Programme team

Joanna McPake, University of Strathclyde: joanna.mcpake@strath.ac.uk

Lydia Plowman, University of Stirling

Christine Stephen, University of Stirling

Kaska Porayska-Pomsta, London Knowledge Lab

Sue Cranmer, FutureLab

Ayesha Chowdhury, CBeebies

Patricia Boyd, Learning and Teaching Scotland

OPEN DAY, Thursday 16th June, 9:15am-4:30pm. Download a programme flyer and the Briefing paper

Does technology promote creativity in children?
How do children access information and communicate with others?
What are the implications for children with additional communication needs?

Early years practitioners, policy makers and parents of pre-school children are invited to join university researchers and media industry specialists to discuss these questions and learn about current initiatives affecting young children growing up in a digital world.

Our Open Day on 16 June (0915-1630) will feature opportunities to learn about current developments from organisations such as Sesame Workshop and CBeebies, and to hear from experts including Professor Jeanette Steemers, Professor of Media and Communications at the University of Westminster and Dr Kaska Poraysta-Pomsta, London Knowledge Lab, director of a major study on the use of digital media to support the development of communicative skills among young children on the autistic spectrum, with opportunities to discuss and share ideas throughout the day.

Please register online for this event

Open Day: Programme (16 June)

0915 REGISTRATION & Coffee/ Tea
0930 Welcome: Professor Jane Morgan, Director, Scottish Insight
0945: Rethinking children creating and communicating. Joanna McPake, University of Strathclyde
1015 Little kids’ TV in the digital age: downloading, sampling, creating. Professor Jeanette Steemers, University of Westminster
1100 Coffee/ Tea
1115 DISCUSSION 1
1200 TBC
1230 Lunch
1315 Creating communicators: Digital media and the developmental trajectories of young children. Rebecca Herr-Stephenson, Joan Ganz Cooney Center, New York (Sesame Workshop)
1400 Something Special, Ayesha Chowdhury, Producer, CBeebies
1430 DISCUSSION 2
1515 Coffee/ Tea
1530 ECHOES: digital technologies to develop social interaction skills for children on the autism spectrum. Dr Kaska Porayska-Pomsta, London Knowledge Lab
1600 ASK THE PANEL
1630 CLOSE

Creating and Communicating, EXPERT GROUP PROGRAMME. Download the programme and the Briefing paper

Open Day: Thursday 16th June
Expert Forum: Friday 17th June

Does technology promote creativity in children?
How do children use technology to access information and communicate with others?
What are the implications of communications technologies for children with additional communication needs?

Our Open Day on 16 June (0915-1630) will feature opportunities to learn about current developments from organisations such as Sesame Workshop and CBeebies, and to hear from experts including Professor Sandra Calvert of the Children’s Digital Media Center, Georgetown University, and Dr Kaska Poraysta-Pomsta, London Knowledge Lab, director of a major study on the use of digital media to support the development of communicative skills among young children on the autistic spectrum, with opportunities to discuss and share ideas throughout the day.

The Expert Forum on 17 June (0915-1300) will bring together a diverse group of academics and professionals with expertise in creating and communicating in the early years, using digital toys, games and media. It will provide opportunities to discuss in detail the key issues set out above and to identify further challenges for the field,  establishing what we know and identifying future research and development agendas.

Open Day: Programme (16 June)

0900 REGISTRATION & Coffee/ Tea
0930 Welcome. Professor Jane Morgan, Director, Scottish Insight
0945 Rethinking children creating and communicating. Joanna McPake, University of Strathclyde
1015 Little kids’ TV in the digital age: downloading, sampling, creating. Professor Jeanette Steemers, University of Westminster
1100 Coffee/ Tea
1115 DISCUSSION 1
1200 TBC
1230 Lunch
1315 Creating communicators: Digital media and the developmental trajectories of young children. Rebecca Herr-Stephenson, Joan Ganz Cooney Center, New York (Sesame Workshop)
1400 TBC (CBeebies)
1430 DISCUSSION 2
1515 Coffee/ Tea
1530 ECHOES: digital technologies to develop social interaction skills for children on the autism spectrum. Dr Kaska Porayska-Pomsta, London Knowledge Lab
1600 ASK THE PANEL
1630 CLOSE

Expert Forum (17 June)

0900 Coffee/ Tea
0915 Digital media and children’s creativity. Professor Sandra Calvert, Georgetown University Director, Children’s Digital Media Center
0945 Introductions: Questions arising from our own expertise and practice
1030 Discussion 1: What do we know?
• Does technology promote creativity in children?
• How do children use technology to access information and communicate with others?

1115 Coffee/ Tea
1130 Discussion 2: What happens next?
• What is the R&D Agenda for the next decade?
• What short and medium term goals should we set?
• What are the first steps in achieving these?
1230 Conclusions
1300 Lunch
1400 CLOSE

NOTE: This event will be held at the Macrobert Centre, University of Stirling

Draft schedule, download the draft programme

Open Day, Thursday 12th May, Macrobert, Stirling

• Have technological toys and games changed the way children play?
• Can new technologies support or speed up children’s learning in different or more effective ways?
• What do children’s emerging technological skills mean for learning and teaching in the early years?

Early years practitioners, policy makers and parents of pre-school children are invited to join university researchers and media industry specialists to discuss these questions and learn about current initiatives affecting young children growing up in a digital world.

Our Open Day (0930-1600) will feature opportunities to learn about current developments from organisations such as CBeebies, Creative Scotland, Learning & Teaching Scotland and VTech, and researchers Dr Christine Stephen (University of Stirling) on rethinking playing and learning and Lindsay Grant (University of Bristol), on what children’s developing technological skills mean for their learning, with opportunities to discuss and share ideas throughout the day.

All are welcome to attend but space is limited, so booking is essential.

Location and travel info

This event will be held at the Macrobert Centre at the University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA. Travel information and maps are available here.

NOTE: This event will be held at the Macrobert Art Centre, on the University of Stirling Campus.

Our Open Day 12 May (0930-1645) will feature opportunities to learn about current developments from organisations such as CBeebies, Creative Scotland, Learning & Teaching Scotland and VTech, and researchers Dr Christine Stephen (University of Stirling) on rethinking playing and learning, and from Lindsay Grant (University of Bristol), Andrew Joyce-Gibbons and James McNaughton (Durham Unviersity) and Dr Andrew Manches (London Knowledge Lab) on what children’s developing technological skills mean for their learning, with opportunities to discuss and share ideas throughout the day.

The Expert Forum on 13 May (0915-1300) will bring together a diverse group of academics and professionals with expertise in play and learning in the early years, and digital toys, games and media. It will provide opportunities to discuss in detail the key issues set out above and to identify further challenges for the field, establishing what we know and identifying future research and development agendas.

Draft Schedule for Expert Forum 13 May

See Open Day 12 May tab for the programme of the Open Day

0915 Technology, expertise and learning: Professor Steve Higgins, Durham University

0945 Introductions: Questions arising from our own expertise and practice

1030 Discussion 1: What do we know?

• Have technological toys and games changed the way children play?
• Can new technologies support or speed up children’s learning in different or more effective ways?
• What do children’s emerging technological skills mean for learning and teaching in the early years?

1115 COFFEE/ TEA

1130 Discussion 2: What happens next?

• What is the R&D Agenda for the next decade?
• What short and medium term goals should we set?
• What are the first steps in achieving these?

1230 Conclusions

1300 LUNCH

1400 CLOSE

NEW: briefing document available

Childhoods and Parenting: Open Day *AMENDED SCHEDULE*

24th March 2011

• Has childhood in the 21st century been changed radically by digital technologies such as computers, mobile phones and games consoles?

• What are the advantages and disadvantages for young children (age 3 to 6) learning to use these technologies?
• What advice do parents of children of this age find most useful?

Early years practitioners, policy makers and parents of pre-school children are invited to join university researchers and media industry specialists to discuss these questions and learn about current initiatives affecting young children growing up in a digital world.

Our Open Day (11:45-17:30) will feature opportunities to learn about current developments from organisations such as CBeebies, Learning & Teaching Scotland and Childnet, and to hear from university experts including Professor Lydia Plowman (University of Stirling) director of a major study on Toys and Technology and Dr Mary Ulicsak (FutureLab), on her research into Gaming in Families, with opportunities to discuss and share ideas throughout the day with the presenters and others interested in these issues.

You are welcome to attend, but space is limited, so booking is essential.

NEW: download a briefing document

Childhoods and Parenting: Schedule

0915 Introductions: Questions arising from our own research and practice

1000 Discussion 1: What do we know?

• Are digital technologies changing childhoods?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of new technologies for young children?
• What advice do parents find most helpful?

1100  COFFEE/ TEA

1130 Discussion 2: What happens next?

• What is the R&D Agenda for the next decade?
• What short and medium term goals should we set?
• What are the first steps in achieving these?

1230 Conclusions