SXSW EDU

118 SXSWedu 2016 Wednesday 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM Instructional Strategies No One Cares About Standards - We Want Skills ACC | Room 15 | Future15 Outside the realm of K-12 education, the rhetoric of standards has no meaning. Focusing on skills is tangible and transferable for students. The NYC DOE Skills Lab Pilot is funded by the GE Foun- dation to enhance the scope of skill-building experiences designed to prepare students for college and career success. By shifting the focus from standards to skills, educators and collaborating partners, co-design and deliver contextualized performance tasks that promote students' mastery of 21st century skills. This initiative is a unique example of how stakeholders can challenge the existing paradigm to provide students authentic learning experiences. Harvey Chism, NYC Department of Education 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM Gaming Minecraft in the Classroom—A Case Study ACC | Ballroom EFG | Playground Talk In March 2015, Northern Ireland became the first region in the world to introduce Minecraft as an educational tool into all of its post-pri- mary schools - reaching a potential 50,000 young people annually. In this session, the team behind the project will discuss how the programme has developed, the pros and cons of Minecraft as an educational tool, its efficacy and the challenges they have encoun- tered. We will also draw insight from content creator Adam Clarke, known to young children around the world as Wizard Keen, whose incredibly popular Minecraft-based YouTube series WONDER- QUEST is engaging young audiences in core curriculum subjects through animation and gameplay. Adam Clarke, WONDERQUEST, Mark Nagurski, CultureTECH 2:50 PM - 3:05 PM Continuing Education Adult Literacy: The Untold Key to Economic Success ACC | Room 15 | Future15 | #XPRIZE Shockingly, 36 million adults in the U.S. lack basic literacy skills, as do millions more around the world. Adults who lack basic reading skills face reduced employment potential, hinder their children's learning and slow our economy. Estimates show $225 billion in lost U.S. productivity and tax revenue, and $230 billion in added annual health care costs. Existing outdated brick and mortar programs require classrooms and teachers and cannot possibly scale to meet the need of the millions of adults who need support. Shlomy Kattan will highlight XPRIZE's newest challenge to revolutionize adult learning. She will help us imagine a future where low-literacy adults can download an app on their own mobile device, and over the course of 12 months, see an increase in literacy skills across the board. Imagine: a paradigm shift in how we approach adult learning on a global level and empower adults to teach themselves, anytime and anywhere. Shlomy Kattan, XPRIZE 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Entrepreneurialism Angels and EdTech: A Match Made in Heaven? ACC | Room 19AB | Industry Talk EdTech entrepreneurs need to find early stage funding and angels are often a fit. But education is lacking on both sides. Angels need to understand the range of opportunities and market growth profile. Entrepreneurs need to show market traction that can scale. EdTech offers a unique investment opportunity but many angels stay clear, due to market complexity and slow market up take. VC funds are growing but often concentrated in firms selling direct to consumers not schools. Tech enables changes in education as this large, competitive industry undergoes change. Jean Hammond, LearnLaunch, Jim Connor, First Focus Learning Systems, Frank Bonsal III, Towson University 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Special Needs Collective Impact for Learning & Attention Issues JW | Salon 2 | Summit CPE Learning disabilities or learning differences. Reading disabilities or dyslexia. ADHD or executive functioning issues. We may use different terms and have different approaches, but we are all trying to do the same thing: help the one in five kids with learning and attention issues who struggle in school and in life. If you are part of an organization—large or small—dedicated to this mission, join the summit where you will meet others working toward the same goals you are. Share what you do, and network with nonprofits, funders and for-profit organizations. Find partnering opportunities around programming, development, marketing and problem solving. Get connected! 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Leadership Leading a School Energized by Project Designers JW | Salon 1 | Summit This third module—Leading a School Energized by Project Design- ers—introduces school and district leaders to the skills, strategies and structures needed to create a context where GS PBL flourishes. Bob Lenz, Buck Institute for Education, Jennifer Cruz, Buck Institute for Education 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Educational Equality MBK: Cradle-to-Career Youth Best Practices JW | Salon 3 | Summit CPE Hosted by Public Consulting Group: Want to learn proven strategies that will position the children of your city to gain the physical, emo- tional, and cognitive preparedness to succeed? The six milestones of My Brother's Keeper (MBK) are designed to ensure youth suc- cess throughout the nation. Through this summit, you will engage in meaningful dialogue and share best practices that helps school districts, agencies and community stakeholders advance the six goals of MBK. By facilitating knowledge sharing and hearing from experts, we will create a unique exchange on cradle-to-career best practices and walk away with action steps that advance the likeli- hood of success and opportunity for youth locally and nationally. Christopher Yanov, Reality Changers, Denise Tillery, Wake County Public Schools, Laura Brady, Austin Opportunity Youth Collaborative, Jill Snyder, Boston Public School 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Implementation Design Make Go: MakerEd & Tech Integration ACC | Ballroom EFG | Playground Hands On This session is participatory, interactive and hands-on by design. Meant for novices and experts alike, be prepared to engage your heart, mind and hands to explore the fundamentals of constructiv- ism. After an overview of the cultural and pedagogical contexts of making, participants will delve into concepts like tinkering, making thinking visible, human-centered design and best practices for technology integration, followed by an opportunity for Q&A. No makerspace? No problem! The concrete, culturally responsive ex- amples taken away can be used in any setting and budget. Patrick Benfield, St. Gabriel's Catholic Church, Elizabeth Mikeska, Austin ISD

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