Friday, February 2, 2024

Propose a Program for Upcoming Play Make Learn Conference

Hello once more, library colleagues!

I wanted to remind everyone that the Play Make Learn 2024 Call for Proposals is still open!! Make sure to get your presentation proposal in before it's too late!


As a reminder, the Play Make Learn 2024 conference takes place at the Memorial Union in Madison, WI, on July 18-19th; the conference is a place for collaboration and discovery in the design, research and practice of playful learning, games for learning and positive social impact, making and makerspaces, STEAM education, and arts in education. PML creates an inspirational space for preK-12 educators, designers, developers, innovators, librarians, museum professionals, makers, and researchers to tinker together, share knowledge, and celebrate one another’s work. Speaking from experience, there's really nothing else like it. 

 

Our conference keeps growing, with more and more librarians attending to share their inspirational work. Please share with your networks and encourage folks to apply. The conference is a terrific space to create ‘serendipitous connections’ (as we like to call them), building attendees’ professional networks and forging new collaborative opportunities. The Library Services Team of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is a proud conference sponsor.

 

  • You’re a brilliant librarian or other professional who does creative, cutting-edge makerspace / playful learning / arts integration work… right? Submit a proposal -- and share your exciting ideas with others!

 

The deadline for proposals is February 18th, 2024, and selection notifications will be sent out in March 2024.

 

See you at the conference! 😊



Call for Proposals

Deadline for submissions: February 18, 2024

Notifications: March 2024

 

You are invited to submit a proposal to present at the 2024 Play Make Learn Conference (PML). The conference is a place for collaboration and discovery in the design, research and practice of playful learning, games for learning and positive social impact, making and makerspaces, STEAM education, and arts in education. PML creates an inspirational space for preK-12 educators, designers, developers, innovators, librarians, museum professionals, makers, and researchers to tinker together, share knowledge, and celebrate one another’s work.

 

We believe that everyone is an expert based on their own lived experience, and have unique contributions to bring to the conference. PML aspires to foster a learning community that has a diversity of perspectives and practices.

 

Interested in attending, but not presenting? Keep an eye out for emails announcing registration opening in Spring!

 

Session Themes

Submissions are encouraged in the following strands, but new ideas are also welcome and encouraged. You will be asked to select all themes that apply to your work.

  • Playful learning
  • Games for learning and positive social impact
  • Making and makerspaces
  • STEAM education
  • Arts in education

 

Session Formats

You will be asked to select the session format.

  • Hands-on Workshops (90 minutes, 1-6 presenters)
    Workshops should actively engage participants, showcasing your work, or methods you use inside or outside the classroom. They may include physical making, playing a game or something else. Session Organizers will be asked for 2-3 learning goals or takeaways they have for participants in the session.
  • Panel Presentation (60 minutes, 2-4 presenters)
    Panel presentations should have two or more presenters from different projects or organizations. Panels should explore a “big question” or theme relevant to the larger PML community. Session Organizers will be asked for 2-3 learning goals or takeaways they have for participants in the session.
  • Individual Presentation (15 minutes, 1-2 presenters)
    Presentations will be 15 minutes in length to highlight noteworthy initiatives, ideas, or recent research. Session Organizers will be asked for 1 learning goal or takeaway they have for participants from their presentation. The planning committee will group individual presentations into themed 60 minute sessions with a moderator, who will reach out to coordinate the final format with presenters.
  • Poster
    Posters provide the opportunity to present innovative ideas, initiatives, and prototypes in both formal and informal learning contexts. There will be a dedicated poster session in the schedule.
  • Arcade Demo
    This interactive, open-ended session is a chance to show off or playtest a game, ed tech tool, or other innovation. The demos will take place in the conference arcade during a specified time.
  • Break the Mold Session
    Have an idea that doesn’t quite fit into the formats listed above? Samples include sessions lasting days or weeks asynchronously, sessions within games and so on. What if a session took place in Minecraft? What if participants met outside to explore? What if participants worked collaboratively over the conference to produce a play? Be as creative as you dare for these sessions. If you have questions about an idea before submitting, send an email to 
    conferences@education.wisc.edu.

Notes:
● An individual may be proposed as a presenter for multiple sessions. In the interest of providing diverse perspectives any individual will be limited to participating in a maximum of two sessions. Posters and Arcade Demos do not count towards this maximum.
● Sessions should focus on new insights, learnings and innovations of broad interest to the PML community and should not be promotional in nature. If you are a for-profit company interested in showcasing your product to the PML audience, please reach out to 
conferences@education.wisc.edu for sponsorship opportunities.

 

 

 

Chris Baker, Public Library Consultant, Library Services Team 

Department of Public Instruction 

(608) 264-6709     christopher.baker@dpi.wi.gov

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