SXSW EDU 2025: It’s Panel Picker Time!

Happy August! It’s Panel Picker Time — one of our favorite times of year here at the Cooney Center. Our team has spent most of the summer so far dreaming of tacos and tunes in Texas! We can’t wait to catch up with old friends and meet new colleagues next March at SXSW EDU 2025- and we’re so obsessed we might have been caught planning our proposals while on wifi-free vacations. Just kidding! (Sort of.)

This time, we’re looking forward to bringing a panel about generative AI and a workshop about civics edtech to Austin, as well as participating in two more exciting proposals with our partners – and we need your support to get us there. Please take a moment to visit the Panel Picker site before Sunday, August 18th and log in (or create a free account). It only takes a minute to vote! We’d be grateful if you would spread the word with your networks, too – and if you have a session that we can help boost, please let us know so we can support yours as well.

 

Panel: AI tools to support literacy & computational thinking
Generative AI has the potential to personalize learning, curate content, and promote collaboration, while questions remain about how to integrate AI in elementary schools in safe, equitable, and ethical ways. With support from the Robin Hood Foundation, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and The GIANT Room are co-designing an AI-storytelling platform with students and educators from a low-income NYC public school district. Our panel will discuss lessons learned and effective strategies for integrating hands-on STEM, AI literacy, and creative writing in elementary school classrooms. This session will be moderated by Lisa Guernsey (New America), featuring Azi Jamalian (The GIANT Room), Medha Tare (Joan Ganz Cooney Center), and Laina Vlasnik Yip (Robin Hood Early Childhood Fund).  VOTE HERE →

 

Workshop: Building Student Well-Being into Civics EdTech
When students feel safe, empowered, and creative, they are better prepared to engage as active learners. Some edtech developers are seeking to build learning environments that embed principles of well-being in their products to boost critical thinking and inspire our next generation of leaders. In this interactive and playful workshop, we’ll share civics-related case studies and explore how educators can consider well-being when using digital experiences for their classrooms. Participants will then apply these concepts in a hands-on, playful activity. We promise a great session, led by Sarah Jacobstein (Joan Ganz Cooney Center), Grace Collins (Snowbright Studio), and Taylor Davis (iCivics).
VOTE HERE →

 

In addition, we are honored to be part of two more exciting proposals – please click through and vote for these as well:

Leading with Inclusion: Edtech for Every Learner
The past several years have seen a surge in the development of edtech solutions that promise to revolutionize learning. But how can we be sure new approaches remain sustainable, effective, and inclusive for all learners? Join this session to learn how innovators are centering user feedback to continually refine their tools and ensure they are addressing the needs of diverse learners. From grassroots partnerships for strategic engagement to frameworks for rapid iteration driven by user input, find out how change leaders are placing the communities most in need at the forefront of innovation to boost impact.

• Michele Leardo,  Walton Family Foundation
• Rebecca Kockler, Magpie Literacy
• Medha Tare, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop
• Joshua Ling, Podsie Innovation Lab

 

The Inclusive Magic School Bus: XR & Neurodiverse Education

Nearly five percent of public school students have a specific learning disability (SLD). Rates of ADHD, autism and other learning disabilities are on the rise. Today, there is a growing selection of AR and VR applications for special education from personalized learning solutions to therapeutics. XR can meet students where they are, accommodating individual learning styles and limitations. Join us as we explore XR’s potential in special education and the tools needed to empower students and educators. We’ll explore how immersive technology can equip students and teachers to maximize their potential.

• Stephanie Montgomery, XR Association
• Jonathan Teske, ReframeXR
• Michael Preston, Joan Ganz Cooney Center
• Kaylee Brown, Pearson