Internet Universe. Pedagogical resources

Internet Universe is a critical digital literacy project that includes workshops, pedagogical resources for the classroom and a teacher training programme. Its principal aim is to offer tools for understanding what the Internet is and promoting far-reaching, critical, creative reflection on themes such as its materiality, ecological impact, and the changes it has brought about in the way we interact and access information, and turn it into knowledge, big data and privacy.

In the course of this conference we’ll be implementing four workshops that you can replicate in the classroom thanks to material that can be downloaded in the form of teaching units. Also taking part will be Carlos Magro, expert in innovation and digital strategy in the education sector, and a group of teachers who have already used Internet Universe resources at their centres.

Programme

9:30 Welcome

10:00 Talk by Carlos Magro, expert in innovation and digital strategy in the education sector.

11:00 Break

11:30 Workshops (choose one when you register)

• Constructing the Net. We create a simulated telecommunications network using a model on a city map to discover the real structure of the Internet in terms of physical infrastructure, and social and economic implications. Facilitated by Efraín Foglia, expert in communication technologies and founder member of guifi.net.

• The ecological impact of the Internet. We calculate the ecological impact of the process of sending an email and sending a letter by conventional post with the aim of discovering the impact and ways of minimising it. Facilitated by Jordi Oliver, Doctor of Environmental Science and lecturer in eco-design.

• The dilemmas of privacy. We play a board game to find out what happens with our data and our identity when we use Internet, and discover alternatives to protect ourselves. Facilitated by Liliana Arroyo, PhD in Sociology and researcher and professor at the University of Barcelona.

13:15 Pooling our findings

14:00 Break

15:30 Workshop: The future of the Internet. An exercise in speculative design to reflect on the present and the future of the Internet by designing objects that respond to various ethical, social and environmental challenges. Facilitated by Carla Boserman, graduate in Fine Arts and master in Digital Communication, Culture and Citizenship, and Efraín Foglia, expert in communication technologies and founder member of guifi.net.

17:30 Round table: Internet Universe in the classroom. Teachers who have already used Internet Universe resources share their experiences. With Gemma Miralles and Isabel Sabaté (edRa), Francesc Xavier Jodra (IE Turó de Roquetes), Cristina Gómez (Institut Sa Palomera) and Xavier Floreta (Escolàpies de Sant Martí). Moderator: Gina Tost, journalist specialising in videogames and technology.