1 THE IDEA The idea of this symposium emerged when EDUVATION School Network was exploring the effect of the virtual world on the learners today in an attempt to acquaint ourselves with ways of raising a holistic person able to master and humanize the use of technology. While teachers and staff ventured more into this experience, many concerns were raised about the virtual world and about how we, as educators, should deal with it. The topic of the virtual revolution was adopted for the Resourcing Days taking place at the Network then. Among the many activities done on these days were watching and discussing documentaries prepared by Dr. Aleks Krotoski about the virtual world. Since raising, the person is not limited to school and incited the Network to family only, the outcome of those discussions share their findings with colleagues in the field of Education and in other fields in order to exchange experiences and be proactive and innovative in dealing with the issue. After having the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Elias, the work for the symposium was launched in July 2013 by forming a Steering Committee. The Steering Committee included Mr. Nicolas Rizk (Vice Rector), Mrs. Laura Abdallah Rizk (Principal of Beirut Annunciation orthodox College), Mrs. Gisele Audi Bechara (Executive Director), Mr. Marwan Azar (Executive Director), and Miss Joelle Badran (Executive Director). The structure of the symposium was set and synopses of the sessions were defined. Panelists were identified and contacted. Thankfully, all of them responded positively to the call and enthusiastically prepared for the sessions. The symposium dealt with a topic that concerned the learners the most, so their opinion on it could not be ignored, and therefore the iYouth forum, a market place for them to express their ideas about how they see and deal with the virtual revolution, was established. Furthermore, a web page was constructed to inform about the symposium and to allow registration. Logistics were taken care of: invitations were addressed; instant translation to Arabic, English, and French was ensured in the sessions; banners and logo were prepared; media contacted; booths for the iYouth installed, and finally we reached May 2 and 3, 2014. These proceedings summarize the events on these two days. The symposium was the result of a teamwork by EDUVATION School Network members. Each and every one is deeply thanked for his/her effort and contribution in executing the event as planned for they all embraced a joyful and serious spirit that ensured its success. 2 AIM & GOALS The digital phenomenon has extensively affected our lives. Not only has the Virtual Revolution dominated different aspects of our society, but it has also significantly impacted our thoughts and our actions. It has created new challenges that we should be ready to face and manage. In view of that, EDUVATION School Network organized a symposium that aimed to be a platform for reflection and insights on all these changes and in what ways they affect our children and us. This symposium was a deep call from an educational perspective to a diversified audience of professionals, educators and also students to listen, see and take responsible and appropriate actions in order to humanize the use of technology. The primary goal of “E-ducation Beyond Digital Trends” symposium was to raise awareness and knowledge of the proper and efficient ways to cope with and overcome the challenges of communication technologies. The symposium intended to stimulate decision- makers to reflect upon the role of communication technologies in the educational praxis and to explore its dimensions. Another goal was to reach better understanding of the 21st century generation lifestyle at the social, psychological and educational levels, through exploring the underlying foundation and needs of “Homo Interneticus”; as well as defining practical guidelines that would facilitate dealing with a technologically advanced generation such as the current one. The third goal was to cultivate today’s stakeholders in the educational sectors to take an active role in designing tomorrow’s educational vision and thus become leaders in knowledge production. 3 THE PROGRAM Friday, May 2, 2014 18:00 - 18:30 • Opening Ceremony Message of His Eminence Metropolitan Elias 18:30 - 19:15 • Keynote Speech: “Educating for the Future with the Tools of the Present.” Dr. Aleks Krotoski • Break 19:15 - 19:45 • Session: “Virtual Revolution: New Opportunities and/or 19:45 - 20:30 Collateral Damages.” Dr. Jihad Azour – Mr. Nicolas Nahas – Mr. Fady Yarak. Saturday, May 3, 2014 • Arrival 9:00 - 9:30 • Session: “Homo-Interneticus” Profile and Brain 9:30 - 10:30 Neuroplasticity. Dr. Fadi Maalouf – Dr. Aimee Nasser Karam. • Session: “Trends, Currents and the Power of Change”. Rev. Dr. Richard Abou Moussa – Dr. Layla Maliha Fayad. • Session: “Agora-net, Connections, Boundaries and References”. Mrs. Ghia Khoury Saifan – Mr. Nicolas Rizk. • Break 10:30 - 11:00 • Session: “Homo-Interneticus” Age. Dr. Paul Saadeh s.j. – 11:00 – 11:30 Rev. Father Boulos Wehbe. • Session: “School Culture and Media Trends”. Dr. Rima Karami-Akkary – Mr. Ramsay Najjar. • Session: “From Knowledge Consumers to Knowledge Producers.” Mr. Eliane Metni – Mr. James Cranwell-Ward. iYouth Forum: Learners will be happy to receive you at the booths of the iYouth forum during the day between 9:00 and 13:00. 4 SPEECH OF HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN ELIAS AUDI “Man is the son of his environment” is a well-known saying that asserts that the human being, and more specifically the child, is influenced by what surrounds him in his environment. He is therefore the result of what he experiences in his immediate environment- the family he grows up in, and in the wider environment- the society in all its components: the school, the peers, the teachers, the neighborhood, the working place, and the consumer market. In ancient societies that used to depend in general on agriculture, the perceptions of man and his senses were all concentrated on the land, its products, and on the ways of plowing, cultivating and developing it. When the society evolved to industry, man started expanding his capabilities in that direction. With the further development of the society, the progression of science, and the profusion of emerging inventions and their speed, man started racing to have within his reach all that could help him keep up with his era, and compete with his peers. Matters went on in an ordinary pace resulting from the evolution of man and the development of his mental capacities and creative potentials. Changes were happening progressively and normally. As for today, man is living in the era of the Digital Revolution founded on the fast development of the technology of social networking that made information easily accessible and available from multiple sources. However, this abundance of information leads to the dispersion of the mind, not to mention the impreciseness of the information, and the difficulty in differentiating between the news and the truth. 5 This abundant flux of information provided by the social networks gives man the impression that he knows a lot. Nevertheless, he might not always be aware that what he knows is not necessarily true and accurate. In addition, this knowledge is shallow and does not approximate the depths of matters and their essence, nor does it enrich the human being. In the past, man used to strive for knowledge and education, and he would spend hours researching, reviewing, and scrutinizing to attain the truth. The book was a center of attention for students, and the teacher who was the guide, the instructor, and the reference would lead the students to methods of research, ways of analysis, and on how to select references and search for sources in order to reach the exact information. Nowadays, the book is considered useless in the opinion of most of the new generation. The machine replaced the teacher, and human communication has lost its place in the life of our generations. The ways of life have changed and the Digital Revolution is not a situation that we can restrict or control. This reality imposed itself by changing behaviors and altering daily interaction and communication between men. This revolution has produced a mechanical communicative pattern that would nearly eliminate the face-to-face encounter. The screen has become an obstacle to the face-to- face interaction and has altered fundamental relationship patterns in the family, cultural, social and professional life. We have often said that television has created a barrier to communication among family members, because instead of talking to each other and exchanging opinions and experiences, they are riveted to the screen and the gap among them is deepened. What about today, where the life of a person is linked to his mobile phone that has become the source and transmitter of information, and through which he can call others and communicate with them? Is it not all too familiar a scene to see a group of people sitting together with each one of them looking at his small screen, impervious to the people around him? Unfortunately, men getting together is not the aim anymore. Man does not see any more the face of God in the face of the other. Does this affect the social and educational reality? I would leave the answer to the experts. However, the evident answer is that the World Wide Web, and everything resulting from it, is now competing with the school and the teacher because it has become the source of knowledge. The World Wide Web has permitted as well everything, whether beneficial or harmful. It has allowed exposing the appropriate and the inappropriate, as if it was denuding the man who consented to spread his ideas and all that concerns him on this network.