Constructionism 2020 Dublin - Call for Participation

[Jake Byrne]

Hi all,

See this message below for the Constructionism 2020 conference that will be hosted in Dublin next year. Definitely something that speaks to this community.

http://www.constructionismconf.org/call-for-participation/   What have you done, and what can you share, to help the wider constructionist community move forward in our collective understanding of constructionism? The conference theme of Exploring, Testing and Extending our Understanding of Constructionism challenges all of us, researchers and practitioners, to further our collective understanding of constructionism.  We need to consider how theory and empirical evidence from other disciplines can be used to critique, and ultimately enhance, constructionism and constructionist activities as we move towards the second quarter of the 21st Century.  Disciplines such as sociology and neuropsychology (to name just two) can provide us with new insights into constructionist activities.  At the same time, what does constructionism have to offer as a philosophy and theory of learning which can help society address some of the biggest challenges of our time such as intolerance, biodiversity and climate change? What can be learned from those who engage in constructionist principles but may not see themselves as constructionists?  For example, what can be learned from Makerspaces and industry training, those who work in the classroom and in after-school clubs; those in the arts, social sciences and STEM fields?  With the rise of computer programming, robotics, etc. in school curricula globally, why do we not see more direct reference to constructionism and what do we need to do to challenge attitudes in education? We welcome all voices to share their ideas in a variety of formats, details below, and the conference committee is open to suggestions for alternative formats not listed.  In addition, throughout the conference there will be a focus on collectively discussing ideas with the aim of developing a coherent consensus of our understanding of constructionism for the future.   On behalf of the conference committees we look forward to receiving your submissions and welcoming you to Dublin in May 2020.   http://www.constructionismconf.org/call-for-participation/ Carina Girvan, Jake Rowan Byrne,  Brendan Tangney, Valentina Dagienė Conference Co-chairs