Many of the speakers, panels and events at this year's SXSWedu conference require attendees to have access badges, but there are several activities open to the public. SXSWedu runs from March 6-9 at various venues in downtown Austin. The four-day conference, now in its seventh year, is a sort of prelude to other events during the South by Southwest family of conferences. With its education focus, SXSWedu brings together students, teachers, administrators and experts to discuss the future of teaching and learning. Here is a rundown of some of the SXSWedu activities that do not require badges to gain access.
The Expo
SXSWedu opens its conference expo to the public from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7. Entrance is free for the event, which is held in Exhibit Halls 3 and 4 at the Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin. Panel sessions and other highlights include:- Organizing for Change: Creating a No Place for Hate. Texas high school students from a low-income, Title I campus share their experiences from yearlong internships with teachers as well as their advocacy for banning discretionary suspensions for pre-kindergarten to second grade students.
- How to "Grow Your Own" Teacher. Educators discuss steps to reinvent the urban school experience and deal with the education system's teacher shortage.
- Secrets Revealed! How to Break the Fake News Cycle. Local student journalists and media professionals talk about how children followed news during the 2016 election and how learning to make news videos can help them better navigate the media landscape.
- Performances by the Hutto High School varsity mixed choir; the music production class at Austin ISD's Kealing Middle School; ballet folklorico by students at Del Valle High School and Harmony School of Excellence; and Austin-based musician Jabu Mbara.
