Joan Ganz Cooney Center

SXSW Early Learning Summit
2016-03-08 | Venue Austin, TX, Austin, TX, United States
While meeting the needs of our youngest children is proven to open endless opportunities to realize human potential for health, happiness, and a lifetime of making meaningful contributions, the early childhood system is too fragmented and under resourced to deliver innovation at scale. We have the science that shows the potential for building and improving kids’ lives, and we have learning methods and community-based health models that are proving successful, for a few, but we struggle to imagine how things could be different, very different for many.

In the past, siloed approaches, cultural barriers, and generational blind spots have limited progress. Deeper understanding, fresh voices, new relationships, and entrepreneurial energy is needed to cast a vision for the 30-year future for young children in America. A committed group of creative leaders is needed to bring the vision to life and to sustain it.

Don’t miss the Play, Technology and the Young Child panel featuring Michael Levine, which will explore how innovations in technology are changing the way children learn and play.

http://www.earlylearningsummit.com

Tap, Click, Read: EdWeb Webinar
2016-03-29 | Webinar, Select a Country:
With young children gaining access to a dizzying array of games, videos, and other digital media, will they ever learn to read? The answer is yes—if they are surrounded by adults who know how to help and if they are introduced to media designed to promote literacy, instead of undermining it. In this webinar, Michael Levine and Lisa Guernsey, authors of Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens, will show how educators and parents can help children grow into strong, passionate readers who are skilled at using media and technology of all kinds—print, digital, and everything in between.

On Tuesday, March 29 from 4-5pm ET, join Michael Levine and Lisa Guernsey for a free webinar presented by EdWeb and Common Sense Education to learn about tools and strategies for supporting literacy for all. Early childhood educators including teachers, librarian/media specialists, technology specialists, literacy coaches, curriculum specialists, and parents all will benefit from this live, interactive session. Michael and Lisa will field questions from attendees after their presentation.

Join the Digital Classroom community to participate in online discussions with peers, for invitations to upcoming webinars, to view past webinar recordings, to take a quiz and receive a CE certificate for a past webinar, and for access to more resources.http://home.edweb.net/webinar/tap-click-read-growing-readers-in-a-world-of-screens/

CoSN 2016 Annual Conference
2016-04-04 - 2016-04-07 | Washington Hilton Hotel, 1919 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20009, United States
Technology is constantly changing the way students learn and how teachers teach. School systems are in the midst of a digital leap, moving away from the traditional into the world of e-learning. The success of this shift depends as much on the people and culture of the system as it does on the technology used. The CoSN 2016 Annual Conference will focus on the ways that school systems can change their organizational cultures, embrace a culture of digital options, and accelerate success.

Michael Levine and Lisa Guernsey will discuss Tap, Click, Read at 9:15 am on April 5.

http://cosnconference.org/

LEGO Idea Conference
2016-04-11 - 2016-04-13
The three-day conference offers a vibrant, playful and thought-provoking environment for group dialogues and impactful workshops. Our conference design asks for active involvement, as well as a willingness to dare to tinker with ideas and come up with new solutions – together – in a playful and yet serious atmosphere. A full programme will be available soon, in the meantime we welcome you to download a high-level overview of the conference days.

https://legoideaconference.com

Games and Media Summit
2016-04-18 | New York, NY, New York, NY, United States
At the 2016 Games and Media Summit you’ll meet innovative speakers and creators who are leading the charge in shaping the way we feel, play, work and interact with games, technology, and media.

With an interactive arcade, this day-long event will spotlight the newest possibilities for game technology and narratives that amplify empathy, expand attitudes, inspire action, and cultivate communities.

Plus, meet your favorite YouTube gaming celebrities at the first-ever Games for Change Charity Game-a-thon!

http://www.gamesforchange.org/games-and-media-summit

Sandbox Summit 2016
2016-04-18 - 2016-04-19 | Cambridge, MA
The benefits of play are well known: it’s how kids learn; it encourages creativity; it relieves stress; and more than ever, it’s a way we interact with others. Incorporating play into all we do has the potential to enhance workplaces and family time; curricula and innovation. In a world that too often relies on auto-pilot, the humanity of a laugh, an aha!, or connecting with a trusted friend is the secret sauce of success.

Sandbox Summit@MIT will explore the ROI of Play from multiple angles and diverse disciplines, aligning with research trends, industry developments and breakthrough strategies across a range of platforms. In true Sandbox style, it promises to be as playful as it is enlightening, piquing curiosity and creativity, and fostering new connections and collaborations in unexpected ways.

http://sandboxsummit.org/

Dust or Magic Highlights Retreat
2016-04-24 - 2016-04-26
The fourth Dust or Magic Highlights retreat will take place at the beautiful Highlights Foundation in Boyds Mills, PA.

We’ll expand on the agenda of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Masterclass, taking a closer look at the latest digital materials related to language development for preschool and elementary age children (aged 2-to 12-years). Together we’ll dissect the latest apps, and together talk about what you need to know to “find the magic” in 2016.

As with other Dust or Magic events, we’ll use our lasers to critique each example to better refine our own definition of what works (the magic), and what doesn’t (the dust).

Michael Levine and Lisa Guernsey will discuss Tap, Click, Read at 3:00 pm on Monday, April 25.

http://dustormagic.com/language-and-literacy-retreat-2016

Scratch Day
2016-05-14
Scratch Day is a global network of events that celebrates Scratch—and the young people who code and create with it. With Scratch, you can program your own interactive stories, games, and animations, plus share your creations with others in the online community. Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively, all essential skills for life in the 21st century.

During Scratch Day, kids and adults gather to share projects and learn from one another. Find a free event near you here.

http://day.scratch.mit.edu/

National Geographic BioBlitz 2016
2016-05-20 - 2016-05-21
What is a BioBlitz? A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. At a BioBlitz, scientists, families, students, teachers, and other community members work together to get an overall count of the plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms that live in a place. Parks Centennial

In the decade leading up to the National Park Service centennial, National Geographic and the National Park Service have collaborated on a BioBlitz in a different national park each year. In 2016, to celebrate the centennial, the BioBlitz initiative goes national! The cornerstone BioBlitz in the Washington, D.C. region will take place May 20-21, with over 200 BioBlitzes happening across the country and throughout the year. Find the BioBlitz closest to you by using the map!

http://education.nationalgeographic.org/projects/bioblitz

Developing Apps for Kids Conference 2016
2016-06-15 | San Francisco, CA
The Developing Apps for Kids Conference is for anyone working in the children’s app space. It is the go-to event for app developers, designers, illustrators, marketers, toy companies, funders, and other professionals who are working in kid tech media. The conference brings together industry leaders, top reviewers, and visionaries to offer advice on the business of kids’ apps.

Tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/developing-apps-for-kids-conference-2016-tickets-24939812651

Media Mentors: Helping Children Build Literacy Skills for the Digital Age Webinar
2016-06-16 | Webinar, Select a Country:
With young children gaining access to a dizzying array of games, videos, and other digital media, will they ever learn to read? The answer is yes—if they are surrounded by adults who know how to help and if they are introduced to media designed to promote literacy, instead of undermining it. In short, these children and their families could greatly benefit from a media mentor.

What exactly is a media mentor? Join Michael Levine and Lisa Guernsey, authors of Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens, and Chip Donohue, editor of Family Engagement in the Digital Age: Early Childhood Educators as Media Mentors, to discuss this new term in the lexicon of 21st-century early childhood education. Media mentors can help children grow into strong, passionate readers who are skilled at using media and technology of all kinds—print, digital, and everything in between. Many libraries, for example, are already starting to support families in making smart media choices and instilling smart media practices with kids. What skills do media mentors need? How can they be supported? And how can more children gain access to them? Michael, Lisa, and Chip will kick off a discussion that explores the importance of these new roles.

Join us for this free webinar on Thursday, June 16 from 1:30-3pm ET.
Register: bit.ly/25lK7YT

Games for Change Festival
2016-06-23 - 2016-06-24 | New York, NY, New York, NY, United States
The 2016 Games for Change Festival offers two days of exciting keynotes, panels, mini talks, networking events, and workshops, where you and the 800 other attendees of the Festival will meet experts, connect with one another, share and explore groundbreaking ideas, and interact with new impact games. This year’s Festival features three tracks of programming, each highlighting an emerging area of research and innovation within the games for impact sector: Civics & Social Impact, Neurogaming & Health, and The Games for Learning Summit.

In addition, G4C will host the first-ever G4C Marketplace at the 2016 Festival, where 20+ leading companies and game studios will showcase new platforms, products and games in a business-to-business expo open for attendees to visit throughout the Festival.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-2016-games-for-change-festival-tickets-23185067160

Webinar: Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens
2016-07-21 | Online
With young children gaining access to a dizzying array of games, videos, and other digital media, will they ever learn to read? The answer is yes—if they are surrounded by adults who know how to help and if they are introduced to media designed to promote literacy, instead of undermining it. In this webinar hosted by Share My Lesson, Michael Levine and Lisa Guernsey, authors of Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens, showed how educators and parents can help children grow into strong, passionate readers who are skilled at using media and technology of all kinds—print, digital, and everything in between.

Michael and Lisa will speak about tools and strategies for supporting literacy for all. Early childhood educators including teachers, librarian/media specialists, technology specialists, literacy coaches, curriculum specialists, and parents will benefit from this recorded webinar session.

Register here.

Language Development and Family Engagement in the Digital Age A Network-Building Institute for Next Generation Leaders
2016-08-02 - 2016-08-03 | Washington, DC, Washington, DC, Select a Country:
On August 2-3, 2016, New America and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop will co-host an invitation-only network building and leadership development institute for community leaders, policymakers, and researchers in the fields of family engagement and early literacy who are interested in new approaches for the Digital Age. Partners in this institute include the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting/PBS Ready to Learn, the Early Learning Lab, Erikson Institute, the Migration Policy Institute, the National League of Cities, and Too Small to Fail. Our keynote speakers for the institute will be Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Faculty Fellow at Temple University and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Ralph Smith, Senior Vice President of The Annie E. Casey Foundation and Managing Director of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.

The institute is made possible with the generous support of the Joyce Foundation, with learning teams sponsored by the Early Learning Fund and the Grable Foundation.

Background and Purpose:Purpose: To identify and mobilize programs and policies that address the needs of families in supporting their children’s language development in the digital age. To take advantage of digital-age tools and strategies with evidence of promise, and to align and scale-up those models that show evidence of empowering families and assisting educators to support children’s language and literacy development.

Why Now? Momentum is building across the country for using new tools and strategies to support families and to activate new supports to promote rich language-learning at home, in informal environments (libraries, museums), and in center- or school-based settings. New work in the field of family engagement is shining a light on the need for parents and other family members to be welcomed as equal partners in designing programs and strategies. It is a critical time for community leaders, developers, researchers, and policymakers to gain some focused time to share ideas, learn from failures, analyze successes, and to receive assistance and advice from experts across multiple sectors.

New Policy Opportunity: The enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act has provided states and localities with an opportunity to think outside the box about how to encourage better outcomes for children in the areas of language and literacy development. How should they upgrade policies to open doors to these new models? How should they be working with researchers to capture information on what works and why? What funding opportunities may be available to bring effective practices to more families?

A Focus on Sharing and Problem-Solving: At this one-and-a-half-day event, we will bring together experts across sectors — researchers, policymakers, and program designers who work at the community level — as well as teams of colleagues from a community or state. The common thread among all attendees is that they are part of new, evidence-based family engagement and education initiatives that capitalize on media and networking tools. Each is invited to arrive with a problem they hope to solve or a new opportunity they hope to explore. We will set the stage for on-the-spot problem-solving and network-building through moderated discussions, small group work, and careful pairing of experts with peers across sectors for one-on-one consultancies. We will also share new planning and community engagement tools that our team and others are developing to mobilize partnerships and to scale effective programs.

In sum, the institute will provide guidance and support to states, communities/districts, and early learning organizations as they begin to incorporate the newest technological innovations into their family engagement and early education plans.

For more information: https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/events/language-development-and-family-engagement-digital-age/

Games+Learning+Society Conference
2016-08-17 - 2016-08-19 | Venue Madison, Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, Select a Country:
The GLS Conference is the premier video games and learning event. Now in it’s twelfth year, our event continues to be one of the top destinations where the people who create and research high-quality digital learning media can gather to discuss and help shape the direction of the field. GLS is best known for its high quality program, top notch attendees list, and playful atmosphere. Each year, we foster in-depth conversation across diverse disciplines including game studies and culture, game design, learning sciences and education research, industry, and policy. Our aim is to connect, learn, and explore.

http://glsconference.org

Revolutionary Learning 2016
2016-08-17 - 2016-08-19 | New York, NY, New York, NY, United States
Revolutionary Learning 2016 will feature hands-on workshops, educational keynotes, a Local Game Jam, a Revolutionary Game Arcade, and ample networking activities designed to connect attendees with professionals who will inspire. Colleagues and thought leaders from the cutting edge of learning will be in attendance – it’s the one place to truly learn from each other.

Featured Session:
Who Says What’s “Educational”? The Role of Research in Learning Games: A Panel Discussion
Thursday, August 18 9:00am – 10:15am ET

With the growth of digital distribution and the rapid rise of mobile devices, educators these days can find and use games in the classroom more easily than ever. But how much research lies behind the most popular learning games? Do learning designers have as strong an influence as that of production or game designers? And how are educators to evaluate claims when literally tens of thousands of games on Apple’s App Store claim to be “educational”?

Join USA TODAY education writer Greg Toppo, author of the 2015 book The Game Believes in You: How Digital Play Can Make Our Kids Smarter, as he talks to four key players in the industry, all of whom have spent years taking a long, hard look at the role of research in the production of modern learning games.

Panelists: Michael Levine, Founding Executive Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop; Kristin DiCerbo, Principal Research Scientist& Lead of the Center for Learning Science and Technology at Pearson; Justin Leites, Vice President of Amplify Learning; Valerie Shute, Mack & Effie Campbell Tyner Endowed Professor of Education at Florida State University

Register: www.revolutionarylearning.org/registration

Digital Kids Summit
2016-09-13 - 2016-09-14 | San Francisco, CA
The Summit brings together thought leaders focused on emerging technology, ed tech and the intersection of learning and entertainment in every aspect of the kids’ business – whether looking for inspiration, product development, or service support for launching a never-before seen product or looking for practical advice for creating a sustained and profitable business all in the heart of innovation Silicon Valley.

Register: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ecj3uecq9305e858&oseq=&c=&ch=

2016 International Mind, Brain and Education Society (IMBES) Conference
2016-09-15 - 2016-09-17 | Venue Toronto, Canada, Toronto, Canada
The mission of IMBES is to facilitate cross-cultural collaboration in biology, education and the cognitive and developmental sciences. The 2016 conference will focus on the learning, the process and the future of Mind, Brain and Education (MBE) work. In addition to hearing about new exciting research, speakers will discuss the challenges and their learning, and attendees will be encouraged to take part in sessions exploring how to push this field forward.

Michael Levine will present on a panel with Kathy Hirsh-Pasek. More details to come.

Register: http://www.imbes.org/page-1810947

Digital Media and Learning Conference 2016
2016-10-05 - 2016-10-07 | 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.

http://dml2016.dmlhub.net/

Intentional Play Summit
2016-10-07 | Mountain View, CA
The Intentional Play Summit is an opportunity to convene and ask, how can we develop more meaningful gameplay? How can we better leverage that gameplay to teach and motivate? It will be a day full of learning, networking, and inspiration. The Intentional Play Summit is a full day event with keynote speakers, breakout sessions, round table discussions over lunch, and a closing happy hour. Selected developers will be displaying their games in our arcade area.

Intentional Play Summit

Families Learning Summit 2016
2016-10-17 - 2016-10-19 | Detroit, Michigan
This year’s Families Learning Summit will bring two-generation family engagement to life for hundreds of attendees on October 17-19, 2016, in Detroit, Mich. The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) has hand-picked sessions and speakers covering everything from early literacy to adult education, and digital learning to community coalitions and family engagement research.

On Tuesday, October 18, the Cooney Center’s Dr. Michael H. Levine will lead a panel on Integrating Technology in Early Learning and Family-Strengthening Initiatives based on research conducted for Levine and New America’s Lisa Guernsey’s book, Tap, Click, Read. Panelists include Margaret Caspe, senior research analyst at Harvard FINE; Jason Quiara, program officer for the Joyce Foundation; and Emily Roden, co-Founder and executive director of ReadyRosie.

Learn more about the Families Learning Summit here.

Technology and Media in Children's Development Conference
2016-10-27 - 2016-10-30 | Irvine, California
The use of digital devices and social media is ubiquitous in the environment of 21st century children. From the moment of birth (and even in utero), children are surrounded by media and technology. This meeting will provide a forum for intellectual and interdisciplinary exchange on media and technology in development and is designed to appeal to a range of researchers from the seasoned media researcher to technology developers to developmentalists who need to understand more about the role of technology and media in children’s lives.

Feature panel:Media and Technology as Learning Tools Among Diverse Families
Sun, October 30, 10:15 to 11:45am, UCI Student Center, Emerald Bay D & E

Registration for this event is now closed. Learn more about the conference schedule here.

2016 NAEYC Annual Conference
2016-11-02 - 2016-11-05 | Venue Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles Convention Center
The 2016 NAEYC Annual Conference November 2-5 will bring educators from across the country and around the world to Los Angeles, CA to participate in hundreds of well-planned workshops, seminars, and presentations on the latest research and information on early childhood development.

Join Michael Levine and Lisa Guernsey, authors of Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens for their featured panel on Thursday, November 3 from 3:00 to 4:30pm in Room 515A. Drawing from the contributions of leaders in early learning, child development, journalism, and public policy, this session will stimulate a lively discussion of the four critical dimensions that must be considered in the use of new technologies in early learning programs. The session leaders will also detail the research and policy implications that are essential in ensuring that America’s early literacy crisis—over two-thirds of all fourth-graders cannot read well—is addressed in the coming decade.

Learn more and register.

Student-Led Game Making and Learning Webinar
2016-11-09
Wednesday, November 9, 2016 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm EST

Explore how teachers can use student-led game-making to enrich learning. The panelists review the protocols of game-making, types of student-made games that are well suited for schools, what makes games engaging, and how various cross-curricular content areas come alive in games. Jordan Shapiro, renowned expert in game-making as a teaching and learning strategy, provides the rationale of “why to” and inspiration for “how to” use games in classrooms. Kristen Walter shares insights on using the Design Thinking process with students as they create a variety of games and teach others how to play—deeply embedding what they learn about their state and economy.

Cheri Sterman moderates the panel and provides child development insights on how students’ collaboration in the design, prototyping, testing, and teaching others how to play their games fits what we know as good pedagogy.

This event is open to the public! Learn more and register here.

Webinar presented by Cheri Sterman, Crayola Education Director; Jordan Shapiro, Ph.D., Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, Senior Fellow & Temple University Intellectual Heritage Program Professor; Kristen Walter, Crayola Innovative Teaching and Learning Specialist.

2016 National STEM Video Game Challenge Awards Ceremony & Reception
2016-11-14 | Washington, D.C.
Inspired by President Obama’s Educate to Innovate Campaign to promote a renewed focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, the National STEM Video Game Challenge taps into middle and high school students’ passion for playing video games and motivates them to work as individuals or in teams to design and make original, playable games or written game design documents about any subject.

On November 14, 2016 at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., winners of this year’s cycle will be announced, with a reception to follow.

Learn more about the National STEM Video Game Challenge.

Webinar: The Evolution of Literacy in the Digital Age
2016-12-01 | Webinar, Select a Country:
This event is free and open to the public.

Young children’s developing brains are learning to follow the sequence of a narrative as well as develop the complex literacies that are demanded by our digital and global age. In this webinar, Tap, Click, Read authors Michael Levine and Lisa Guernsey will discuss how content creators and publishers can help foster new pathways to learning by creating “transmedia” offerings that allow “blended learning” experiences beginning in preschool. Young children will increasingly need to learn how to navigate between print and digital images that are in their immediate surroundings. We will also discuss how educators and parents can help children grow into strong, passionate readers using media of all kinds—print, digital, and everything in between.
Register Now

Kids@Play Summit
2017-01-05 - 2017-01-08 | Venue Las Vegas, Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada
This event is open to the public.

At this year’s Kids@Play Summit you’ll hear from the smartest kids on the block: educators, researchers, thought leaders and yes, even real live kids about how the new world of seamless, screen-less tech is coming and how you can seize the opportunity.
Learn More

Educational Media and Technology: A Conversation with Michael Levine, Ph.D.
2017-01-24 | New York, NY, New York, NY, United States
This event is open to the public. Join us for a conversation about education media between Michael Levine and Bill Baker. January 24, 5:30-8:30 pm Fordham University
12th-Floor Lounge | E. Gerald Corrigan Conference Center
Lowenstein Center | Lincoln Center Campus
5:30 p.m. – Doors Open
5:40 p.m. – Welcome and Introductions
5:50-7:10 p.m. – Lecture and Q&A
7:10-8:30 p.m. – Reception
Learn More

Future of Education Technology Conference
2017-01-24 - 2017-01-27 | Orlando, FL
This event is open to the public.
FETC is the largest national, independent education technology conference, delivering strategies and best practices for student success and school-wide advancement. Learn More

Sandbox Sports
2017-02-07 - 2017-02-08 | Washington, DC, Washington, DC, Select a Country:
This event is open to the public.

Join an unparalleled group of sports, health, fitness, media, entertainment, education, technology and non-profit leaders to explore Innovation and Impact in Kids & Family Sports, Fitness and Health. Our candid discussions will cover the latest global trends, opportunities and best practices for designing, developing and monetizing cross-platform products, programs and experiences for kids, families and educators. In true Sandbox style, our mix of dynamic presentations, panels, workshops and networking events promise to deliver the insights, strategies and connections that will guarantee a true return on your participation!
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