
Tuesday May 17 – Friday May 20, 2022, via Zoom

ABOUT THE RETREAT

Children and Screens is hosting a groundbreaking, virtual research and education retreat on Education Technology and Virtual Learning from Tuesday May 17 through Friday May 20. The Education Technology and Virtual Learning Retreat will address compelling and critical questions about education technology use both inside and outside of the classroom, as well as what we’ve learned and what we need to know in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope to elucidate how education technology is shaping teaching practices and learning experiences, its efficacy, and broad impacts on student outcomes - with an emphasis on where to go from here.
Join us for small-group conversations with teachers, administrators, policymakers, child developmentalists and others on how to solve some of the perplexing problems that face our education system in a highly digital world.
Through this interdisciplinary retreat, we will:
- Discuss and advance the state of the science regarding the use of digital technology in education - within the classroom and at home.
- Clarify its challenges, successes, and implications for education, research, and policy
- Collaborate on the following post-retreat deliverables, according to your role:
- Future research agenda in this area
- Resource for educators, administrators, parents and policymakers (see next line)
- Policy brief to promote sound legislation to improve educational outcomes
- Provide a forum to discuss new interdisciplinary research proposals that will be funded by $100K–$300K seed grants from Children and Screens
Key retreat topics include:
- The past, present, and future of edtech and virtual learning
- Student learning experience and outcomes
- Impacts to students’ cognitive, social-emotional, and physical well-being
- Teacher and administrator experiences and challenges
- Digital divides and access
- Student data and privacy
- Edtech legislation and policy

AGENDA

We expect around 100 participants over the course of the 4 day virtual retreat. Prerecorded speaker presentations will be provided to participants in advance and retreat sessions will center around live commentary, Q&A, and small breakout room discussions.
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
10am-1pm ET
FOCUS
What is the experience of teachers and administrators with education technology and virtual learning? What do researchers need to know?
Discussant Commentary and Q&A
What do we know about Education Technology (i.e., uses, efficacy, etc.) in the classroom?
Breakout Session
Experiences with education technology in the classroom by age
Discussant Commentary and Q&A
What do we know about virtual learning during the Covid-19 pandemic?
Breakout Session
Experiences with virtual learning by age
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
10am-1pm ET
FOCUS
What is the experience of students with education technology and virtual learning?
What do researchers need to know?
Discussant Commentary and Q&A
What are students’ experiences with education technology and virtual learning?
Breakout Session
Student experiences by age
Discussant Commentary and Q&A
What are the cognitive, psychosocial-emotional, and physical impacts of everyday education technology and virtual learning?
Breakout Session
Cognitive, psychosocial-emotional, physical impacts by age
Thursday, May 19, 2022
1pm-4pm ET
FOCUS
What do teachers and administrators need to know about the future of educational technology and virtual learning?
What are the best practices?
Breakout Session
Best practices for teaching across subjects at different grade levels
Discussant Commentary and Q&A
What does the future of education technology and virtual learning look like? What new technologies can we expect and where do we go from here?
Breakout Session
The future of education technology and virtual learning - emerging technologies and where do we go from here - by age
Friday, May 20, 2022
1pm-4pm ET
FOCUS
What are the key policy needs and considerations for education technology and virtual learning moving forward?
Discussant Commentary and Q&A
What regulations or policies are needed to guide the use of education technology in the classroom and during periods of virtual learning?
Breakout Session
Key policy and regulation questions by age
Breakout Session
Key policy and regulation questions by topic

FEATURED GUESTS

Elizabeth Albro, PhD
Commissioner of Education Research at
the Institute of Education Sciences (IES),
U.S. Department of Education
Justin Reich, PhD
Teaching Systems Lab, MIT
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD
Stanley and Deborah Lefkowitz
Professor of Psychology
Temple University
Carolyn Heinrich, PhD
Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of
Public Policy, Education and Economics
Vanderbilt University
Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH
Director of the Center for Child Health,
Behavior and Development at Seattle
Children's Research Institute,
Editor-in-Chief, JAMA Pediatrics
Joe Clement and Matt Miles
Teachers and authors of Screen Schooled
Naomi Baron, PhD
Professor Emerita, Linguistics,
America University
Velislava Hillman, PhD
Founder, EDDS, Fellow, The London
School of Economics and Political Science
Kristen Turner, PhD
Professor and Director of Teacher
Education
Drew University
Tessa Jolls
CEO and President,
Center for Media Literacy
Christina Conolly-Chester, PsyD, NCSP
Director, Division of Psychological Services,
Montgomery County Public Schools
Victoria Dunckley, MD
Integrative Child, Adolescent & Adult
Psychiatry, Westside Los Angeles
Troy Hicks, PhD
Professor of English and Education,
Central Michigan University
Beth Holland, EdD
Partner, Research and Measurement,
The Learning Accelerator
Amelia Vance, JD
Founder and President,
Public Interest Privacy
Joseph DiNapoli, PhD
Department of Mathematics,
Montclair State University
Kelley Brill, MS
Teacher and Curriculum Developer,
Winston Family Initiative in Technology
and Adolescent Brain Development
Lauren Hale, PhD
Professor of Family, Population and
Preventive Medicine,
Program in Public Health,
Stony Brook University
Travis Saunders, PhD
Associate Professo of
Applied Human Sciences,
University of Prince Edward Island
Heather Kirkorian, PhD
Associate Professor and Laura M. Secord
Chair in Early Childhood Development,
University of Wisconsin-Madison
John Ewing, PhD
President, Math for America
Ellen Wartella, PhD
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani
Professor of Communication;
Professor of Psychology;
Professor of Human Development
and Social Policy,
Northwestern University
Natalia Kucirkova, PhD
Professor of Reading and
Early Childhood Development,
University of Stavanger
Criscillia Benford, PhD
Pier Consulting Group,
Stanford Continuing Studies
Chip Donohue, PhD
Founding Director of Technology in Early
Childhood Center,
Erikson Institute
Carrie James, PhD
Senior Research Associate, Project Zero,
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Fran Blumberg, PhD
Professor, Division of Psychological
and Educational Services,
Fordham University
and many more!
If you are interested in attending the retreat and you are a teacher, administrator, principal, IT specialist, researcher, government agency, or other stakeholder, please fill out this form.