THIS SPECIAL PRESENTATION

WAS PRODUCED IN HIGH

DEFINITION BY WEDU -- TAMPA,

ST. PETERSBURG, SARASOTA.

HELIOS EDUCATION

FOUNDATION, CELEBRATING TEN

YEARS OF CHANGING LIVES

THROUGH EDUCATION IN ARIZONA

AND FLORIDA, IS PROUD TO

SUPPORT "WEDU QUEST."

YOU CAN LEARN MORE AT

HELIOS.ORG.

ON THIS EPISODE OF

"WEDU QUEST,"

A PARACHUTE FOR PEOPLE

WITH CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE.

WHEN I FOUND OUT I HAD

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE AND I

FOUND OUT JUST HOW BAD THE

HEART ATTACK REALLY WAS, I

LOST A LOT OF HOPE.

SENIORS TAKE CHARGE OF

TECHNOLOGY.

WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO

DO IS CHANGE THE WAY THAT WE

AGE.

AND SO WE ADOPTED THIS SLOGAN

CALLED "AGING WITH ATTITUDE."

A SWIM WITH SALAMANDERS.

BIG IMPACT RIGHT HERE AT HOME.

AND HOW YOUNG CHILDREN

LEARN BEST.

TO HAVE FULL LEARNING, YOU

MUST BE ABLE TO INTERACT, AND

INTERACTION REQUIRES SOCIAL

AND EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE.

♪

WELCOME TO "WEDU QUEST."

I'M DR. SHANNON McQUAIG.

A UNIQUE DEVICE THAT IS

CURRENTLY UNDER CLINICAL

TRIALS HAS SHOWN GREAT PROMISE

TO HELP SOME PEOPLE WITH

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE.

ONE OF THE TRIAL'S

PARTICIPANTS IS RICHARD

MURPHY.

AS A YOUNG MAN, HE SERVED HIS

COUNTRY AS A PARATROOPER.

BY AGE 40, HE FOUND HIMSELF IN

CIRCUMSTANCES WITH LITTLE

HOPE.

JUST OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL I

JOINED THE ARMY.

I WAS A PARATROOPER, AND I

SERVED IN THE GULF WAR.

EVERY TIME A PARATROOPER JUMPS

OUT OF AN AIRPLANE, THEY ARE

COUNTING ON THEIR PARACHUTE TO

OPEN, SAVE THEIR LIFE.

AND IT DID ON NUMEROUS

OCCASIONS, AND I'M QUITE PROUD

OF THAT.

AT AGE 40, RICHARD'S LIFE

WAS GREAT.

NO LONGER SERVING IN THE ARMY,

HE WAS RUNNING A NEW BUSINESS

AND RECENTLY HAD BECOME

ENGAGED.

IT WAS EARLY OCTOBER.

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL OUTSIDE.

THE LEAVES WERE CHANGING.

WE WERE IN LOVE.

HAD JUST GOTTEN ENGAGED.

HE WAS ABOUT A YEAR INTO HIS

NEW BUSINESS, AND THINGS WERE

VERY EXCITING.

AND THEN --

[ OMINOUS MUSIC ]

I STARTED TO SWEAT.

I HAD REALLY TIGHT CHEST

PAINS.

HIS HEART BLOCKED UP 100%,

HIS LAD, WHICH IS THE MAIN

ARTERY IN THE LEFT VENTRICLE.

THE NEXT THING THAT I

REMEMBER IS WAKING UP IN THE

HOSPITAL WITH A DOCTOR

YELLING, "MR. MURPHY,

MR. MURPHY, DO YOU

KNOW WHERE YOU ARE?"

WHEN I FOUND OUT I HAD

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE AND I

FOUND OUT JUST HOW BAD THE

HEART ATTACK REALLY WAS, I

LOST A LOT OF HOPE.

I SPENT NIGHT AND DAY FOR

ALMOST A YEAR, I THINK,

RESEARCHING, SENDING E-MAILS

TO DIFFERENT CLINICAL TRIALS.

AND THEN FINALLY FOUND THE

PARACHUTE TRIAL AT FLORIDA

HOSPITAL PEPIN.

HE WAS EVALUATED BY

DR. CHARLES LAMBERT, THE

MEDICAL DIRECTOR AT THE PEPIN

HEART INSTITUTE AT FLORIDA

HOSPITAL IN TAMPA.

RICHARD WAS A PERFECT

CANDIDATE FOR THIS TYPE OF

THERAPY.

VERY, VERY POOR VENTRICULAR

FUNCTION AND VERY LIMITED IN

WHAT HE COULD DO.

DR. LAMBERT DETERMINED THAT

RICHARD COULD BENEFIT FROM THE

PARACHUTE IMPLANT, A NEW

DEVICE FROM CARDIOKINETIX,

THAT IS CURRENTLY GOING

THROUGH CLINICAL TRIALS.

THE PARACHUTE TRIAL

INVOLVES AN IMPLANTABLE

DEVICE.

IT'S VERY UNIQUE.

THE PROCEDURE WAS DONE IN

THE CARDIAC CATH LAB AT PEPIN.

DR. LAMBERT EXPLAINS HOW THEY

USE THE LATEST IMAGING

TECHNIQUES TO GUIDE THEM

THROUGHOUT THE PROCEDURE.

SO THESE IMAGES ARE

TRANSTHORACIC

ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC IMAGES.

ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN

IS PRE-PROCEDURE.

ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE

SCREEN IS POST-PROCEDURE.

THERE IS A TRANSDUCER UP AT

THIS PART OF THE IMAGE.

THIS CAVITY HERE IS THE LEFT

VENTRICLE.

THIS IS THE RIGHT VENTRICLE.

THIS IS THE MITRAL VALVE.

THIS IS THE TRICUSPID VALVE.

YOU CAN SEE IN THE

PRE-PROCEDURE IMAGE, THIS

PARTICULAR PATIENT'S HEART IS

NOT REALLY CONTRACTING WELL AT

ALL.

AFTER EVALUATING THE

HEART'S EFFICIENCY, THEY USE

THE CINEANGIOGRAM, OR X-RAY

MOVIES, TO GUIDE THEM TO

IMPLANT THE DEVICE IN THE LEFT

VENTRICLE.

THESE ARE WIRES FROM THE

PATIENT'S DEFIBRILLATOR

PACEMAKER.

THIS IS THE AORTA, OR THE

BLOOD VESSEL THAT LEADS OUT OF

THE HEART, AND THIS IS A

CATHETER SHAPED LIKE A LITTLE

PIGTAIL.

IT'S INJECTING DYE SO WE CAN

SEE THE CHAMBER.

AND THEN THROUGH THE LEG, A

VERY LARGE DELIVERY SYSTEM, A

CATHETER SYSTEM, IS BROUGHT UP

OVER THE ARCH OF THE AORTA,

DOWN THROUGH THE AORTIC VALVE

INTO THE VERY END OF THE LEFT

VENTRICLE.

ANIMATION PROVIDED BY

CARDIOKINETIX SHOWS A CATHETER

SYSTEM WHERE THE END OF THE

DEVICE IS PLACED AT THE APEX,

OR BOTTOM, OF THE LEFT

VENTRICLE.

AND ONCE WE'RE SURE THAT

WE'RE IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT

SPOT DOWN HERE, WE START TO

WITHDRAW THE SHEATH, THE BIG

CATHETER, A LITTLE BIT AT A

TIME UNTIL THE DEVICE IS

RELEASED.

YOU CAN SEE HERE, AND THERE IS

A BALLOON THAT'S INSIDE OF

THAT DEVICE, AND WHEN IT'S

UNSHEATHED AND THE TINES CAN

GO OUT, THE BALLOON IS

INFLATED VERY, VERY QUICKLY TO

MAKE SURE THAT THE TINES

ACTUALLY SEAT IN THE INTERIOR

OF THE LEFT VENTRICLE.

THIS IS ALL DONE VERY QUICKLY

BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS

HOLDING THE VALVE OPEN, AND WE

WANT TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF

STROKE OR OTHER COMPLICATIONS.

THE BALLOON IS THEN DEFLATED.

REMEMBER, THERE WAS A BALLOON

PICTURE IN HERE.

IT'S BROUGHT BACK INTO THE

PUT BACK DOWN OVER ITS

ATTACHMENT SITE.

WE TAKE A PICTURE TO MAKE SURE

THAT THE PARACHUTE IS IN THE

APPROPRIATE DEVICE.

IF YOU CAN SEE, THERE IS A

SPACE BETWEEN THE EDGE OF THE

PARACHUTE, AND IF YOU LOOK

RIGHT HERE WHERE THERE'S DYE,

WHERE THE LEFT VENTRICLE IS, A

LITTLE BIT OF DYE CREEPS IN

THERE AND OVER TIME THAT GOES

AWAY.

IT FILLS UP WITH CLOT AND A

FORMATION.

THAT'S REALLY THE VOLUME OF

THE LEFT VENTRICLE WHICH IS

EXCLUDED BY THE DEVICE.

AT THE END OF THE PROCEDURE,

WE TAKE A PICTURE OF THE

ARTERY THAT WAS USED TO

INTRODUCE THE WHOLE SYSTEM UP,

AND WE CLOSE THAT OFF, AND

PROCEDURE.

AFTER THE PROCEDURE,

DR. LAMBERT TAKES ANOTHER LOOK

USING THE ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC

IMAGES TO EVALUATE THE HEART'S

FUNCTION WITH THE NEW DEVICE.

NOW, THE BASIC FUNCTION OF

THE HEART HASN'T CHANGED, BUT

WHAT THE DEVICE HAS DONE

FUNCTIONALLY IS EXCLUDED THIS

WHOLE PORTION OF THE LEFT

VENTRICULAR APEX, SO THAT IS A

DEAD VOLUME WHICH NOW BLOOD IS

ACTUALLY NOT GETTING TO IT

ANYMORE.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE

PROCEDURE, I WAS SITTING IN MY

HOSPITAL ROOM.

FUSS, AND I COULD TAKE A DEEP

BREATH FOR THE FIRST TIME IN

TWO YEARS.

SO I NOTICED THE RESULTS

IMMEDIATELY.

HE REALLY FELT BETTER.

GOT UP, JUST ABOUT RAN OUT OF

THE HOSPITAL.

SO PERFECT PATIENT, PERFECT

OUTCOME.

IT WOULD BE NICE IF EVERYBODY

WAS THAT PERFECT.

WE WENT FROM NOT KNOWING

WHAT THE FUTURE HELD TO BEING

PRETTY GRIM, AND NOW OUR

FUTURE IS SO EXCITING.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IS

THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH

IN THE UNITED STATES.

IF THERE ARE FIVE TO SIX

HUNDRED THOUSAND NEW HEART

ATTACKS EVERY YEAR, IT'S A BIG

PROBLEM.

BUT A LOT OF PATIENTS, THERE

IS NO OPTION FOR.

SO IT'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL

PATIENTS WITH POTENTIALLY A

GREAT BENEFIT FOR THEM.

AND THE BENEFITS FOR

RICHARD AND ALLISON JUST

INCREASED BY ONE.

WELL, AFTER ALL THE

MIRACLES THAT WE'VE ALREADY

BEEN PROVIDED, WE'RE HAVING

ANOTHER MIRACLE.

MY WIFE IS PREGNANT.

WE'RE EXPECTING A LITTLE GIRL.

WE'VE BEEN GETTING HER

FURNITURE PUT TOGETHER.

WE HAVE A CLOSET FULL OF

CLOTHES THAT HONESTLY WE JUST

GO IN AND PLAY WITH AND LOOK

AT ALL OF IT.

WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT HER.

YEAH, IT'S PRETTY AMAZING

THAT 20 YEARS AFTER BEING A

PARATROOPER THAT I WOULD NEED

ANOTHER PARACHUTE INSIDE OF MY

HEART TO SAVE MY LIFE.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE

PARACHUTE TRIAL, VISIT

CardioKinetix.com.

> WHO SAYS SENIORS CAN'T

CROSS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE?

ACCORDING TO A RECENT STUDY,

59% OF AMERICANS OVER 65 USE A

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE EVERY

DAY.

NOW ONE PROGRAM, THE FIRST OF

ITS KIND IN THE NATION, IS

MAKING TECHNOLOGY EVEN MORE

ACCESSIBLE BY PUTTING GADGETS

IN THE HANDS OF SENIORS.

HERE'S A LOOK.

YOU MIGHT CALL IT AN

AGE-OLD BATTLE.

WHILE SOME CROWDS ARE QUEUING

UP TO BUY THE LATEST iPAD,

HERE AT THE SENIOR PLANET

EXPLORATION CENTER IN CHELSEA,

OTHERS ARE WAITING IN LINE TO

LEARN HOW TO USE THEM.

THERE IS A BUTTON ON THE

TOP RIGHT HERE.

IT'S A LITTLE PIECE OF

PLASTIC.

I'LL COME AROUND AND SHOW YOU.

WE'RE IN THE TECHNOLOGY

AGE, SO I'M GOING FORWARD.

SENIOR PLANET IS THE

NATION'S FIRST

TECHNOLOGY-THEMED COMMUNITY

CENTER FOR PEOPLE OVER 60.

SINCE OPENING IN MARCH,

HUNDREDS OF SENIORS HAVE

FLOCKED HERE TO MEET THE

DIGITAL AGE HEAD ON.

YOU REALLY DO WANT TO GIVE

YOURSELF A LITTLE MORE TIME

THAN WE HAVE IN THE ACTUAL

CLASS TO WORK ON THESE SKILLS.

WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO

DO IS CHANGE THE WAY THAT WE

AGE.

SO WE ADOPTED THIS SLOGAN

CALLED "AGING WITH ATTITUDE."

TOM KAMBER IS THE EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR OF THE NEW YORK-BASED

NONPROFIT, OLDER ADULTS

TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, OR

O.A.T.S.

IN MARCH 2013, KAMBER LAUNCHED

SENIOR PLANET AS A

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

BETWEEN O.A.T.S., THE FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT, AND THE CITY OF

NEW YORK.

WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY IS

THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF OLDER

ADULTS WHO ARE MORE

CHRONICALLY DISLOCATED FROM

THE WORKFORCE ARE SLOWLY

TRYING TO GET BACK IN.

AND AS THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES

ARE FALLING, THEY ARE BECOMING

MORE ATTRACTIVE TO EMPLOYERS

WHO REALIZE THEY SHOW UP ON

TIME.

THEY ARE LITERATE.

THEY CAN WRITE.

THEY HAVE CONTACTS IN THE

INDUSTRIES.

THEY'VE GOT SPECIALIZED

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE.

67-YEAR-OLD BARBARA NATHAN

HAS RETURNED TO THE WORKFORCE

AS A FREELANCE WRITER AFTER

MORE THAN A DECADE OF

UNEMPLOYMENT.

I WAS TIRED OF GOING TO

SOCIAL SERVICE WORKERS AND

ASKING FOR HELP.

I WANTED TO FEEL THAT I COULD

STILL DO SOMETHING USEFUL.

BUT NATHAN QUICKLY FOUND

OUT THAT TIMES HAVE CHANGED.

I APPLIED FOR MANY JOBS ON

MY OWN.

I WAS TURNED DOWN EVERYWHERE,

AND IT WAS EXTREMELY

FRUSTRATING.

KAMBER SAYS THAT BETWEEN A

QUARTER TO A HALF OF SENIOR

PLANET STUDENTS ARE SEEKING

WORKFORCE-RELATED SKILLS.

SO THE CENTER OFFERS A RANGE

OF PROGRAMS, FROM LEARNING TO

USE A MOUSE AND SEND E-MAILS,

TO CREATING PDFs OF RESUMES

AND SEARCHING AND APPLYING FOR

JOBS ONLINE.

AFTER A FIVE-WEEK SENIOR

PLANET COURSE CALLED "JOB

SEARCHING IN THE DIGITAL AGE,"

BARBARA NATHAN SECURED WORK ON

THE WEB SITE ELANCE.

I GO THROUGH, LET'S SAY,

ABOUT FIVE TO TEN PAGES' WORTH

OF JOBS AND SEE WHAT HAS BEEN

POSTED THAT MIGHT BE OF

INTEREST TO ME.

I HAVE TO SUBMIT A BID ON WHAT

I WOULD LIKE TO BE PAID FOR

THE JOB WITHIN THE BUDGET

THAT'S OFFERED.

STILL, THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE

FOR SENIORS ON THE JOB ISN'T

TECHNICAL PROWESS.

IT'S THE PREVALENT PERCEPTION

OF OLDER ADULTS IN THE

WORKPLACE.

WHEN YOU PUT YOUR COLLEGE

GRADUATION DATE ON YOUR RESUMÉ

AND PEOPLE LOOK AND REALIZE

YOU GRADUATED 1955, IT REALLY

CHANGES THE WAY PEOPLE

PERCEIVE YOU.

THE PERCEPTIONS THAT WE HAVE

THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO LEARN,

THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE

TECHNOLOGY, THEY ARE

FORGETFUL.

KAMBER SAYS ONE WAY TO

BATTLE PERCEPTIONS IN AGEISM

IN THE WORKPLACE IS TO

INCREASE CONFIDENCE.

HERE AT SENIOR PLANET,

COMMUNITY BUILDING, BOTH IN

PERSON AND ONLINE, IS ONE PART

OF BOOSTING CONFIDENCE AND

MAKING TECHNOLOGY FUN.

SOME SENIORS EVEN COME BACK TO

VOLUNTEER, SHARING THEIR

KNOWLEDGE AND CONTRIBUTING TO

THAT COMMUNITY.

IT'S LIKE LEARNING A DANCE

MOVE.

I'M AN EX-DANCER, SO IT'S LIKE

LEARNING A NEW STEP, AND THEN

ALL OF A SUDDEN IT CLICKS.

AHH, I GOT IT.

WE CAN ASK PEOPLE, WHAT DO

WHAT ARE WE CAPABLE OF?

SO THE COMMUNITY ASPECTS OF IT

HAVE LED TO A BOOK CLUB.

THERE IS A PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP

THAT'S DOING CLASSES AND GOING

OUT AND TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS AND

SHARING THEM NOW ONLINE.

THERE IS A VIDEO GAMING GROUP

THAT'S COMING TOGETHER.

PEOPLE ARE STARTING

MICROENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS

ONLINE AND SELLING THINGS ON

ETSY.

SO THIS NOTION OF WHAT WE'RE

ABLE TO DO TOGETHER AS OLDER

ADULTS, IT'S NOT ABOUT

COMPUTERS.

IT'S ABOUT AGING.

IT'S ABOUT HOW WE AGE BETTER.

I DID IT.

I DID IT.

HOLD ON TO IT.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE BEING BACK

IN GRADE SCHOOL AGAIN, BUT

IT'S A WONDERFUL FEELING

GETTING THIS KIND OF POSITIVE

REINFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, BEING

TOLD HOW MUCH THE CLIENT LIKED

MY WORK, AND IT TELLS ME, YES,

I CAN DO THIS AND KEEP DOING

THIS.

THERE WILL BE LULLS, YOU KNOW,

WHEN YOU DON'T GET HIRED AND

PLATEAUS, AND YOU HAVE TO KEEP

GOING.

AND THEN WHEN YOU MIGHT LEAST

EXPECT IT, THINGS START

HAPPENING AGAIN.

BY THE END OF 2015, IT'S

FORECAST THAT THERE WILL BE

MORE THAN 26 MILLION SENIORS

USING THE INTERNET IN THE U.S.

ALONE.

> THE HELLBENDER SALAMANDER,

WHICH IS NATIVE TO EASTERN

STATES FROM NEW YORK TO

ARKANSAS, IS THE LARGEST

AQUATIC SALAMANDER IN THE

UNITED STATES.

BUT SINCE 2011, THE SALAMANDER

HAS BEEN ON THE ENDANGERED

SPECIES LIST.

NOW ONE ZOO IN ST. LOUIS,

MISSOURI, HAS BEEN TRYING TO

COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO

SAVE THE SPECIES.

WHAT WE CAME TO SEE AT THE

ST. LOUIS ZOO IS NOT ON

DISPLAY.

IT'S ACTUALLY BEHIND THE

HERPETARIUM WHERE THEY KEEP

THE SNAKES AND OTHER ASSORTED

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS.

AND IF YOU COME BACK HERE ON

THE RIGHT DAY, YOU MIGHT GET

TO MEET IRENE.

NOT THE WOMAN IN THE WET SUIT.

THAT'S CHAWNA.

IRENE IS THE BIG SALAMANDER

SHE HAS JUST FISHED OUT OF ITS

NEST.

IT'S ONE OF OUR FEMALE

HELLBENDERS.

HOW OLD?

WE DON'T KNOW HER AGE

BECAUSE SHE WAS A WILD

COLLECTED ADULT.

SHE COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM 10

TO 35.

WHO KNOWS.

SHE IS ONE OF THE

HELLBENDERS LIVING AND, MORE

IMPORTANTLY AND AMAZINGLY,

REPRODUCING IN WHAT IS NO MERE

TROUGH.

THIS IS ABOUT YOUR TYPICAL

SIZE OF OUR ADULT.

THESE ARE MINIATURE STREAMS

OF THE CURRENT, THE

TEMPERATURE, THE MINERALS, ALL

CAREFULLY CONTROLLED TO MATCH

THE HELLBENDER'S NATIVE

HABITAT -- THE SPRING-FED

WATERWAYS OF THE OZARKS.

THERE WERE ONCE MAYBE 10,000

OR MORE OF THESE GUYS IN

MISSOURI AND NORTHERN

ARKANSAS.

BUT OVER TIME, FOR SOME OR

MANY REASONS, THEY DECLINED

INTO THE HUNDREDS.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE

SURVIVORS SHOWED A HIGH RATE

OF SEVERE INJURIES THAT HADN'T

HEALED PROPERLY, WHICH COULD

BE DUE TO A COMBINATION OF

MANY FACTORS.

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT SHE'S

BACK RIGHT LEG.

ABOUT 70 TO 80 PERCENT OF THE

ANIMALS THAT WE FIND ON THE

OZARK RIVERS HAVE GOT SOME

SORT OF ANOMALY.

A BIG PART OF THIS IS

SIMPLY PRESERVING THE SPECIES,

BIODIVERSITY, THE BALANCE IN

THE OZARK RIVER ECOSYSTEM.

BUT THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN

THAT.

HELLBENDERS MAY NOT BE AS

MAJESTIC OR CUDDLY AS SOME

OTHER ENDANGERED ANIMALS.

AFTER ALL, ONE OF THEIR

NICKNAMES IS "SNOT OTTER." BUT

FRESHWATER SPECIES ARE

DISAPPEARING JUST AS FAST OR

FASTER, AND AMPHIBIANS ARE AT

THE GREATEST RISK.

THE HELLBENDER HAS LUNGS, BUT

UNDERWATER, IT ABSORBS OXYGEN

ALONG THOSE RIPPLING FOLDS OF

SKIN.

AND WHATEVER IS IN THE WATER,

IT ABSORBS THAT, TOO.

THINK CANARY IN THE COAL MINE.

WE DEPEND ON WATER JUST AS

MUCH AS THESE ANIMALS DO.

SO IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT

ARE INHERENT IN THE WATER THAT

ARE IMPACTING HELLBENDERS AND

OTHER FORMS OF WILDLIFE, IT'S

GOING TO IMPACT US EVENTUALLY,

TOO.

SO THE ST. LOUIS ZOO, THE

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF

CONSERVATION, AND OTHER

PARTNERS SET OUT NOT JUST TO

STUDY THE HELLBENDER BUT TO

FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREED THEM

IN CAPTIVITY, RAISE THE

OFFSPRING, AND PUT THEM BACK

IN THE STREAMS.

NOW, CATCHING A HELLBENDER IS

ACTUALLY PRETTY EASY.

DURING THE DAY, YOU FIND THEM

LOLLING ABOUT IN THEIR NESTS

UNDER ROCKS.

BUT GETTING THEM TO REPRODUCE

IN CAPTIVITY, THAT WOULD TAKE

TEN YEARS.

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO

GET RIGHT, SO MANY THINGS THAT

COULD AND DID GO WRONG.

THE ZOO STARTED WITH AN INDOOR

STREAM.

THE MALES AND FEMALES WERE

DOING THEIR JOBS BUT THE EGGS

JUST WEREN'T GETTING

FERTILIZED.

EVERY YEAR THE ZOOKEEPERS

WOULD ADJUST THIS OR THAT, BUT

STILL NO BABIES.

SO A FEW YEARS AGO, THEY TRIED

SOMETHING ELSE.

THEY THOUGHT MAYBE AN OUTSIDE

ENVIRONMENT WOULD HELP, AND

THEY BUILT THE OUTDOOR

STREAMS.

ROOMIER, LIDDED NESTING BOXES

HALF BURIED, COMFORTABLY

SPACED, MIMICKING THE ROCK

NESTS OF THE TERRITORIAL

HELLBENDER, BUT STILL NO

SUCCESS.

SO THEY WENT BACK TO THE WATER

ITSELF LOOKING AT THE ION AND

MINERAL CONCENTRATIONS, MADE A

MINOR ADJUSTMENT, AND THEN

WAITED TO SEE IF IT WOULD MAKE

A DIFFERENCE.

IT WAS -- I REMEMBER THE

DATE.

IT WAS OCTOBER 18th, 2011.

WE OPENED UP ONE OF THE NEST

BOXES OUT BACK, AND THERE WERE

ALL THESE FERTILE EGGS.

THEY DIDN'T JUST HATCH 63

BABY HELLBENDERS.

THEY MADE HISTORY.

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME ANYBODY

HAD BRED THEM IN CAPTIVITY.

NOW, EVERY FALL, THE KEEPERS,

ALL CERTIFIED DIVERS, REACH

INTO THE NEST AND REMOVE A

LONG STRING OF EGGS, WHICH ARE

THEN PLACED IN THESE TRAYS.

WE ALSO SHAKE THE EGGS OR

ROCK THE EGGS THREE TIMES A

DAY PHYSICALLY.

THAT'S TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT

WHAT THE MALE IS DOING IN THE

BOTTOM OF THE RIVER.

THESE ARE OUR NEWEST

BABIES.

THERE ARE NOW THOUSANDS OF

HELLBENDERS IN THESE TANKS.

TWO SUBSPECIES FROM TWO

DIFFERENT OZARK RIVER SYSTEMS

ARE BRED SEPARATELY AND WILL

BE PLACED BACK INTO THE

STREAMS WHERE THEIR PARENTS

WERE CAUGHT.

AND THERE THEY WILL FEAST ON,

AMONG OTHER THINGS, CRAYFISH,

BUT THEY GENERALLY DON'T

BOTHER PEOPLE.

THEY ARE NOT POISONOUS, NOT

AGGRESSIVE.

WE'RE ACTUALLY MORE INTERESTED

IN THEM THAN THEY ARE IN US.

SO FOR US, BEING ABLE TO

HELP CONSERVE A SPECIES THAT'S

RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD, BECAUSE

LESS THAN TWO HOURS FROM HERE,

YOU CAN BE IN THE HABITAT OF

THESE GUYS.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO

MADAGASCAR FOR THIS.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO

MADAGASCAR, YOU KNOW, AND

IMPACT RIGHT HERE AT HOME.

THE HELLBENDER PROJECT IN

MISSOURI IS A SUCCESS SO FAR

BUT ONLY UP TO A POINT.

THE POPULATION IS BEING

INCREASED, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE

FACTORS THAT CAUSED THEM TO

DECLINE SO DRAMATICALLY IN THE

FIRST PLACE?

WAS IT DISEASE, CLIMATE

CHANGE, POLLUTION, PEOPLE

COLLECTING THEM FOR PETS?

WERE THEIR NESTS BEING FILLED

UP WITH SILT BECAUSE OF

CHANGING RIVERBANK VEGETATION?

THE ZOO-RAISED HELLBENDERS ARE

BEING PUT BACK AT VARIOUS AGES

TO SEE AT WHAT POINT IN THEIR

DEVELOPMENT THEY ARE MOST

VULNERABLE.

THAT MEANS TRACKING, COUNTING,

MEASURING AT LEAST FOR THE

NEXT 15 YEARS.

WE NEED TO BE PAYING

ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON

IN THESE WILD SITUATIONS, JUST

US.

FOSSIL RECORDS INDICATE THE

HELLBENDER SALAMANDER EXISTED

MORE THAN 160 MILLION YEARS

AGO.

> YOUNG CHILDREN IN

CHILD-CARE HOMES AND EARLY

LEARNING CENTERS ARE EXPECTED

TO BE PREPARED WHEN THEY ENTER

PRE AND REGULAR KINDERGARTEN

PROGRAMS.

BUT WHAT SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

DO THEY NEED?

HERE ARE TWO PLACES THAT ARE

TAKING A NONTRADITIONAL

APPROACH TO HOW CHILDREN LEARN

BEST.

THE LEARNING CENTER AT

ST. JOHN'S PROVIDES CHILD CARE

AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES FOR

99 YOUNG CHILDREN.

THE TEACHERS THERE FOCUS ON

PREPARING THEM FOR

KINDERGARTEN.

HERE AT THE LEARNING

CENTER, WE ARE PART OF A PILOT

PROGRAM THIS YEAR FOR THE

CREATIVE CURRICULUM GOAL

CURRICULUM.

IT IS A PROJECT-BASED

CURRICULUM THAT'S BASED ON

DIMENSIONS OF MATH, SCIENCE,

LANGUAGE, SOCIAL STUDIES, AND

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL

DEVELOPMENT.

THE CENTER NOW EMPHASIZES

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY.

WHEN A CHILD VISITS A

CENTER AND DOES A PARTICULAR

ACTIVITY, A TEACHER WILL BE

THERE TO HELP FACILITATE OR

HELP GUIDE THEM IN THE

DIRECTION THAT THEY WANT THEM

TO DO, TO DO THEIR

OBSERVATIONS AND ANECDOTALS.

SO THE TEACHER IS A BIG PART

WITHIN THOSE CENTER-BASED PLAY

SETUPS.

PART OF THEIR SOCIAL AND

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT INCLUDES

TEAMWORK.

THOSE THINGS START TO

DEVELOP NATURALLY BECAUSE

THEY'RE WORKING ON A

PARTICULAR PROJECT TOGETHER.

THEY'RE HAVING THOSE

OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD

RELATIONSHIPS AND BUILD THAT

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL

COMPETENCY WITHIN EACH OTHER.

AND THEY ARE GETTING ABLE TO

LEARN TO TAKE TURNS, TO SHARE,

GIVE IDEAS, AND SUGGESTIONS ON

WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT.

THE CHILDREN ALSO HAVE

PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR

SELF-DIRECTED ACTIVITIES.

WHEN THINGS ARE BASED ON

THEIR INTERESTS WITHIN A

CLASSROOM, THEY FEEL MORE

EMPOWERED AND EAGER TO LEARN.

IT'S NOT ABOUT FILLING THE

BUCKET.

IT'S ABOUT LIGHTING THE FIRE

WITH CHILDREN.

PROFESSOR MARY HARPER OF

ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGE TEACHES

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

AND CONSULTS WITH NUMEROUS

CHILD-CARE AGENCIES.

IN EARLY CHILDHOOD, IT'S

LANGUAGE, LANGUAGE, LANGUAGE.

SO ANYTHING CHILDREN ARE

INTERACTING WITH OR BEING A

PART OF OR EXPERIMENTING WITH,

THERE SHOULD BE LOTS OF

LANGUAGE GOING ON AROUND THAT.

YOU SHOULD BE ASKING

QUESTIONS.

THEY SHOULD BE RESPONDING.

TO HAVE FULL LEARNING, YOU

MUST BE ABLE TO INTERACT, AND

INTERACTION REQUIRES SOCIAL

AND EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE.

MAKING MORE BUBBLES OR DO YOU

THINK IT'S THE SAME?

THE SAME.

FOR YOUNG LEARNERS, SOCIAL

SKILLS ARE THE BASIS FOR ALL

LEARNING.

YOU CAN'T HAVE COGNITION OR

THIS KIND OF GROWING APTITUDE

IN ACADEMIA WITHOUT SOCIAL

SKILLS.

AND SOCIAL SKILLS IS THE

UNDERPINNING OF ALL KINDS OF

LEARNING THAT TAKES PLACE, AND

IT IS THE NUMBER ONE

CORRELATIVE FACTOR IN ALL

ACADEMIC LEARNING.

WE KNOW THAT COGNITION IS

BASED ON INTERACTIONS WITH THE

ENVIRONMENT, WITH LANGUAGE AND

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.

SO WITHOUT THE UNDERGIRDINGS

OF SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL

COMPETENCE, YOU DON'T GET THE

SAME RICHNESS IN COGNITION AS

YOU WOULD UNLESS THEY WERE

PARTNERED.

THEY ARE INEXTRICABLY LINKED.

THE TEACHERS AT THE

LEARNING CENTER ARE NOW

IMPLEMENTING INDIVIDUALIZED

INSTRUCTION PLANS.

THEY HAVE TO ACTUALLY BE

ABLE TO READ THE CHILD'S

DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES AND

SAY, WOW, THIS CHILD IS HERE.

I NEED TO TAKE THEM HERE.

THIS IS HOW I'LL DO IT, BY

QUESTIONING THIS WAY,

PROVIDING THESE ACTIVITIES,

GIVING THEM A WAY TO LOOK AT

THE WORLD IN A DIFFERENT WAY

AND THEN HAVE THE CHILD

RESPOND BACK.

IT REQUIRES A LOT MORE COMPLEX

ASSESSMENTS AS WELL.

BY FOCUSING ON SOCIAL AND

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH

PLAY, THE TEACHERS HERE HAD TO

CHANGE EVERYTHING.

SO IT WAS A LITTLE BIT HARD

FOR A TEACHER TO LET GO OF

THAT PART OF THE BOOK AND THEN

LETTING THE CHILDREN DRIVE THE

CURRICULUM.

THE TEACHER IS THE

FACILITATOR.

THE CHILDREN ACTUALLY DRIVE

THE CURRICULUM.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PHRASES

THAT I SAY IS, WHAT DID THE

CHILDREN HAVE YOU DO TODAY?

DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE

CURRICULUM HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN

UNDERGIRDING OF EARLY

CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.

AND WHAT THE LEARNING CENTER

IS DOING IS THEY ARE USING AN

APPROACH THAT RELIES ON THE

TEACHER TO BE AN EXPERT IN

CHILD DEVELOPMENT.

THE ENVIRONMENT IS DESIGNED

WITH A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

THAT'S ENRICHED AND ENHANCED,

WHERE CHILDREN CAN BEGIN AT

THIS LEVEL OR MAYBE THIS LEVEL

OR MAYBE THIS LEVEL.

THE TEACHER'S JOB IS TO

SCAFFOLD THAT LEARNING.

♪ YOU HAVE A HEART ♪

♪ I HAVE A HEART ♪

♪ WE HAVE TWO HEARTS TOGETHER ♪

TAMI SPIDLE RUNS A

CHILD-CARE HOME IN

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.

SHE'S BEEN DOING THIS TYPE OF

WORK FOR 20 YEARS.

I STARTED OUT WITH A

PROGRAM THAT WAS VERY

ACADEMIC, EVERYBODY IS SITTING

DOWN AT CIRCLE TIME BECAUSE

THAT'S WHAT I WAS TAUGHT WAS

NECESSARY FOR KIDS.

I STARTED SEEING THAT I DIDN'T

BELIEVE THAT, AND I STARTED

SEEING THAT THEY DID JUST FINE

WITHOUT BEING DIRECTED.

AND SO I STARTED CREATING THIS

ACTIVE LEARNING PROGRAM.

AS A CHILD-CARE PROVIDER,

TAMI GETS SUPPORT FROM THE

EARLY LEARNING COALITION AND

TAKES CLASSES FROM PROFESSOR

HARPER IN ORDER TO KEEP UP

WITH AGE-APPROPRIATE LEARNING.

THERE'S A LOT OF TALK IN

HOW TO KEEP A CHILD ENGAGED

AND NOT HAVE THEM BE

DISRUPTIVE.

WHAT I HAVE FOUND IS IF I

DON'T TRY TO TELL THEM WHAT TO

THINK OR WHAT TO DO, IF I

ALLOW THEM TO DO WHAT THEY

WANT TO DO AT THE TIME, THEN

THERE ARE A LOT LESS

INTERRUPTIONS.

AND THEN WHAT I DO IS I FOLLOW

THEM AROUND, AND I TRY TO ADD

TO WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

SOMETIMES HER CHILD-CARE

HOME MAY LOOK CHAOTIC, BUT HER

GOAL IS TO HELP THE CHILDREN

MANAGE THEMSELVES.

I GIVE THEM A LOT OF

FREEDOM, BUT I ALSO HAVE

BUILT-IN RULES ESTABLISHED

THAT THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW.

BY THE TIME THEY GET INTO BBK,

I WANT THEM TO BE VERY GOOD AT

SELF-REGULATING.

THAT'S MY NUMBER ONE CONCERN,

WHICH IS TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT

THE ANSWER NO AND MANAGE

THEMSELVES WELL, TO BE ABLE TO

DEFER TO SOMEBODY ELSE, TO BE

ABLE TO SHARE SPACE, TO CHANGE

THEIR MIND, TO CHANGE THEIR

INTENT ON SOMETHING BECAUSE IT

WON'T WORK.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET DOWN?

I'M GOING TO PUT YOU DOWN.

I CAN SIT DOWN.

YOU CAN SIT ON MY LAP RIGHT

HERE.

THE HIGHEST CORRELATION OF

PEOPLE WHO HAVE ATTAINED GREAT

THINGS IN THEIR CAREERS AND IN

THEIR LIVES AND IN BUSINESS

AND IN INDUSTRY ARE HIGHLY

SELF-REGULATED LEARNERS.

BY GIVING CHILDREN AUTONOMY

EARLY ON TO SAY WHAT I'M GOING

TO WORK ON, WHAT I'M GOING TO

LEARN, HOW I'M GOING TO DO IT,

WE ARE BEGINNING TO BUILD

SELF-REGULATED LEARNERS.

SCIENTISTS HAVE LEARNED

THAT OUR BRAIN GOES THROUGH

DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENT EARLY IN

LIFE.

THOSE SYNAPTICAL

CONNECTIONS IN THE BRAIN,

THOSE NEURAL PATHWAYS, BETWEEN

THE AGES OF 0 TO 4 ARE BEING

STRENGTHENED AND HARDWIRED.

AND WITHOUT THESE KINDS OF

RICH INTERACTIONS THAT ARE

DIVERSE, YOU WON'T FIND THAT

THOSE PATHWAYS GET VERY

STRONG.

SO WE REALLY WANT RICH

INTERACTIONS FOR CHILDREN SO

THAT THOSE NEURAL PATHWAYS

REMAIN STRONG SO THAT WHEN

THEY ENTER SCHOOL, THEY ARE

PRE-WIRED TO ENGAGE IN SOME

RIGOROUS ACTIVITY.

THE FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS

IN SCHOOL STARTS HERE BEFORE

THEY EVEN REACH KINDERGARTEN.

THE FACTS AND THE ABCs AND

NUMBERS AND ALL THOSE THINGS

THAT THEY ARE GOING TO NEED

THEY WILL GET IN FIRST,

SECOND, THIRD GRADE.

BUT THIS EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL,

WHO THEY ARE, HOW TO MANAGE

THEMSELVES, SELF-REGULATION,

LET'S GIVE THEM FIVE YEARS TO

FORMULATE THAT WITHIN

THEMSELVES.

THE REST OF THE STUFF WILL

JUST ALL STICK.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EARLY

CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN

FLORIDA, VISIT

flchildrenscouncil.org.

AND THAT WRAPS UP THIS EPISODE

OF "WEDU QUEST."

FOR MORE INFORMATION

ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,

AND EDUCATION, AND

TO VIEW THIS SERIES ONLINE,

VISIT US AT WEDU.ORG/QUEST.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

I'M DR. SHANNON McQUAIG.

♪

HELIOS EDUCATION

FOUNDATION, CELEBRATING TEN

YEARS OF CHANGING LIVES

THROUGH EDUCATION IN ARIZONA,

AND FLORIDA, IS PROUD TO

SUPPORT "WEDU QUEST."

YOU CAN LEARN MORE AT

HELIOS.ORG.