Date
13th June
Venue
Middlesex University Dubai
Time
8:30 am - 12:00 pm
ScreenWise Summit: Empowering Parents in the Digital Age
In today's digital age, parents play a crucial role in helping children navigate the complexities of online life. The ScreenWise Summit offers a comprehensive understanding of managing screen time for kids, backed by the latest research on learning with technology. Join us for a morning of expert insights, practical tips, and empowering discussions designed to help you foster a healthy digital environment for your children.
Registrations have now closed for this event.
Are you seeking practical strategies to navigate the digital landscape and foster a healthy balance in your children’s lives?
Are you worried about the impact of excessive screen time on your children’s well-being?
- Connect with Experts: Engage with leading child development specialists, including psychologists, educators, and therapists. Gain a deep understanding of the potential dangers of unrestricted screen time and its impact on your child's physical, mental, and emotional development.
- Navigate the Digital Jungle: Learn about the online world your child inhabits, from social media to gaming. Discover effective ways to keep them safe and engaged, and acquire practical tools to set screen time limits, establish healthy routines, and promote responsible digital ownership.
- Build Stronger Bonds: Explore meaningful ways to foster offline connections and family time amidst digital distractions. Join a community of like-minded parents dedicated to creating a safer, healthier digital environment for our children, one screen at a time.
Panellists
Dr Alison Burrows
Dr Alison Burrows is a Senior Lecturer in Education and Childhood Studies at Middlesex University. Her research focuses on helping teachers navigate the use of mandatory digital tools and the effects of technology on the developing brain. She advises schools and parents about the research on growing up digital.
Adam Griffin
Head of Occupational Therapy at Camali Clinic, Adam Griffin has over a decade of experience supporting learning and development for children and their families. He frequently appears in the media to discuss education, disability, and healthcare topics.
Aalia Thobani
Director of The Brain Accelerator, Aalia Thobani is a Senior Speech-Language Pathologist and Specialist in Learning Disabilities with two decades of international experience. She is passionate about unlocking the potential of every client and enhancing brain power.
Dr Diksha Laungani
Educational Psychologist and Assessment Specialist at The Free Spirit Collective in Dubai, Dr Diksha Laungani is an advocate for neurodivergent children and young people. She collaborates with various organisations to promote community outreach and training.
Dr Lynda Hyland
Dr Lynda is an Associate Professor in Psychology at Middlesex University Dubai. Her research focuses on managing social, emotional, and behavioural challenges in early childhood, and she is a passionate advocate for a biopsychosocial approach to well-being.
Dr Sandy Zanella
Dr Sandy Zanella is a mother of two, a compassionate physician with a passion for mental health, an author, and the founder of Happy Yogis & My Mindful Mom Life. Dr Sandy's transformative journey began during her time at the prestigious Brain Research Institute in UCLA.
Christopher Seeley
With 20+ years’ experience in education across the UK and Middle East, Christopher Seeley, Principal at Dove Green Private School Dubai, has vast experience in improving and growing schools. His focus is on maximising the potential of every student and preparing them for success in their individual college or career pathways.
Workshops
1
Meaningful Learning with Technology
Hosted by Dr Alison Burrows and Christopher Seeley
This workshop aims to provide facts about what meaningful learning with technology looks like for students and how teachers can provide it effectively. Barriers to technology integration will be examined. The UAE school inspection framework will be presented and translated to increase parents’ understanding on how the governing bodies promote technology integration in schools..
2
Active Kids in a Digital World: Teaching Motor Skills and Encouraging Exercise in a Screen-Focused Era
Hosted by Adam Griffin
In today's digital age, children's physical activity levels are declining as screen time and video games dominate their daily routines. This workshop aims to provide educators, parents, and caregivers with practical strategies to promote motor skill development and encourage regular exercise among children. Attendees will learn about the importance of physical activity for overall learning and development, discover innovative ways to integrate movement into children's daily lives, and explore techniques to balance screen time with active play..
3
Healthy Development and Child Technology Engagement
Hosted by Dr Lynda Hyland
This interactive workshop will involve reflections on our own formative development, the peer relationships and early influences that shaped our own childhood and our later, adult, lives. In this session we will discuss how constructs like social comparison, identity formation, and many more, manifest in the online lives of children and impact their psychosocial well-being. We will discuss how technology may be used judiciously to foster positive development and look to ourselves as potential role models in fostering positive technology behaviours in our children and students..
4
The Playful Brain
Hosted by Aalia Thobani
We are biologically wired to play and to experience the world physically. Play teaches us how to connect with the world from a sensory - motor perspective, and how to practice social connection and communication with others through frequent physical interactions. As we experience life through our physical senses, our understanding of the world creates brain pathways that enable us to build resilience and empathy and many other skills as we navigate the world, skills that we carry with us into our adult lives. If play is sabotaged by electronic screens, we are disrupting vital and critical periods of growth and development in our brains. In this workshop, we will explore:
- The vital role of play inclusive of practical tips for parents
- Speech and Language development and how we learn language best
- The research around screen-use in speech-language development
Running Order:
| Time | Activity | Location |
| 8:30 – 9:00 | Coffee & Networking | Block 15 Lobby |
| 9:00 – 10:00 | Panel Discussion | Hendon Theatre |
| 10:00 – 11:00 | Workshops: Session 1 | Block 15, 1st Floor |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | Workshops: Session 2 | Block 15, 1st Floor |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Closing | Hendon Theatre |
Participants are welcome to attend two workshops. You may select and register for your two workshops on the day of the event.