Call for workshop submissions for Teaching Citizenship Conference 2024

Workshop submissions: Teaching Citizenship Conference 2024

The Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT) will be hosting their annual conference on 26 June 2024 at Coin Street Conference Centre in Central London. The conference will bring together teachers, practitioners and other stakeholders to amplify and exchange ideas that support quality Citizenship teaching.

This year’s conference theme is Developing the digital citizen: What do teachers need to know? AI, Rights and Democracy, and asks; what does the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) mean for democracy, for human rights, and for the critical task of educating the next generation of engaged, informed citizens?

The digital citizen – what do teachers need to know?

A foundation of our democracy is that citizens have access to accurate information about their rights and civic engagement. However, as technology evolves at an ever increasing pace, how we access this information is also changing faster than ever. To be active citizens, we need reliable and accurate information so we can make informed choices, hold elected officials accountable, and advocate for issues important to us. In this dynamic landscape, discerning the source and validity of information has become increasingly challenging.

The recent emergence of AI systems like ChatGPT, AlphaGo, Co-pilot, and Bard showcases both its vast potential and the long road ahead. While educators are understandably excited about these advancements, there are also questions and concerns, particularly in educational institutions. Beyond the practical challenges of integrating AI into classrooms, profound ethical and academic debates surround its use. How can we address the digital divide and leverage AI’s benefits while mitigating its potential harm? For example:

• How can we equip students to identify deepfakes and misinformation?
• Will AI algorithms influence elections and undermine democratic processes?
• Can AI ethically serve in wartime contexts?
• How can we utilise AI to support active citizenship and advocacy campaigns?

All of these issues and more are not hypothetical, they are very real challenges that our students will face. This is why developing our knowledge and practical experience as educators is vital in ensuring that we can prepare young people to be the informed and responsible digital citizens of the future. 

At our annual conference this year, we aim to support educators in achieving these goals. We are seeking keynote speakers, panel members, and workshop leaders who can deliver the following outcomes for our delegates.

Call for workshop submissions (please consider the following):

• AI’s influence on Citizenship curriculum: How emerging technologies like AI are shifting the landscape of citizen education
• Threats and opportunities for democracy: The potential pitfalls and empowering possibilities of AI in the democratic process
• The benefits and risks of AI when teaching informed citizens 
• The legal frameworks surrounding AI, understanding its role in shaping democracy
• The impact of technology on elections and rights of participation
• Practical skills and applications of AI in the classroom to support teaching and  reduce workload 
• Understand how AI can be used to support advocacy campaigns and active citizenship
• How do algorithms endanger our democracy and normalise extreme ideologies
• Other subjects that specialists in this field feel would benefit teachers of Citizenship and Personal Development
• Real-world strategies for safe tech use: Equip your students with essential skills to navigate the digital world responsibly and critically
• Digital democracy and the citizen’s role: Examine the implications of AI for active participation and representation in a technological age
• Innovative teaching methods: Fresh classroom ideas and revitalise familiar case studies in light of current technology trends
• Financial literacy in the digital era: Navigate the complexities of cryptocurrency and other digital financial tools with confidence

The conference aims to: 

• bring together teachers, practitioners and other stakeholders to amplify and exchange ideas that support quality Citizenship teaching 
• explore different teaching approaches that help students to develop informed opinions about these urgent issues, while ensuring teaching remains impartial
• consider the opportunities, challenges and potential solutions including how we nurture young people’s political agency, especially in making informed decisions about what types of citizen action are appropriate
• encourage new thinking and learning about Citizenship education, teaching and practice and promote dialogue and collaboration across schools nationally

In addition to themed workshops we are also accepting submissions for research based knowledge enhancement seminars. We would welcome applications from organisations or individuals that can deliver a short seminar on the key themes above and how this can be linked to Citizenship, based on any current or ongoing research you are undertaking. 

Workshops should be around 50 minutes with additional time for a Q & A once you have delivered your planned content. Audio visual equipment will be available for use at the venue. 

Workshops and seminars should be categorised in the following three strands (please ensure you select a strand for your workshop when submitting your entry).

• Research
• Pedagogy
• Active Citizenship

To submit your conference application please complete the form below. Application entry deadline: [Deadline extended] 5pm, 6th March 2024

ACT is committed to diversity and inclusion. We strongly encourage members from racially diverse backgrounds or underrepresented communities to share their workshop proposals with us. ACT’s Teaching Citizenship Conference will be selecting our speakers on the content they bring to our programme and will also consider the diversity of perspectives and experiences represented.

If you have any questions please contact [email protected]