Learning in the Digital Age: Scientific American Comes to Google Headquarters
By Rachel Scheer
(L-R) Michael Voss, Alan Alda and Mariette DiChristina
Leaders from academia, public policy, and the private sector gathered to discuss the future of learning at the Scientific American and Macmillan Science and Education Executive STEM Summit: Learning in the Digital Age. The goal of the summit, held at the Google offices in New York City, was to go beyond the usual conversations on the need to reinvent the ways we teach and learn, and instead focus on the emerging technologies, groundbreaking initiatives and leading programs that have the best chance of revolutionizing education.
“Until recently, classrooms have shared a familiar format for hundreds of years,” said Scientific American editor in chief Mariette DiChristina. “Now that’s all starting to change as the digital revolution that has swept through so many other industries makes its presence more and more felt in education.”
The half-day summit featured luminaries such as Harvard University director of life sciences education Robert Lue, Science Friday host Ira Flatow, Change the Equation CEO Linda Rosen, Google global education evangelist Jaime Casap, Knewton CEO Jose Ferreira, Lawrence Hall of Science director Elizabeth Stage, Google director of research Peter Norvig, and others.
At the close of the summit, DiChristina granted seven-time Emmy-winning actor, writer and director Alan Alda a lifetime achievement award for his dedication to supporting STEM. In 2006 Alda received the National Science Board’s Public Service Award for helping to broaden the public’s understanding of science. He is a visiting professor and advisory board member of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University and the former host of the television series Scientific American Frontiers.
The summit was inspired by the August 2013 issue of Scientific American, which features a 26-page special report, “Learning in the Digital Age.” The report looks at the technologies, methods and policies that are being cultivated to help students around the world receive the best possible education.#
Rachel Scheer is the Corporate PR Manager for Nature Publishing Group.
