the latest touchscreen devices, from 3-D printers to state-of-the-art multimedia classrooms, creative individuals and organizations have tried to put the best technological inventions to use. These approaches may seem different from what was considered “traditional” or “regular.” But there is something essential across traditional and innovative approaches that makes children’s learning and growing possible.