The New York City Department of Education will host the NYCSchoolsTech Summit 2021 on July 28. Produced by Tech & Learning, the interactive virtual event is open to all educators and will run from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. It will feature innovative panels led by education leaders. Attendees of the summit will also have the chance to meet with top vendors and connect and reflect with fellow educators as they learn new teaching techniques and resources. Attendees can also earn CTLE credits by attending sessions on July 28.
“We’re honored to offer this day of professional development for New York City Department of Education educators,” says Christine Weiser, Content Director for Tech & Learning. “The program will include a wide variety of perspectives about the lessons learned in education this past year. Speakers include experts from New York, as well as thought leaders from around the world.”
Here are some highlights from the upcoming NYCSchoolsTech Summit.
NYCSchoolsTech Summit Keynote: Cybernetic Potential
Genevieve Bell from the Australian National University will kick off the NYCSchoolsTech Summit with a keynote address at 8:30 a.m. ET. Bell’s presentation, “Beyond the Pandemic: Finding Hope in Cybernetics,” will explore the potential of cybernetics in an education system plunged into instability by COVID-19. Bell will explore how cybernetics can give us a hopeful, generative, and creative approach for the future.
Following the keynote, Dr. Kelly Frame from the ANU School of Cybernetics will host a workshop in which she will share cybernetic resources, explore how educators can bring cybernetic thinking to their teaching, and discuss cybernetic tools for the classroom.
Post-Pandemic Teaching
A number of sessions during the NYCSchoolsTech Summit will focus on what educators have learned during the pandemic. These include “How Leaders Update Their Practices in a Post-Pandemic World” and a workshop, “Making Sense of The Pandemic and What Comes Next.”
During the “What to Keep, What to Ditch from the Pandemic” panel, edtech experts will discuss what tools and approaches worked well during remote and hybrid teaching and should be incorporated into future classes as well as what platforms and practices educators will be happy to leave behind going forward.
Equity
Using tech to promote equity in classrooms will be the focus of many sessions during the summit. Laura Ogando from NYC DOE and Taili Horowitz from Common Sense Education will lead “Digital Citizenship & Racial Justice,” while attendees can also participate in the “Providing Accessibility in Your STEM Classroom using the Immersive Reader” partner workshop.
Another partner workshop, “How to Address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Your Coding Program,” is scheduled for the day, plus “Connecting with ELL Families Via MS Translator” will offer best communication practices and approaches.
Connecting
At different points throughout the summit, educators will have the opportunity to connect with one another and with vendors. They’ll also hear directly from students during the Student Think Tank panel, when students will share their experiences over the past year and their hopes for the coming school year.
Attendees will also be able to participate in sessions throughout the day dedicated to connecting with students and their families.
For educators, this professional development event will be a chance to reflect on the past year-plus of pandemic teaching and look forward to what the coming school year has in store. Mark your calendars!
