Interactive online sessions with thousands of school children

Logging Off is a series of workshops about relating with technology, aimed at school children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 16 based in Malta. During the three years that the programme has been running so far, thousands of students have been part of our sessions, participating in vibrant conversations about topics such as persuasive technology in games and online platforms, social media and truth, online bullying, our body and screen time and more. We gain access to classes in all schools in Malta through their interactive whiteboards, making use of the internet and in-class technology to make these discussions possible. Year on year we have had great feedback from teachers and school administrations that these workshops tackle content that is currently missing from the school curriculum and yet is crucial for students to delve into.

My role in the series started out with facilitation and evolved to workshop design and training of a team of 5 other facilitators who also facilitated sessions over the past three years. The workshops are sponsored by Fondacion Mapfre and offered to schools free-of-charge and during scheduled classes, thus making it easier for students to gain access. During the sessions we use participatory methods to encourage students to co-create the sessions by using their experiences to lead us in the directions that are most relevant to that particular group. This methodology means that no two sessions are identical and that students get to stretch the topics to cover what best serves them in that moment. I really appreciate the vibrant discussions that these sessions provoke and the chance to be in regular practice with young humans.