Supporting students in digital literacy and learning at home

In recent months, both adults and children have increased their dependence on "the digital"; Whether it's to keep in touch with your loved ones, or to work and learn. Dr. Sue Luft and Lorella Conte-Lamonaca from Scarsdale Public Schools (USA) will talk about how we can help students grow and thrive in the digital environment without forgetting its social dimension. The session will be in English.

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Susan Luft. Ph.D. has been an educator for over 20 years. In her role as Elementary ELA Coordinator for Scarsdale Public Schools, her innovative instructional focus is on collaboration and dialogue-based learning. She is passionate about supporting student literacy development through traditional and 21st-century skills.

Susan has facilitated many teacher training courses offered by the Scarsdale Teachers Institute and taught workshops and graduate courses as an adjunct professor and GSE presenter at Fordham and Drew Universities. Her research focus is on student development of Digital/Media Literacy and Internet Communication Technologies as a resource for communication, inquiry, learning, and problem-solving. Susan has an extensive background in providing professional development with a focus on traditional and digital/media literacy for students, educators, and administrators.

Susan's experience includes working with teachers and administrators in:
* Resume Development
*Teacher Professional Development
* Classroom Coaching and Teacher Support
*Assessment Implementation and Analysis
* Research in Innovative Practices, such as blending traditional and digital/media literacies
* Workshops and Presentations at universities (including Drew University, Fordham University, University of Rhode Island), and Professional Organizations (including NCTE and ILA).

Lorella Lamonaca, a teacher in project-based learning and the Reggio Emilia approach from the Scarsdale Public Schools District in New York, holds an MA in Educational Leadership. She is currently the Early Childhood Director of WeGrow, a private school in New York City. In addition to being an educator for the past 30 years, she is an educational consultant in the New York metropolitan area and has presented at conferences both nationally and internationally. She has co-facilitated a Reggio Emilia study group in Scarsdale public schools for the last fourteen years, exploring best practices with research-based methods in experiential and project-based learning. She coordinates and leads international conferences to Reggio Emilia, Italy. During the summer months, she facilitates week-long staff development classes on experiential learning in the ELL classroom for Madrid's public school teachers, and she has presented in Finland on Incorporating Digital Literacy in the early childhood classroom.