Speak Up Blog

RSVP today for the Congressional Briefing on April 19, 2013!
OR
Click here to reserve a copy of the report!

Please join us on Friday, April 19th, 2013, when we release the Speak Up 2012 National Findings for Teachers, Administrators and Parents during the first of two Speak Up Congressional Briefings. A second briefing on the release of student data is slated for the first week of June 2013.
The April 19th briefing will include a presentation of the national findings and a moderated panel discussion with educators and parents. This year’s national report on the findings will be distributed to all participants.

Learn about the unfiltered views of over 38,000 parents and over 62,000 teachers and administrators on these timely topics:

• Tablets, laptops and smartphones in class: pros and cons of bring your own or school provided
• Flipped and blended learning: innovative uses of digital content in the classroom
• School to home communications: what is the role of social media
• Broadband capacity: do our schools have what they need to support digital learning
• Designing the ultimate school for today’s learners: what are the digital “must-haves” for increasing student achievement

We also encourage you to invite any additional colleagues that may be interested in attending the briefing. Please help us reach others that maybe interested in attending this event by tweeting out to your network of friends: Tweet This!

Click here to learn more and RSVP! If you are unable to attend the briefing and would like to request a copy of the report, click here. Better yet click here to reply to this post with your reservation request!

With Speak Up 2013 just around the corner, it’s not too early to start making plans to take the survey. If you are interested in participating in Speak Up 2013, please click here to fill out the registration request form– we will register your school or district for you as soon as registration opens.

Numbers to Do Business By | Feature
By: Julie Evans
Education Channel Partner
March 13, 2013

One-third of America’s teachers are over 50 years old, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Given this, a growing number of administrators are increasingly focusing their attention on the next generation of teachers. Many are excited that the students currently in teacher preparation programs are “digital natives,” proficient users of Internet technologies, mobile devices, and social media. Today’s administrators are confident that the next crop of teachers will be able to effectively integrate technology into classroom instruction.

But is this really true? What does it mean for companies marketing education technology solutions? And are schools prepared for the change?

In spring 2012, a research report by Project Tomorrow and Blackboard, Inc. explored the experiences and expectations of over 1,350 college students in teacher preparation programs across the country, examining their current use of technology in college and their anticipated use in the classroom. In addition, as part of our annual Speak Up surveys for K-12 leaders, we asked administrators about their tech skills “wish list” for new teachers. Click here to read more about the lessons learned.

For more articles like this and more, click here to subscribe to Education Channel Partner.

Calling all school visionaries and designers: $12 million is being awarded to new breakthrough model schools or total redesigns of existing schools. Next Generation Learning Challenges announces its fourth wave of grants to accelerate technology-enabled next-generation learning: 20 new school launch grants totaling $450K each for designers of blended, personalized, competency-based secondary schools opening in the fall of 2013 or 2014. Categories under consideration include brand-new district and charter schools, restarts, and complete redesigns of existing higher-performing schools. NGLC will also award 30 planning grants of $100K each for innovators that are early in design development.

Application Deadlines: Cycle 1 – April 22; Cycle 2 – December 2 Watch the video announcement.

Upcoming Presentations and Webinars:

6th Annual Great Teachers for Our City Schools National Summit 

The Center for Urban Education (CUE) at Metropolitan State University of Denver 

Embassy Suites Downtown Denver 

April 3-5, 2013

Digital Experiences and Expectations of Tomorrows Teachers

Location: Blackboard Collaborate Web Conference 

Date: 4/10/2013 2:00:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) 

Capacity: 500 

Duration: 1 hour

Based on data from the 2012 National Speak Up Survey for Aspiring Teachers, the next generation of teachers see technology playing an important role in their own success as well as the success of their students. However, expectations of school leaders for specific technology training in teacher preparation programs does not match the actual experiences of the pre-service teachers. During this panel-style webinar, Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, will lead a discussion about the views and perceptions of pre-service teachers on the use of technology within K-12 instruction and ways to ensure that new teachers are adequately prepared to impact student outcomes.

Click here to Register

Ohio Speak Up Webinar Series 

Mobile Learning and Social Media Use

April 2, 1:00 p.m.

Digital Content within Instruction

April 11, 1:00 p.m.

Past Presentations:

Online and Blended Learning 

Ohio Speak Up Webinar Series

March 18, 2013

21st Century Learning at Private Schools 

February 28, 2013 

Hosted by Sevenstar

Calling all Mobilists! Join us at the 3rd Annual Wireless EdTech Conference to explore how mobile technologies are transforming education.
Per a recent TIME Magazine cover story, mobile and wireless technologies are changing the way we live and the way today’s students are learning.

The Wireless EdTech Conference is the only national conference that brings together educators, industry professionals and policy leaders to discuss the potential transformative nature of these new technologies for education and student achievement. Plan now to join your mobilist colleagues in Washington, DC on October 10-12, 2012 to share your ideas and experiences on mobile learning.

The conference agenda is now available online!

Special discounts are available for educators and government employees. Additionally, save $10 by registering before September 17th (use this code: MOBILIST)

Agenda highlights:
• Co-hosted again this year by Dr. Chris Dede from Harvard and Julie Evans from Project Tomorrow
• Keynote addresses by Diana Rhoten from Amplify, News Corporation’s newly introduced Education Division, and Peggy Johnson from Qualcomm
• Reports from experts in the field, including Dr. John Seeley Brown from Stanford and Dr. Shirley Malcolm from American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Networking opportunities with school and district leaders as well as industry executives and federal and state policymakers

Whether you are new to mobile and wireless technologies in education, or you are looking to get to the next level with your current programs, initiatives and products, this is the conference for you! Don’t miss out register today!

Happy Back to School! With summer winding down, it’s time to get back in to the school routine and of course prepare for SPEAK UP 2012! With Speak Up right around the corner (Opening October 3rd!) the Speak Up Team is here to assist with any and all of your Speak Up needs during this year’s survey process! Throughout the Speak Up season, we will keep you updated with topics of interest via our Speak Up e-newsletter. This e-newsletter includes:

• Speak Up 2012 Registration Information
• Project Tomorrow can support your application for the 2012 Race to the Top – District Competition
• Just Released! New White Paper on Intelligent Adaptive Learning
• Speak Up On the Go! Recent and Upcoming Presentations by Julie Evans
• Get the Word out about Speak Up! New Tweet List Now Available for download.

Only 34 days until the opening of Speak Up 2012

Speak Up Registration Now Open

Join with educators from across the country that use the Speak Up Surveys to identify how their students, teachers, administrators and parents want to use technology for learning, communications and collaboration. Get a jump start on Speak Up participation by registering your school or district today!

To assist with the registration process we are offering to help save you some time by registering your district or school for you. All you have to do is click here to send us an email with your registration request. Please include the name of your district or school, state and any new contact information that needs to be updated. We will then send you a follow up email with a PDF of your school list and passwords to confirm that your district/school has been registered.

If you would like to register on your own please visit our website. Your current admin password is: unavailable please email speakup@tomorrow.org for help.

Check out our website for additional information and updated Promotional Material for Speak Up 2012.

Project Tomorrow can support your application for the 2012 Race to the Top – District Competition

Project Tomorrow is prepared to support your district’s application under the 2012 RTTT-District competition in several ways including with supporting Speak Up data, a letter of support, consulting and evaluative services, and being part of our partnership consortium. Please feel free to contact Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow CEO, at jevans@tomorrow.org or 949-609-4660 x15 if you would like to involve us in your application development process.

Here are a few examples of how we can help you with your application.

1.) The theme of this year’s district focused competition is personalized learning. Both of the national reports on the Speak Up 2011 data findings focus on how to effectively leverage emerging technologies to create personalized learning environments that support increased teacher effectiveness as well as student achievement. Those reports are available for your use at: http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/speakup_reports.html.

2.) If you are looking for additional Speak Up data to support your application, please contact Jenny Hostert at jhostert@tomorrow.org. We are happy to do additional data analysis for you.

3.) The application calls for each applying district to respond to the following criteria:
* Stakeholder engagement and support
* Analysis of needs and gaps
* Assessment of student, family and community needs
* Engaging parents and families in decision-making about solutions

The Speak Up surveys and analysis process can help you with each of these criteria. We can use our traditional national surveys as vehicles for data collection OR we can create a set of customized surveys and data collection tools especially for your district and your application. We can also facilitate staff and community workshops to address these needs.

4.) For the past 5 years Project Tomorrow has been working with districts all across the country on the evaluation of the efficacy and impact of emerging technologies in the classroom. With those evaluation services we are able to leverage our Speak Up data as benchmarks, thus providing a richer data platform for impact results. We can do the same for you!

5.) Partnerships provide your application with a competitive priority. We are happy to talk with you about becoming part of your application consortium and providing you with a letter of support.

Best of luck with your RTTT-District application! Please call us if we can help you!

Just Released! New Speak Up Report

Leveraging Intelligent Adaptive Learning to Personalize Education

Project Tomorrow and DreamBox Learning
Speak Up 2011 National Data
August 2012

In this special white paper based upon the Speak Up 2011 national findings, Project Tomorrow has partnered with DreamBox Learning to explore a new concept in the use of technology to personalize learning—Intelligent Adaptive Learning™. DreamBox Adaptive Learning gets to the heart of personalizing instruction by leveraging technological advancements to provide a systematic way for students to master skills and knowledge levels at a pace that is especially tailored to their strengths and weaknesses, and for teachers to have unprecedented visibility into data on student achievement to inform their daily practice.

Key research questions discussed for this analysis are as follows:

Why is this the right time for greater interest in intelligent adaptive learning?

What is the value proposition for adaptive learning?

Are teachers ready for this? What do they need to be able to leverage these new tools effectively in the classroom?

Click here to download the report from the Dreambox website.

For additional Speak Up Reports, please visit our website at: http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/speakup_reports.html

Speak Up On the Go! Recent and Upcoming Presentations by Julie Evans

Upcoming Presentations and Webinars

How the Growth of Online Learning Impacts the Future of Education
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
2 pm ET/ 11 am PT
Blackboard Inc.
Click here to register for this free webinar.

There has been significant growth in the interest levels in online learning and the numbers of students and educators who have now had online learning experiences. Join us for this webinar to hear Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow share the 2011 Speak Up Survey results based on the voices of thousands of students, teachers, and parents about the role of technology in our education system. During this panel-style webinar, we will be joined by district leaders to learn about the ways in which this growth has impacted new learning programs and policies, and has fueled plans for expanding online learning opportunities for students and teachers.

“Coming Soon to Campus: The New “Free Agent” Learner - Are You Ready?”
Friday, September 28, 2012
3 pm ET at Gordon H. Smith Hall, Albany Quadrangle
Johannah Sherrer Memorial Lecture in Library Service

The dynamic profusion of emerging technologies, both in school and out of school, is propelling today’s K-12 students to make new demands on education institutions for technology-rich learning experiences and environments. Enabled, empowered and engaged, this next wave of students is bringing to college their own set of objectives for 21st century learning. Get a first-hand glimpse into the activities, attitudes and aspirations of tomorrow’s students through this presentation by Project Tomorrow CEO, Julie Evans, who will share the latest Speak Up National Research Project data findings from over 300,000 K-12 students.

Recent Presentations

Connecting the Dots with Digital Learning
Learning 2.0 Conference
August 22, 2012

Personalized Learning: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going?
Click here for Infographic
BbWorld 2012
July 2012

Articles featuring Julie Evans

9 Mobile Technology Learning
Gadgets Go to Class
TIME Magazine
By: John Cloud

CEO Julie Evans, was quoted in this month’s TIME magazine article “Gadgets Go to Class”. Check out the article on TIME Magazine’s website or in print on p. 48! For full access to the article, please visit the TIME Magazine website. *Subscription required.