Joan Ganz Cooney Center

ASCD Empower18
2018-03-24 - 2018-03-26 | Venue Boston, MA, Boston, MA
ASCD connects educators with the resources, knowledge, and community to implement a whole child approach. Through learning paths, educators can direct their own professional learning—receiving exactly what they need to empower their schools and students.
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Dust or Magic Masterclass in Bologna
2018-03-25 | Bologna, Italy
The 5th Annual Dust or Magic Masterclass—held in conjunction with the Bologna Children’s Bookfair—will be held Sunday afternoon, March 25, 2018 in the headquarters of the Bologna Children’s Bookfair, in Bologna Italy. The international gathering brings leading digital experts together for demos and deep conversation about trends and design issues affecting children’s publishing.
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Webinar: Mimi Ito Interviews Mitch Resnick on "Lifelong Kindergarten"
2018-03-27 | Webinar, Select a Country:
Join Mimi Ito, director of the Connected Learning Lab at UC Irvine, as she interviews Mitch Resnick, the director of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, about his new book, “Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity through Projects, Passion, Peers and Play.”

Mimi Ito is a cultural anthropologist, studying youth new media practices in the U.S. and Japan. She oversees research activities of the Digital Media and Learning Hub and is Chair of the MacArthur Research Network on Connected Learning and Director of the Connected Learning Lab at the University of California, Irvine.

Mitchel Resnick, an expert in educational technologies, is Professor of Learning Research at the MIT Media Lab. He has worked closely with the LEGO toy company for thirty years, collaborating with them on such innovative projects as the LEGO Mindstorms robotics kits, and he holds the LEGO endowed chair at MIT. He leads the team developing the Scratch programming software and online community, and he is cofounder of the Computer Clubhouse project, a network of after-school learning centers for youth from low-income communities.
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Lego Idea Conference
2018-04-09 - 2018-04-11
Under the theme of Empowering Children to Shape Tomorrow, the 2018 LEGO Idea Conference seeks to explore how learning through play can be a powerful part of addressing the global learning crisis. Through an experiential and content-rich conference, it aims to build a deeper understanding of behaviors, motivations, and aspirations that will help unlock more adoption of learning through play, transforming how children learn in the home, community and classroom.
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American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting
2018-04-13 - 2018-04-17 | New York, NY, New York, NY, United States
The AERA Annual Meeting is the largest gathering of scholars in the field of education research. It is a showcase for ground-breaking, innovative studies in a diverse array of areas—from early education through higher education, from digital learning to second language literacy. It is where to encounter ideas and data that will shape tomorrow’s education practices and policies, and where to connect with leading thinkers from the U.S. and around the world.

Featured Session:
Cooney Center Research Manager Alexia Raynal will present on findings from Children and Families in the Digital Age: Learning Together in a Media Saturated Culture in a roundtable session on equity and learning technologies on Tuesday, April 17.
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Children's Screen Time Action Network Conference
2018-04-20 - 2018-04-21 | Venue Boston, MA, Boston, MA
The very first conference dedicated to reducing children’s screen time.

Learn about health risks related to screen and device overuse.
Attend workshops designed to help you communicate more effectively with parents.
Meet other professionals who believe that reducing children’s screen time is necessary and possible.
Explore opportunities for partnerships.
Participate in round table discussions and working groups.
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2018 International Communication Association Conference
2018-05-24 - 2018-05-28 | Prague, Czech Republic
Against a backdrop of evolving technologies and shifting sociocultural and political dynamics, the 2018 ICA conference theme, Voices, encourages scholars to delve more deeply into a concept inextricably linked with communication.

For those attending, join Cooney Center Acting Executive Director Lori Takeuchi for a panel discussion on Designing Media to Encourage Tolerance and Empathy in Youth on Friday, May 25.
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Dust or Magic AppCamp
2018-06-01 - 2018-06-03 | Asilomar, CA
A gathering of top children’s interactive designers, editors and reviewers who review the year and critique the field. The reviewers share what they’ve seen and explain what they like. The publishers demonstrate their latest apps.

What do you do at App Camp?
Give demos and get feedback from an expert audience.
Meet old friends, and make new ones.
Help critique the latest apps by way of demonstrations.
Get the latest news on hardware and app store policies.
Get a crash course of the “magic” of interactive engagement.
Leave inspired to make smarter, better products.
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2018 ALA Annual Conference
2018-06-21 - 2018-06-26 | New Orleans, LA
The ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world and holds its Annual Conference & Exhibition each summer. As the world’s biggest library event, it brings together up to 25,000 librarians and library staff, educators, authors, publishers, Friends of Libraries, trustees, special guests and exhibitors to engage and participate in the ongoing transformation of libraries and to network. With around 2,500 scheduled events of which more than 500 are programs, sessions and in-depth facilitated and information conversations, attendees engage in a wide range of library- and professional development-related topics.

The ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition brings together bestselling authors, experts, political luminaries, thought leaders, and influencers in the library field and all over the world.
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15th Annual Games For Change Festival
2018-06-28 - 2018-06-30 | New York, NY, New York, NY, United States
Join a community of game experts, developers, technologists, funders and social innovators to share groundbreaking ideas and interact with new impact games and immersive media. Attendees will also engage in three days of thought-provoking conversations, workshops, and networking events.
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The Children’s Media Conference
2018-07-03 - 2018-07-05 | Sheffield, United Kingdom
The Children’s Media Conference is an important event in the United Kingdom for everyone involved in developing, producing, and distributing content for kids. We open our doors to delegates from television, radio, film, games, interactive media, magazine and book publishing, the licensing and toy sectors, and the arts and culture sectors.
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Scratch @ MIT 2018
2018-07-26 - 2018-07-28 | Cambridge, MA
The theme of this year’s Scratch conference is “The Next Generation”.

https://scratch.mit.edu/conference

Connected Learning Summit at MIT Media Lab
2018-08-01 - 2018-08-03 | Cambridge, MA
The mission of the Connected Learning Summit is to fuel a growing movement of innovators harnessing emerging technology to expand access to participatory, playful, and creative learning.

The Connected Learning Summit represents a merger between three community events with this shared vision and values: the Digital Media and Learning Conference, the Games+Learning+Society Conference, and Sandbox Summit. With a unique focus on cross-sector connections and progressive and catalytic innovation, this event brings together leading researchers, educators and developers.
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National Center for Families Learning Conference 2018
2018-09-24 - 2018-09-26
The ​Families ​Learning ​Conference focuses ​on ​innovative ​strategies ​and ​practices ​in ​family ​literacy ​and ​learning, ​two-generation ​education ​solutions, ​and ​parent ​and ​family ​engagement. Attending the conference will equip you with tools and strategies to use right away with the students, families, and communities you serve. This year’s meeting takes place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. See the website for more information on registration and fees: http://conference.familieslearning.org/

Digital Media and Developing Minds Congress
2018-10-15 - 2018-10-18
This year, Children and Screens and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory are hosting the 2nd national Digital Media and Developing Minds Congress, October 15-18, 2018 at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. This conference will foster fruitful interaction and collaboration between researchers, clinicians and educators. Speakers and panelists will evaluate the current state of scientific knowledge regarding how digital media influence child development at multiple ages and stages; outline directions for future study, and recommend interventions and solutions.

For more information and to register, visit http://meetings.cshl.edu/meetings.aspx?meet=DMDMII&year=18

Children's Media Association - Bay Area Town Hall
2018-11-01 | San Francisco, CA
The Children’s Media Association celebrates the launch of the Bay Area chapter with their first official event:

Rosé and Play with CMA-BA

There will be games. There will be snacks. There will be tastings of rosés. And, of course, there will be opportunities to network with the dreamers and makers in our beloved industry!

Our Town Hall is an opportunity to be part of the “think tank” that is CMA-BA. Come and celebrate with us at our launch party…for a brainstorm about our exciting new chapter…an update about open officer positions and other ways to contribute…and a chance to become a founding member of Children’s Media Association-Bay Area! The event is FREE…Just RSVP!

https://bit.ly/2AopLDN

And don’t forget to bring a friend and extend this invitation to your children’s media colleagues! Earn a chance to win prizes at the Town Hall raffle for every friend you bring!

Date and Time: Thursday, November 1, 2018 from 7:30pm-9:00pmLocation: Neyborly Union Square (590 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102)

18th Annual Dust or Magic Fall Institute
2018-11-04 - 2018-11-06 | Venue Lambertville, NJ, Lambertville, NJ
A group of reviewers, designers and researchers meet to review the past year in children’s interactive media, as well as the latest research, writing and trends. The three day event—equivalent to a graduate level course—includes review of child development theory applied to the latest interactive media, plus demos, critiques, testing and brainstorming sessions.

This agenda is not defined by social or commercial agendas. Selling is not permitted; there are no sponsors or booths. Dust or Magic is an outgrowth of Children’s Technology Review’s ongoing study of children’s interactive media.

Learn more and register at http://dustormagic.com/institute/

Future of Childhood Salon: Immersive Media and Child Development
2018-11-07 - 2018-11-08
On November 7 and 8, 2018, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University, and Dubit will host the inaugural Future of Childhood Salon on Immersive Media and Child Development. At this day-and-a-half workshop, we will proactively plan for the future of immersive media—i.e., virtual, augmented, and mixed realities—in the lives of preadolescents before these technologies become ubiquitous among children this age. A cross-sectoral group of approximately 65 child development and media researchers, learning scientists, child health experts, hardware and content developers, educators, journalists, and funders will look at these emerging media via a cascading series of considerations. These will be organized around necessary choices in order for VR, AR, and MR—from such time they are approved for use by pre-teens—to be unique, essential, safe, engaging, and beneficial to children’s socio-emotional, cognitive, and physical development. The goal is to emerge with an agenda for needed research, a framework for responsible development of immersive experiences for children, and industry-wide best practices that can evolve over time via cross-sectoral partnerships.

NAEYC 2018 Annual Conference
2018-11-14 - 2018-11-17 | Venue Washington D.C., Washington D.C., United States
The NAEYC Annual Conference is the largest early childhood education conference in the world. Each year, tens of thousands of teachers, program administrators, students, and researchers choose from hundreds of presentations and exhibits to explore the latest trends and research in the early childhood field.

Learn more and register: https://www.naeyc.org/events/annual

Family Online Safety Institute: 2018 Annual Conference
2018-11-15 | Washington, DC, Washington, DC, Select a Country:
The 2018 FOSI Annual Conference will see the launch of FOSI’s latest research report, “Online Safety Across the Generations.” Panels will address topics such as screen time and “tech addiction”, digital resilience and wellbeing, content moderation, children’s privacy, and how we can all work together to build a culture of responsibility online.

Learn more and register at fosi.org

Society for Research in Child Development 2019 Biennial Meeting
2019-03-21 - 2019-03-23 | Venue Baltimore, MD, Baltimore, MD
The Society for Research in Child Development hosts its 2019 Biennial Meeting in Baltimore, MD this year. The invited program features scholars from a number of countries (Australia, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States), and disciplines (anthropology, economics, education, medicine, psychology, public health, public policy, sociology). Each day of the conference will be organized around one of these three themes: International, Interdisciplinary, and Relevant.

Learn more about the SRC Biennial Meeting.

LEGO Idea Conference 2019
2019-04-01 - 2019-04-03
The three-day LEGO Idea® conference offers a vibrant, playful and thought-provoking environment for group dialogues and impactful workshops. Participants from around the world come to debate, share insights, inspire and get inspired on topics within children’s learning, education and development.

The next conference will be held on 1-3 April 2019. This year’s theme is:
Unlocking the Power of Parenting.

ASU GSV Summit 2019
2019-04-08 - 2019-04-10
The ASU GSV Summit draws more than 4,500 leaders in education and talent tech. Attendees at this year’s summit will include CEOs, investors, school, district and university leaders, media, enterprise learning and talent leaders, politicians, foundation leaders and policy makers.

https://www.asugsvsummit.com

69th Annual International Communication Association Conference
2019-05-24 - 2019-05-28 | Washington, DC, Washington, DC, Select a Country:
The ICA 2019 conference theme of Communication Beyond Boundaries aims for an understanding of the role of communication and media in the crossing of social, political and cultural boundaries that characterize contemporary society, and encourages research that crosses the boundaries of research domains, of particular fields of research interest, and of academia and the outside world.

For more information, visit https://www.icahdq.org/page/2019Conference.

Reframing Learning Across Boundaries: Building Public Understanding and Support
2019-06-06
We know that children spend more than 80% of their time outside of school. But research indicates that millions of preschool and school age children—especially those from low-income communities—too often lack access to the connected, intentional, evidence-based educational nourishment that is needed to propel lifelong learning. To combat these inequities, policymakers and program developers have targeted expanded learning opportunities as a national priority. But research by the FrameWorks Institute has identified a disconnect that needs to be addressed: most people don’t fully appreciate the value of learning outside of school or the need to connect learning between different environments. This lack of appreciation for how, where, and when learning occurs holds important implications in building public support for needed reforms. Practitioners, program designers, and advocates need strategies to build greater understanding among their constituents about the value of these connections.

At the Summit, co-hosted by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, the FrameWorks Institute, and PBS, a carefully selected group of leaders from across sectors and geographies will craft creative new strategies to support programs and policies that advance learning across boundaries. The Cooney Center will share findings from its research on how parents and teachers are connecting children’s learning across settings, and FrameWorks will share insights on how the general public and decision-makers think about children’s learning environments. The event will use these resources to launch a toolkit for the “reframing” of the national conversation and provide a chance to advance organizational alliances moving forward.

Immersive Media Design and Children Workshop
2019-06-15 | Boise, ID
Immersive Media Design and Children is a one-day workshop to be held at the 2019 Interaction Design and Children Conference in Boise, Idaho. Co-hosted by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and foundry10, this workshop will bring together a community of researchers, designers, practitioners, and other experts who are interested in the responsible design of immersive media—or augmented, virtual, mixed, and cross reality—for children, while taking into account children’s developmental needs, equity, and inclusivity. At the workshop, participants will discuss and make connections across their work, participate in hands-on activities, and begin producing a set of design guidelines for immersive media for children, grounded in their collective experiences, research, and knowledge of the field. After the workshop, we will publish these guidelines as a white paper to distribute to interested industries, developers, designers, and more to positively impact the future of childhood. https://imdc-workshop.wixsite.com/idc2019

The Education Market: VR’s Best Hope? at XR for Change Summit
2019-06-17 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
On Monday, June 17, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center presents a panel discussion at the XR for Change Summit in New York City.

For years, experts have been predicting that immersive technologies like AR and VR are on the cusp of breaking into the mainstream market. But despite the dazzling experiences that users may encounter when they first try a VR headset, industry reports suggest there continue to be signs of instability in the hardware marketplace, and that consumer demand hasn’t been as strong as anticipated. Perhaps the classroom is where AR and VR will really shine.

Children are enthusiastic about AR and VR, and teachers have expressed greater engagement around lessons that incorporate immersive media. But is it safe? How are these technologies being deployed in the classroom – are teachers receiving the training and support they need to implement successful lessons? What happens when the novelty wears off? And as AR and VR continue to gain traction in the education marketplace, how can we ensure equitable access to these learning experiences for all students?

View the full agenda for the XR for Change Summit.

NAMLE Conference 2019
2019-06-26 - 2019-06-28 | Washington, DC, Washington, DC, Select a Country:
The theme for the 2019 National Association for Media Literacy Education conference is A Path Forward: Elevating Conversation, Unifying Voices. The conference is designed to provide a platform for including voices from diverse disciplines as we explore the future of media literacy in a rapidly shifting media landscape.

To learn more and to register, visit namleconference.net.

Play Make Learn 2019
2019-08-08 - 2019-08-09 | Venue Madison, Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, Select a Country:
The Play Make Learn Conference promotes high-quality learning opportunities for educators, researchers, developers, designers, foundation leaders, policy makers, musuem and library professionals, and school leaders who are dedicated to promoting making, gaming, and playful learning. Play Make Learn provides hands-on workshops that engage the audience in cutting-edge learning science ideas and experience; keynote speakers who have expertise in communicating state-of-the-art design, education, and research; demonstrations of new and upcoming games and technology; and networking opportunities meant to spark new projects.

Learn more and register.

2019 Connected Learning Summit
2019-10-02 - 2019-10-05 | University of California, Irvine
The mission of the Connected Learning Summit is to fuel a growing movement of innovators harnessing emerging technology to expand access to participatory, playful, and creative learning.

The Connected Learning Summit represents a merger between three community events with this shared vision and values: the Digital Media and Learning Conference, the Games+Learning+Society Conference, and Sandbox Summit. With a unique focus on cross-sector connections and progressive and catalytic innovation, this event brings together leading researchers, educators and developers.

Learn more and register
