This is the first year we will be covering SXSW Edu and we are looking forward to some fascinating seassions. Here is a rundown of some things to check out on Monday at SXSW.
- The Expo Floor – 9 AM – Convention Center, Hall 4
Possibly the most important part of any convention. It is a way to browse products, hear stories, and take the temperature of education in general. It makes it easy to have a lot of back to back conversations with entrepreneurs, marketing people, and teachers. You also get to hear the questions that other people bring up and overhear what people are thinking about or worried about. The expo floor is almost always the most interesting place to be in a convention.
- Transforming Cities into Playful Learning Spaces – 11:30 AM – Hilton Downtown, Salon H
With the upsurge of interest in urban development reflected in Youtube channels like Not Just Bikes and subreddits like r/Fuckcars, transforming cities has never been a more popular topic. Having spaces where children can safely explore while learning makes them more likely to be active and helps keep their curiosity. As their description says “Playful Learning Landscapes is an innovative approach to education that reimagines the urban realm by linking learning science, placemaking, and community values to transform public spaces like bus stops and parks into hubs for playful learning”.
- The EdSurge Podcast – 1 PM – Hilton Downtown, Salon A
EdSurge is (despite our best efforts to surpass them here at E3D News) still the premier edtech reporting site. This recording will be about the “Golden Age of Learning Science”, which might showcase some of the learning science and classroom pedagogy that is starting to make a dent in the issues that David Bowles pointed out. Should be an exciting session!
- Lessons from Past Policy for Future Technology – 2:30 PM – Convention Center, Room 18CD
Here at E3D News we see ourselves as primarily covering EdTech and Ed Policy, and this session in particular is the cross section of those two ideas. As their description says “What can technologists, advocates, and policymakers learn from the past decade of student data privacy legislation to inform what’s next?”.
- The EdTech Happy Hour
Unfortunately it’s still a badged event and they do want you to register, but if you can get there it should be a good deal of fun!
