What has fast become one of the nation’s premier conferences for innovation in education, the SXSW EDU Conference & Festival welcomes a community of optimistic, forward-thinking, and purpose-driven educators from across the country. The Remake Learning Network has trekked to Austin annually, often sending member “delegations,” to convene with colleagues around the shared goal of impacting the future of teaching and learning.

The tenth annual SXSW EDU will return to Austin on March 9-12, 2020. Many area professionals from higher education, philanthropy, schools, museums, and edtech companies are already gearing up to attend, and several Remake Learning Network members have taken an extra step, submitting a proposal to present a session at this year’s conference.

From story-telling and network building to computer science in arts and blockchain in education, Remake Learning members are ready to share their innovative approaches to teaching and learning with the world. They just need your help to make it happen!

SXSW EDU’s PanelPicker lets the education community use their voice to decide what sessions make the final conference cut. This year, submissions from network members are in the running with over 1,700 proposals from across the nation. Your vote will give a boost to local sessions and help ensure the Pittsburgh region has a presence in Austin next year. Read on for a round-up of session submissions from network members and cast your vote by August 23.

Don’t see your session on the list? Email info@remakelearning.org and we’ll get it added!

Art in Motion

Submitted By:  BirdBrain Technologies
Session Description:  Art in Motion is a project-based curriculum designed to authentically integrate computer science into art classes. Students design and create robots using strategies and process for any art project: sketching, journaling, revision, peer critique, etc. In this hands on session, participants will learn how to implement Art in Motion in their classroom by creating their own robot using two Austin public works of art – Kempelen’s Owls and Golden Afternoon.

Empower Learners through the Power of Story

Submitted By:  Make Learning Personal
Session Description:  Story is where we came from and where we’re going. It is in the story that we make meaning of our lives. Our story is what defines us, sets us apart and allows us to connect and build relationships with each other and to be known. Story is powerful and essential in creating learner-centered environments! The question is: In what ways can we empower our learners of all ages to share their story of who they are, how they learn and what they aspire to be so they can be known and valued?

Exploring the K-12 Education to Employment Pathway

Submitted By:  Schools That Can Pittsburgh
Session Description:  How can we prepare students in urban centers for a changing workforce? Schools That Can Pittsburgh, a chapter of the largest cross-sector network of urban schools, is reimagining a vibrant K – 12 education to employment (e2e) pathway. This session explores how STC Pittsburgh’s programs are helping 2,000+ students prepare for careers in high demand jobs, via a K-12 pathway that promotes digital learning and computational thinking in K-8 and leads to specific career pathways programs in 9-12.

How to Find the Innovators in Your Own Backyard

Submitted By:  Root + All
Session Description:  Here’s a guess: you walked into a classroom recently, saw something amazing happening, and wondered “How did I not know about this before? And why isn’t everyone in my community talking about this?” That happened enough times in our hometown of Pittsburgh that we decided to do something about it. We’ve been seeking out the future of learning in our own backyard, then sharing it with friends and neighbors around the world. This session reveals how we do it and how you can too.

Learning on the Block: Blockchain and Education

Submitted By:  Allegheny Intermediary Unit
Session Description:  Blockchain is a distributed, encrypted digital ledger technology. Because blockchain allows people to work together directly without the need for central authority to verify transactions or keep data safe, there is growing interest in the ways it could transform traditional educational systems. Join us to examine promising educational applications and collaboratively prototype uses for blockchain in learning by imagining what education systems might look when decentralized and/or distributed.

A Workforce Development Initiative: Making PAsmart

Submitted By:  PA Department of Education, South Fayette Township School District, and Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools
Session Description:  PAsmart, is designed to make PA the most prepared and talented workforce in the country by helping business succeed, grow the middle class, and strengthen the economy. Led by the governor of Pennsylvania, PAsmart includes partnerships with private industry and schools, to strategically invest in science and technology education, by increasing on-the-job training for CS/STEM careers. We’ll share this emerging initiative through one of the PAsmart projects. Diverse perspectives from the PA Department of Education, school leaders, and educational researchers will be explored as we discuss plans to increase equitable participation in CS, particularly among girls and students of color, by focusing on collaborative problem-solving and on gauging key competencies in computer science.