Educationalists from across the globe gathered to discuss the future of learning at the Children’s Global Media Summit in Manchester last week.
Speakers included Malik Ducard (pictured), YouTube USA’s global head of family and learning, Sugata Mitra, a professor at the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences at Newcastle University, and the finalist of the 2017 Global Teacher prize, Michael Wamaya.
Running between December 5 and 7, the event was curated by the BBC and explored how media might be redesigned for “Generation U”. It touched on the themes of education, empowerment, entertainment, innovation and freedom.
Panel sessions covered ways technology can help young people from all backgrounds access education, its role in helping teenagers navigate relationships, self-image and their studies, and how online content can assist teachers in the classroom.
“We are all very nervous about children with smartphones. The internet with social media enables them to know just about anything,” said Mitra. “We must learn to understand that they are in their time, unlike any we have known.”
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, was also there, and suggested that youngsters need to become more “digitally literate”.
“We need a change in the curriculum so we can prepare children for an incredibly complex modern world,” he said.
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