Renewing the Humanities: How Do We Understand Our 21st Century World?

The way we live, work, and make sense of our world is changing more rapidly than ever. Finding ways to think about who we are, where we’ve come from, and who we want to be has always been a key attribute of the humanities.

Today, with the advent of new tools, new sources of information, and new norms for communicating, what can we do to renew the way we think about the humanities and their role? How can we best sort through the stream of information coming at us from all sides? What new tools should we use to reflect on ideas from history, literature, journalism, science, and the arts? And how do we make sure that new technologies and platforms enable all members of society to be included and have opportunities for deep reflection and understanding?

Join New America and the National Humanities Center for a provocative conversation and a series of short presentations that explore the state of the humanities in the digital age—a time in which technological tools are both advancing scholarship and becoming key subjects of critical inquiry about their impact on society.

Join the conversation online using #RenewingHumanities and following @NewAmericaEd, @NewAmericaCA, and @NatlHumanities.

Schedule:

Check-in
3:30 - 4:00 p.m.

Please come early to check in and tour the exhibits in the Tech Museum.

Welcoming Remarks
4:00-4:30 p.m.

Anne-Marie Slaughter,  @SlaughterAM (live-streamed)
President and CEO, New America

Andy Mink, @Mink_ED
Vice President for Education Programs, National Humanities Center

How to Be a Critical Consumer of Information in the 21st Century
4:30-5:15 p.m.

With the mounting concern over fake news, the quality of online information, and diminishing information literacy skills, it’s more important than ever to understand how we consume content online. In this panel conversation, speakers will discuss what we know about literacy in our technology-driven world, how we evaluate information quality in this digital landscape, and what kids need in order to be critical consumers of information in the 21st Century.

Panelists:

Sam Wineburg, @samwineburg
Director, Stanford History Education Group, Stanford University

Maryanne Wolf
Director, Center for Reading and Language Research, Tufts University

Mimi Ito, @mizuko
Director, Connected Learning Lab, University of California-Irvine

Moderator:

Lisa Guernsey,  @LisaGuernsey
Director, Learning Technologies Project, New America

Lightning Talks
5:15-5:45 p.m.

During this series of 7 minute talks, speakers will explore critical tools and mindsets to help us avoid a myopic view of the world.  

Presenters:

Karla Monterroso, @karlitaliliana
CEO, Code 2040

Andy Mink, @Mink_ED
Vice President for Education Programs, National Humanities Center

Building a Renewed Culture of Information in the Digital Age
5:45-6:30 p.m.

Despite real fears over information consumption online, the internet has also broken down many barriers to information, providing unprecedented opportunities for sharing and learning with one another. Panelists will discuss the opportunities for building a renewed culture of information, sharing examples of how we can leverage digital tools and technologies to empower youth, families, and learners of all ages.  

Panelists:

Robin Mencher, @RobinJM
Executive Director, KQED Education

Mia Birdsong, @miabirdsong
Program Fellow, Family Centered Social Policy, New America & 2016 New America CA Fellow

Lisa Petrides, @lpetrides
Founder and CEO, Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME)

Moderator:

Autumn McDonald, @Autumn_McDo
Director, New America California

Concluding Remarks
6:30-6:50 p.m.

Robert Newman, @NatlHumanities
President, National Humanities Center

Reception
6:50-8:00 p.m.