The Fostering Innovation and Creativity with Technology in K-12 Education symposium held at The Ohio State University highlighted the importance of collaboration between educators and administrators to incorporate technology effectively in the classroom and prepare students for future careers.

The symposium, organized by the College of Education and Human Ecology (EHE) in partnership with Apple, aimed to explore the impact of coding, data analytics, virtual reality, and other technologies on teaching and learning. The event brought together educators, administrators, and IT specialists to discuss innovative approaches to education.

Detra Price-Dennis, an EHE professor and the executive director of the Center for Digital Learning and Innovation, emphasized the need for collaboration between K-12 educators and higher education professionals. The center aims to serve as a hub for bringing people together, fostering authentic conversations, and providing support for educators.

During his keynote address, Ian O’Byrne, an associate professor of education, focused on the importance of computational thinking and project-based learning in preparing students for careers that don’t yet exist. He emphasized the need to create students who are lifelong learners and think outside the box.

The symposium included workshops and panel discussions that addressed various aspects of technology integration in education. The morning panel emphasized the collaboration between higher education and K-12 counterparts to ensure teachers are equipped with the necessary skills to adapt to evolving technology. The afternoon panel discussed the effective ways of incorporating technology in the classroom to address students’ specific needs.

Charles Lang, the executive director of the Digital Futures Institute at Columbia University’s Teachers College, highlighted the increasing number of technology formats available to teachers. He emphasized that technology provides creative choices for educators to cater to individual student needs. This flexibility opens up new possibilities for personalized learning.

The symposium also touched on the role of parents and educators in helping students navigate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). Aman…, an expert in AI, stressed the importance of guidance and support in understanding and utilizing AI tools such as ChatGPT.

Overall, the symposium emphasized the need for collaboration, innovative teaching approaches, and support in fostering creativity and preparing students for the ever-changing technological landscape.