Contemporary themes elevate visitor engagement at Sharjah reading fest
Social Media Cafe, Digital Disguise Act, telescope-making among attractions
The Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) has adeptly embraced contemporary themes, balancing the introduction of technology to children with lessons on its potential dangers. This year’s festival has elevated visitor engagement.
For example, Middleschool children on the cusp of research-based learning had a lively and interactive chat with US-based educator Dr Al Jones as they explored the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in classrooms and how it can transform learning and lives.
During a session titled ‘What Does ‘Knowing Something’ Mean in School?’ Dr Jones, an educator and writer with more than 25 years of experience especially in improving the lives of individuals with disabilities, observed that AI can be used in a positive way to help children learn better.
Discussing different tools used in classrooms, he noted that just like physical tools, digital tools make the learning process easier. Dr Jones pointed out that AI would not replace teachers and said: “You need human intervention to help you with the answers you need or how to use the information you have at your disposal.”
Social Media Cafe
The popular Social Media Cafe at SCRF on Wednesday hosted the ‘Create Your Own GIFs’ workshop, which attracted children aged 10 and above from three schools.
Each student listened intently to Aya Badr, author and copywriter, and participated in creating their own GIFs.
“GIFs are incredibly popular across leading social platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, and even find their way into corporate presentations to add a dash of creativity and fun to a formal setting,” Badr said.
Digital Disguise Act
The 12-day festival’s unique Digital Disguise act came to an end on Wednesday after five days of enthralling the young and old alike, but not before the duo — in computer heads — wowed their loyal set of fans, one last time.
Walking around the premises of Expo Centre Sharjah, the duo broke into unique dance moves as part of the act, swaying to popular beats with young visitors joining them in numbers. What made them a standout act was their colourful costumes adorned with remarkable faux PC monitors as headgears harking back to the retro years when computers were still coming of age.
More than 1,500 cultural, artistic, and edutainment activities by 190 guests from 25 countries have set the stage for boundless explorations and creative expression along with 470 publishers from 75 countries at SCRF 2024.