Technological innovation brings a cascade of implications for classrooms and informal learning spaces that we are only starting to understand. What are the promises and perils of virtual assistants and recommendation engines in today’s learning environments? Do we fully recognize the risks and rewards that come with access to digital media tools and instant sharing? Are today’s educators, librarians, parents, and youth prepared to make sense of the vast array of information and the increasing sophistication of today’s digital tools?

New insights about how to tackle these questions while also engaging today’s youth are emerging from the writings and research of Nicole Mirra, author of Educating for Empathy: Literacy Learning and Civic Engagement and Assistant Professor of Urban Teacher Education at Rutgers University. Ensuring an inclusive and empowering education for the next generation will require a collective effort across a broad range of technology and education sectors – with an emphasis on hearing the voices of students and teachers. At our first event in the Connected Conversations series we welcome Professor Mirra and others, including special guests from YMCA Lighthouse, TeenBloc A+ Schools and Steeltown Entertainment to exchange learnings from the many projects across the Pittsburgh area that combine technology and humanities approaches to learning.

Please join New America, the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project, and the CREATE Lab for a stimulating afternoon of sharing and conversation about the future of education. We’d love for you to attend to share your unique questions and concerns regarding artificial intelligence, personalized learning, and other automations in your teaching and learning context. Your ideas will help us grow our collective learning and find new questions to discuss in our region. All people and perspectives are welcome.

FEATURED PARTICIPANTS:

Kristina Ishmael
Senior Project Manager, Teaching, Learning, and Tech Program
New America

Nicole Mirra
Assistant Professor of Urban Teacher Education, Rutgers University
Author, Educating for Empathy: Literacy Learning and Civic Engagement

Laura Roop
Director, Western Pennsylvania Writing Project

LEARNING POWER:

Examining the Future Of Education Amid Automation And Artificial Intelligence
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
4:00 PM – Registration and Welcome
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM – Facilitated Discussion
6:00 PM – Reception

Follow the conversation online using #ConnectedConversations and following @cmucreatelab, @writingproject, and @NewAmericaEd.