While school’s still out for summer, we’ve got our eyes on the new year! More specifically, SXSW EDU 2022. Community voting for the conference is now open until August 26th — during this window, everyone can vote on which proposals should make it onto the final program for next year.
We’d love your help supporting our proposals, and those of our partners, which tackle diverse issues from teaching media literacy, avoiding one-and-done edtech solutions, and improving assessment and teacher professional development.
You can review all of the proposals below! If you’d like to vote for any of the proposals, click the link below, create an account in PanelPicker, and then cast your vote by selecting the “up” arrow next to the proposal.
You can cast your vote for however many proposals interest you! But you can only vote once per proposal.
In 2032, Work Will Be Data Centric. Are We Ready?
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics considers data literacy to be one of the most in demand skills over the next decade. But young people are not being prepared for this future workforce, particularly students in low-income schools. We need to look beyond modernizing math curriculum and take an interdisciplinary approach. We’ll address what school districts and teachers, industry leaders, and policymakers can do to better prepare students for the 21st century workforce.
Beyond Fact-Checking: How to Teach Media Literacy
Misinformation, reactionary news, & social media have badly distorted public discourse. While teaching journalistic skills like fact-checking are useful, students also need to learn how to reckon with ambiguity, develop nuanced arguments, and analyze other viewpoints. True media literacy depends on critical thinking. This panel will discuss current research on teaching critical thinking, how these skills can be applied to media analysis, and how to support teachers’ critical thinking instruction.
Learn more about how the Reboot Foundation is improving critical thinking education here.
Can Education Move Beyond Silver Bullet Syndrome?
EdTech has been a booming industry that has only accelerated under COVID-19. But the proliferation of technologies hasn’t led to enough improvements in student outcomes. EdTech needs a culture of continuous improvement where platforms can use the best available learning science, data, and tools to do internet-scale experimentation. Learn from those that are already driving this work forward about how to build effective partnerships between investors, designers, and researchers.
How Can We Save Teacher Professional Development?
Experts believe that billions are wasted on teacher professional development each year. What can teachers do to improve their practice? Our growing body of research “by teachers, for teachers” gives answers to these questions and shows that teacher professional learning that’s focused on evidence-based practices, led by teachers, and based in curriculum is more enjoyable for teachers and can boost student outcomes.
Revolutionizing Assessment Through Research
Bemoaning tests is an education tale as old as time. But in the last few years, researchers and technology have led the charge toward innovations in testing. Join this panel to learn more about how natural language processing, automated feedback, and game-based assessments can improve student outcomes and retention, and how we can bring these innovations into our classrooms and districts.
Learn how the Learning Agency Lab is working to innovate assessments here.