Knowledge Building Event – Evidence-Based Approaches to Technology Use in Early Childhood Education, Monday December 4, 13:00 (CET)
Description
The aim of the event is to advance evidence-based approaches to the use of technologies in early years.
European Digital Education Hub
The European Digital Education Hub (EDEH) is an initiative of the European Commission, funded by the Erasmus+ programme (2021-2027) and operated by a consortium of eleven organisations, under a service contract with the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
EDEN Digital Learning Europe Knowledge Building team is actively contributing to this Hub.
Monthly innovative events are organised to discover and debate which are the current and future challenges of the digital transformation of education.
Moderator
Natalia Kucirkova is Professor of Reading and Early Childhood Development, University of Stavanger (Norway) and The Open University (UK). She researches children’s use of media and technologies. She is especially interested in children’s use of e-books and literacy apps, particularly in relation to the use of personal data (digital personalization) and evidence-based approach to EdTech. Her latest project “Sensory Books” is about reading that engage children’s sense of smell. She is a passionate advocate for social justice, women leadership and embedded research impact.
Speakers
Christian Magnusson is Senior Adm Officer at the Division for Upper Secondary and Adult Education and Training at the Ministry of Education and Research in Sweden. His main area is the digitalisation in the Swedish school system and vocational education and training for adults. He is a former principal with experience from preschool, elementary school and secondary school. Christian Magnusson was highly involved in the implementation of the previous national strategy for the digitalisation of the Swedish school system 2017-2022 as Director of Education at the Swedish National Agency for Education. In the EU context Christian Magnusson represents the Swedish Government in the DELTA working group.
Sandra Mathers is part of the Child Development and Learning research group at University of Oxford. Her main research interests are the quality of early education and its effects on child development, early language development and professional development. She began her career as a primary school teacher, and her work remains strongly practice and policy-focused. In addition to her research, Sandra is a Trustee of the charity Early Education and a regular adviser to local and national policy-makers. For example, she recently served as a member of the Department for Education Expert Panel on early years language, literacy and communication apps (2019) and on the proposed revisions to the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum (2017-18).
Sara Ratner is research officer at University of Oxford, UK. Sara’s research interests are situated where education, policy, assessment and technology meet. She is passionate about equitable access to quality education for all.Before joining the Department of Education, Sara was studying for her PhD in Education at the University of Sydney where she was awarded the inaugural NESA scholarship from the Centre for Educational Measurement and Assessment (CEMA) and the University of Sydney Doctoral Travel Scholarship which enabled her to spend three terms as a Recognised Student in the Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment (OUCEA). Her doctoral research focuses on national education policies and the international assessments used to measure their success.
Charles Mifsud is the Director of the Centre for Literacy at the University of Malta. He was involved in the setting up and development of the National Literacy Agency of Malta and is the Chairperson of the Agency Board. He has coordinated and edited the writing of the National Literacy Strategy for Malta and Gozo 2013-2021 and that for 2022-2030. He is also the Chairperson of the National Language Policy in Education Committee which has prepared the Language Policy in Education for the Early Years and the National Language Policy in Education for the Junior Years. He is also the Malta coordinator of the Language Education Policy Profile for Malta of the Council of Europe.
Markku Pelkonen is Chief Commercial Offices in GraphoGame. Before leaving Otava learning in 2023 (September) and joining GraphoGame, Markku has pioneered digital learning in both the educational field and for global corporations. “After over 30 years of delivering digital learning on a global scale I want to enable others to learn the same skills and mindset. For the next +20 years I want to support and drive the mindset change needed to thrive in the changing landscape”. Markku is passionate about life skills development, continuous learning, and digitalization of learning. In his coaching, heencourages and facilitates a culture of growth mindset for both leaders and individuals in organizations.