This fall Pitt's Childhood Studies Speaker Series will host a lecture by anthropologist Mizuko Ito. The event will take place in William Pitt Union Assembly Room at 10:30 a.m. on October 15.
Dr. Ito is Professor in Residence and MacArthur Foundation Chair in Digital Media and Learning at UC Irvine. She also serves as Research Director of the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub and as Chair of the Connected Learning Research Network. She will present about her current research on "Connected Learning":
Today’s learners are immersed in an abundance of information, media and ubiquitous social connection. Despite unprecedented access to educational resources and expertise, our research found only a small minority of young learners leveraging new media to further academic and career relevant learning or their civic engagement. How can we best guide, mentor, and teach young people in this era of abundant knowledge and connectivity? Can new media build stronger connections between in school and out of school learning? And how can we do this in a way that supports the interests and identities of all learners? Connected learning offers a model for how to leverage new technology in ways that serve progressive learning goals, linking young people’s academic, social, and recreational lives.
This event is free and open to the public. It is co-sponsored the School of Information Sciences and the School of Education. The William Pitt Union is located on the University of Pittsburgh campus at 3959 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. For information contact Tyler Bickford: bickford@pitt.edu, 412-624-2613.