Cast Your Vote: New America’s Education Policy Program Invited to Participate in Five Proposed SXSW EDU Panels

Each year, SXSW EDU hosts a community of optimistic, forward-thinking, purpose-driven stakeholders with a shared goal of impacting the future of teaching and learning. As part of this tradition, members of New America’s Education Policy program have been invited to sit on five proposed panels examining screen time in education, technology in early literacy, open educational resources, the behavioral economics of higher education, and workforce preparation. Using SXSW’s PanelPicker, members of the public are encouraged to select programming for this year’s SXSW EDU by casting votes for their favorite ideas. The voting period is open from Aug. 7 to Aug. 25. Each submission is briefly described below.

Screen Time: Is it All the Same?

As computers and tablets become the norm in classrooms, there’s a lot of hype surrounding the amount of screen time for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics updated their recommendations on screen time to exclude productive screen time, such as online homework. But what makes some screen time okay? How do parents and teachers distinguish between screen time for entertainment and screen time for education? Join us for a discussion on what makes for “good” screen time.

Can an iPad Solve the Literacy Crisis?

As educators and policy makers look to technology to scale literacy, many are asking, "Can an iPad solve the literacy crisis?" This session will examine how new technologies are shaping the way kids learn to read and whether technology is a panacea or a plague. Lisa Guernsey of New America will lead the session with Susan Neuman, professor of Early Literacy at NYU, Michael Levine, of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshops, and Stephanie Dua, founder of the Homer learn to read app.

Achieving Equity with Open Educational Resources

Costs in addition to tuition remain a large barrier to achieving equity in student success. Open educational resources (OER) change that by providing an affordable, customizable, and reusable alternative to traditional materials which are often expensive and rigid. This panel will discuss recent research and promising practices that show how OER tackles inequity. We will also discuss how OER can greatly improve how we teach and learn by supporting innovative practice, policy, and research.

NudgeU: Learning from Behavioral Economics

The theories of market behavior undergirding behavioral economics have prompted government and social impact organizations to fundamentally rethink their approach to encouraging good behavior and preventing negative outcomes. As postsecondary leaders seek to unravel the complexity behind persistent socioeconomic achievement gaps, could the answer be that the most profound impact may come from the simplest of actions?

The Future Workforce: Are Students Prepared?

It’s predicted that 65 percent of children now entering grade school will eventually work in jobs that don’t exist today. Automation, offshoring and changes due to technology are changing the economy, and forcing institutions to rethink how they prepare students for the future workforce. How can higher education keep up? This panel will tackle issues like credentialing, re-training, partnerships with business, and more.