Joan Ganz Cooney Center

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.
Learn More

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.
Learn More

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.
Learn More

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.
Learn More

Children and Families in the Digital Age Book Launch Event
2018-03-14 | Digital Promise, Redwood City, CA
The Bay Area Children’s Media Group, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, Digital Promise and Common Sense Media present Children and Families in the Digital Age.

Join us for a panel conversation with researchers who are exploring the ways in which families with young children are using media together for learning and communication. The session will highlight research conducted as part of the Families and Media Project that is featured in the new book Children and Families in the Digital Age (Routledge).

A reception will follow the discussion. The book will be available for purchase at a discount at the event.

Panelists include:

Elisabeth Gee, Arizona State University
Lori M. Takeuchi, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop
Ellen Wartella, Northwestern University
Brigid Barron, Stanford University
Briana Ellerbe, USC-Annenberg
Amber Levinson, Stanford University
Sinem Siyahhan, California State University San Marcos
Savitha Moorthy, Digital Promise
Maria Alvarez, Common Sense Media

Learn more about the book and RSVP for the event here.

Webinar: Tackling World Issues by Fostering Global Competence in the Classroom
2018-03-13 | Webinar, Select a Country:
In a rapidly changing and complex world, how can we make sure that our young people develop an understanding of global issues and the empathy necessary to engage in making change? Join the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, World Savvy and World’s Largest Lesson at 3pm ET on Monday, March 13 for a free Share My Lesson webinar on creating global citizens. These three organizations will provide you with three distinct, but complementary ways for students to understand the world around them.

First, World’s Largest Lesson will introduce you to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Goals, which are a plan for people and planet, set out for the world to deliver by 2030 and agreed by 193 Heads of State. When introduced into the classroom, and woven throughout your curriculum, students see new purpose for learning, build an understanding of what makes a sustainable world for all and realize how they can play a part in making this happen. World’s Largest Lesson will provide you with free resources and tools for educators and guidance for students to take action – personal, local, national and global – in support of the Goals.

World Savvy will lead you through an interactive session, exploring global competence and how to create meaningful, student driven learning experiences using World Savvy’s Case Study approach. World Savvy’s Case Studies highlight global issues with local significance and include a variety of curated resources to ensure access points for all learners. Participants will actively engage in the World Savvy Case Study approach as learners, acquiring background knowledge while building empathy, investigating multiple perspectives and deepening their understanding through inquiry. The session will also include discussion about how students have engaged in this approach in middle and high schools in Oakland, CA, Minneapolis, MN, and Newark, NJ.

Next, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop will introduce you to Digital Play for Global Citizens, which is a guide to some playful resources that educators and parents can use to help children learn about, understand, and engage with our increasingly interconnected world. Divided into three parts, the guide introduces tools to 1) help students build awareness of themselves and the world around them, 2) recognize and investigate the complex and systemic causes of events across cultures and history, and 3) use digital play to explore the natural world. From exploring boundaries, borders, and geography in context; to developing empathy and understanding of diversity; from investigating the systemic causes of economic injustice; to developing a sense of curiosity and wonder about nature, we introduce tools and techniques for using digital play to develop in students all aspects of global competence.

Finally, all three organizations will engage in a broader discussion about the importance of creating global citizens.

Available for one-hour of PD credit. A certificate of completion will be available for download at the end of your session.Learn More and Register

COSN 2018 Annual Conference
2018-03-12 - 2018-03-15 | Venue Washington D.C., Washington D.C., United States
We are living during a time of unprecedented and rapid change. New technologies like artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and robotics are emerging with the potential for having a transformative impact on industry, the economy and society as a whole. Our physical and digital worlds are fusing, resulting in breakthroughs that were only imagined in the past. The speed and scope of this technological transformation is exponential with the potential for unlimited possibilities and endless opportunities. What are the implications for schools, educators and students? How do we provide leadership in a time of rapid change?

The CoSN 2018 Annual Conference will dive deeply into the issues as we seek answers to these questions and design learning in the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Learn More

SXSW Edu
2018-03-05 - 2018-03-08 | Venue Austin, TX, Austin, TX, United States
SXSW EDU features a diverse array of speakers, sessions, workshops, learning experiences, policy discussions and film screenings programmed to foster learning and discovery for all education stakeholders.
Learn More

Designing for Digital
2018-03-05 - 2018-03-07 | Venue Austin, TX, Austin, TX, United States
Designing for Digital is meant to bring together UX professionals, web designers, managers, researchers, strategists and librarians of all types to examine the current user’s experience of the library and design the future of libraries in the modern, digital world.
Learn More

Webinar: Tapping the Potential of NextGen Technology
2018-02-27
The role of technology in early learning is growing as fast as our children. So how is technology really being used to support parents of infants and toddlers? What does the landscape of tech products for parents look like? Where are the gaps and opportunities? And what improvements can be made to the way parent-support technology is funded, developed, evaluated, and shared with parents?

Find out during the Early Learning Lab’s “Tapping the Potential of NextGen Technology” webinar on Tuesday, February 27 from 3-4pm ET.
Learn More

Kidscreen Summit
2018-02-12 - 2018-02-15 | Miami, FL
Kidscreen Summit is renowned as the kids entertainment industry’s most important annual event. Top executives attend Kidscreen Summit to take advantage of the year’s best business networking, and to engage in critical dialogue on issues that affect the industry.
Learn More

2018 ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits
2018-02-09 - 2018-02-13 | Venue Denver, Colorado, Denver, Colorado
The American Library Association invites you to join more than 8,000+ key library professionals from around the country for a series of presentations, panels, and exhibitions. With more than 450 exhibiting organizations, multiple pavilions, and stages featuring the hottest authors, and numerous related fun events, the ALA Midwinter Meeting is an exciting opportunity for learning, professional development, and networking.
Learn More

Future of Education Technology Conference
2018-01-23 - 2018-01-26 | Orlando, FL
For nearly 40 years, the Future of Education Technology Conference has gathered the most dynamic and creative education professionals from around the world for an intensive, highly collaborative exploration of new technologies, best practices and pressing issues. Its impact has been felt by thousands of districts, schools, educators—and ultimately students.
Learn More

2018 Kids@Play Summit
2018-01-10 | Venue Las Vegas, Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada
The Kids@Play Summit looks at the new tools and services that digital natives use to learn, create and communicate. Attend a half-day conference and four day exhibition on the CES show floor promoting the next generation of digital hardware, software, and media for kids from toddler to high school.
Learn More

Family Online Safety Institute Conference
2017-11-16 | Venue Washington D.C., Washington D.C., United States
The FOSI Annual Conference is the premier gathering of the online safety community. Hear from leaders in government, industry, the NGO sector as well as leading researchers, academics and practitioners in this growing space. This year’s theme is “Trust & Civility in a Challenging World”. The conference will address a wide range of issues that weaken trust, safety and civility online and the positive ways to respond to these challenges. Learn More

2017 NAEYC Annual Conference
2017-11-15 - 2017-11-18 | Atlanta, GA
The Annual Conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the largest gathering of thought leaders, classroom teachers and faculty, administrators, and other important practitioners and contributors in early childhood education.Learn More

Global Education Conference
2017-11-13 - 2017-11-16 | Online
The Global Education Conference Network is a collaborative, inclusive, world-wide community initiative involving students, educators, and organizations at all levels. Conference activities are designed to significantly increase opportunities for connecting classrooms while supporting cultural awareness and recognition of diversity and educational access for all. The event is free and takes place entirely online.Learn More

TELOS Learning Across Boundaries Symposium
2017-11-08 | Stanford University
Children’s learning experiences in home, school, and community settings are often disconnected from one another, and this challenge particularly affects those who are already under-served.

How might learning be better linked to support children’s development? How are some communities innovating to address this persistent challenge and how can digital technologies contribute toward solutions?

Join the TELOS Initiative and FamLAB for a special symposium highlighting ongoing national research presented by members of the FamLAB project (Families Learning Across Boundaries) and featuring examples of practice from Remake Learning, based in Pittsburgh.
Learn More Speakers: FamLAB sponsors: With support from:

Media Literacy Week
2017-11-06 - 2017-11-10
Media Literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, communicate, and create using all forms of communication. The mission of the United States Media Literacy Week is to highlight the power of media literacy education and its essential role in education today. There are countless ways to participate in Media Literacy Week and the Media Literacy community!Learn More

Dust or Magic 2017 Fall Institute
2017-11-05 - 2017-11-07 | 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 includes review of child development theory applied to the latest interactive media, plus demos, critiques, testing and brainstorming sessions. Learn More

NAEYC Webinar: Tech in Early Childhood: Playful, Sensible Strategies for the Digital Age
2017-11-02 | Webinar, Select a Country:
Five years after releasing the joint position statement, Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8, Chip Donohue, Roberta Schomburg, and Sabrina Burroughs will be discussing further developments and findings on the use of technology and interactive media in early childhood programs. RSVP for the free webinar taking place Thursday, November 2 at 3pm ET.
Learn More

National Summer Learning Association National Conference
2017-10-23 - 2017-10-25 | Venue Phoenix, AZ, Phoenix, AZ
Research confirms summer as one of the most inequitable times of the year for millions of young people in America and this year’s theme We’ve Got the Power! captures the critical work underway to change that. We’ve Got the Power! calls upon our collective will and the leadership of legions of educators, community members and corporate leaders to step up, speak out and stand in the gap for our nation’s children.

At this year’s conference, workshops will focus on four strands:

Effective Learning Approaches
Systems Building
Program Planning
Policy & Advocacy
Learn More

NCFL Families Learning Conference 2017
2017-10-09 - 2017-10-11 | Tucson, AZ
The nation’s largest family and community literacy conference, presented by the National Center for Families Learning, takes place in Tucson, Arizona this year. Gather with family literacy professionals, educators, researchers, advocates, coalition members, and policy makers from across the United States for the latest resources in education, networking opportunities, and more.Learn More

2017 SLJ Leadership Summit: Confronting Our Literacy Crisis
2017-10-07 - 2017-10-08 | Nashville, TN
The 13th annual SLJ Leadership Summit: Confronting Our Literacy Crisis will bring together a dynamic group of school librarians, education leaders, and tech innovators, as well as authors, publishers, and vendor stakeholders to discuss how to take on a greater leadership role in overcoming the current literacy crisis—from teaching about and defending quality information over Fake News to fostering digital literacy and learning in these ever changing technological times. The 2017 Summit will surface current research about information literacy and showcase leaders who are accelerating their efforts to help shape a more proactive and impactful approach to this key work. Attendees will gain insight into the evolving and critical role of librarians in this ecosystem, models and tools to take back to their own schools, and vast informal learning from peer leaders from across the country. Learn More

Digital Media and Learning Conference 2017
2017-10-04 - 2017-10-06 | Irvine, CA
The Digital Media and Learning Conference is an annual event supported by the MacArthur Foundation and organized by the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub located at the UC Humanities Research Institute, University of California, Irvine.

The conference is meant to be an inclusive, international and annual gathering of scholars and practitioners in the field, focused on fostering interdisciplinary and participatory dialog and linking theory, empirical study, policy, and practice.
Learn More

Digital Kids Media Summit
2017-09-26 - 2017-09-27 | Venue Austin, TX, Austin, TX, United States
Digital Kids Summit 2017 is a two-day, industry exclusive forum that brings together a diverse group of high level advisors to inspire, support and inform Digital Tech Innovators about the imminent future of kids’ digital play and learning.Learn More

EdNET Conference 2017
2017-09-17 - 2017-09-19 | Scottsdale, AZ
EdNET is a community of professionals in the education market, focused on staying informed and connected to collaborate and share ideas about market trends and opportunities in the PreK-12 education market. The EdNET Conference provides opportunities to exchange ideas and discuss market trends with industry stakeholders while forging new business relationships through productive networking.Learn More

LEAP InnovatED Summit 2017
2017-08-28 | Chicago, IL
The LEAP InnovatED Summit is the convening for educators, edtech innovators, and civic and philanthropic leaders to inspire, imagine, and innovate a new future for education.

The Summit will feature a wide range of sessions on personalized learning, edtech, and other transformational topics led by local and national experts. The Learning Innovation Showcase will highlight Chicago’s most innovative school models and feature curated edtech companies from across the country.
Learn More

Games for Change Festival 2017
2017-07-31 - 2017-08-02 | New York, NY, New York, NY, United States
Discover how games can impact education, healthcare, research, civics, and social issues. The first two days of the Festival showcases the best and brightest game creators and changemakers with panels and keynotes, demos, networking events, and an expo. On the third day of the Festival the brand-new VR for Change Summit explores the positive power of virtual technologies in storytelling, science, and social justice. Learn More

AFT TEACH Conference 2017
2017-07-20 - 2017-07-22 | Venue Washington D.C., Washington D.C., United States
TEACH (Together Educating America’s Children) 2017 will focus on the four pillars of strong and purposeful public education: promoting children’s well-being; supporting powerful learning; developing teacher and staff capacity; and fostering cultures of collaboration among educators, administrators, families and communities. The conference will take place in Washington, D.C.
Learn More
