Building Teacher Capacity for Mobile Learning in Rural Communities

1. Building Teacher Capacity for
Mobile Learning in Rural Communities
Session leaders:
DR. JULIE A. EVANS
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PROJECT TOMORROW
DR. LU YOUNG
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY

2. Welcome to our discussion today!
▪ Introduction to an innovative mobile learning project in Kentucky
▪ Why is this type of project more important than ever today?
▪ Julie interviews Lu about the project impact: 3 big questions!
▪ What is next for this project in Kentucky and beyond?
▪ Let’s talk! Your questions and ideas
▪ Wrap up with some additional resources for extended learning

3. Getting to know each other!
Introduce yourself to someone you do not know and say hi!

4. About University of Kentucky College of Education

5. About Project Tomorrow
(www.tomorrow.org)
▪ Nonprofit education organization supporting K-12
education since 1996 through research, professional
learning and school-based programs
▪ Mission is to support the development of new capacities
and better decisions within the K-12 ecosystem
▪ Programs and research focus on role of innovation and
new learning models within education, notably around
digital learning. We believe in the power of
transformational teaching and learning to support
students’ preparation for future success.

6. About the Speak Up Research Project
▪ Annual research project since 2003
▪ We provide education leaders with a suite of normed
online surveys to collect valid feedback from their
stakeholders
▪ All preK-12 schools – public, private, parochial,
charter, virtual - are eligible to use the Speak Up tools
▪ Participating entities get summary reports with all
locally collected data + state and national data for
benchmarks
▪ Turnkey service provided by Project Tomorrow with no
charge/fee to participating districts
▪ National reports inform education, business and
policy decisions on K-12 education

7. About Project Tomorrow’s research efforts
To learn more about this project and/or to
get a copy of today’s presentation sent
directly to you, add your name and
contact info to our print sign in sheets or
on this online form.

8. Why is this project more important today than ever before?
What we have learned in the past two
years: (a few things!)
▪ Technology as a learning platform
▪ Teacher effectiveness with using
technology is key to impact
▪ Previous professional learning
approaches may have been
insufficient
▪ Time to rethink the types of devices
for learning

9. Why is this project more important today than ever before?
Principals identify positive impact of
mobile learning on their students:
▪ Increased student access to
online content (87%)
▪ Increased student
engagement (85%)
▪ Students developing
information/media skills (85%)
▪ Learning is more personalized
(81%)
▪ Preparation for college or
workplace (80%)
Evolution of mobile learning:
Source: Speak Up National Research results
77%
40%
16% 17%
2020-21 SY 2019-20 SY
(during remote
learning)
2019-2020 SY
(pre-remote
learning)
2014-15 SY
Schools assign 1:1 mobile devices to
students to use in school and at home

10. Today: Increased student access to mobile devices for learning
Only 29% of
teachers say they
are very
comfortable using
technology to
differentiate
instruction
47% of principals in
high poverty
communities say
teacher integration
of technology is
their #1 challenge
47% of principals
say that training pre-
service teachers to
effectively use mobile
devices in the
classroom should be
a top priority
Challenges of effective mobile learning
Why is this project more important today than ever before?
Source: Speak Up National Research results

11. Mobile Learning Project in Kentucky
▪ Goal: Create a new model of preparation training to ensure that pre-service teachers are
ready to implement mobile technologies effectively
▪ Model implemented as a collaborative project: university school of education, four K-12 school
districts in an under-resourced region, a regional service center, and an education nonprofit
organization
▪ Project funded by Qualcomm’s® Wireless Reach Initiative™
▪ Project evaluation designed and implemented by Project Tomorrow
▪ Five-year project:
✓ Year 1: planning and pilot in one K-12 school district
✓ Year 2/3: implementation in K-12 schools across 3 districts
✓ Year 4: focus on impact of remote and hybrid learning
✓ Year 5: leveraging a new device – the always connected Chromebook

12. What are the key components of this new model?
1. Pre-service teachers use tablets/Chromebooks in college
classes and learn research-tested strategies from
university faculty about mobile apps and integration
strategies
2. Pre-service teachers develop and deliver mobile-enabled
lessons in K-12 classrooms to model strategies for
practicing teachers
3. Practicing teachers mentor pre-service teachers on real
world classroom device management issues and
connections to curriculum
4. K-12 students benefit from more effective teaching and
learning strategies and the increased engagement from
using the devices within core instruction

13. More about the model implementation in Kentucky
✓ All devices have extended connectivity for in-school
and out of school access: students used their tablets
for remote learning in spring 2020
✓ Devices include special filtering software that
protects students at home
✓ Focus is on the use of high-quality mobile apps and
digital content to improve student outcomes while
developing confidence and skills of both pre-service
and practicing teachers
✓ Experiential insights from practicing teachers led to
development of a new online course for pre-service
teachers about the “whys” of mobile learning

14. Who benefits from this new model?
▪ Pre-service teachers – college students learning how
to become teachers
▪ Practicing teachers – in classrooms now with mobile
devices
▪ School and district administrators – wanting to see
a higher ROI from the implementation of mobile
devices within learning
▪ Program funders or developers – need input as to
how to leverage devices effectively to have a greater
impact
▪ Students – who benefit from more informed
teachers today and tomorrow

15. What are the results?
“I’ve learned that there are so many apps and other devices that
could be used to spark student interests in the topic. Adding
technology to daily classroom instruction not only helps
students gain technological literacy, but also investigate topics
through different mediums to construct their own unique
understanding of material.”
Pre-Service Teacher Candidate, University of Kentucky

16. What did we learn about the effective use of devices
during remote or hybrid learning?
Why is this project more important today than ever before?
Other key challenges to address now:
▪ Homework Gap persists
▪ Students need a new generation of devices
o Always connected, always on
o Extended battery life
o Enables seamless video streaming
o Internal capacity for high bandwidth apps
o More smartphone like than laptop similar

17. Welcome to our discussion today!
▪ Introduction to an innovative mobile learning project in Kentucky
▪ Why is this type of project more important than ever today?
▪ Julie interviews Lu about the project impact: 3 big questions!
▪ What is next for this project in Kentucky and beyond?
▪ Let’s talk! Your questions and ideas
▪ Wrap up with some additional resources for extended learning

18. Discussion with Dr. Young
What are the challenges
associated with helping in-service
teachers and pre-service teachers
develop capacity to use mobile
devices and wireless technologies
effectively within instruction?

19. Discussion with Dr. Young
What are the best
methodologies or
approaches to use to help
in-service teachers and
pre-service teachers develop
competency and confidence with
mobile, wireless learning?

20. Discussion with Dr. Young
What are the lessons learned
from this project that other
schools and districts can apply in
their classrooms?

21. Next steps with this project
▪ Implementation focus of always connected Chromebooks in two
elementary schools and at the University of Kentucky
▪ Continued evaluation of the impact and results across all audiences –
national release event/report in spring 2022
▪ Refinement of the model – to understand levers as well as challenges
▪ Expansion of the new online course to supplement teacher prep
programs and support pre-service teachers’ skills with mobile devices
beyond University of Kentucky
▪ Exploration of how to support school of education faculty in their
learning

22. Let’s talk!
What your
questions, ideas,
comments?
Building Teacher Capacity for Mobile Learning in Rural Communities

23. More resources at Project Tomorrow
www.tomorrow.org
Additional resources
▪ Speak Up Research report and infographics
▪ Evaluation and efficacy reports and infographics from
special projects
▪ Information if your school or district would like to to
use the Speak Up tools and be part of the larger Speak
Up movement
▪ Engage with us to further explore how to support the
more effective use of mobile devices within both K-12
schools and colleges of education

24. About Project Tomorrow’s research efforts
To learn more about this project and/or to
get a copy of today’s presentation sent
directly to you, add your name and
contact info to our print sign in sheets or
on this online form.

25. @fetc @SpeakUpEd
Dr. Julie A. Evans CEO, Project Tomorrow
Other FETC workshops and sessions this year
Session Title Code Date Time Room
Creating and Leading School Culture:
Innovation, Leadership, Communication
W45 Tuesday, 1/25/22 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm South 220B
Creating and Leading School Culture:
Innovation, Leadership, Communication
W45 Tuesday, 1/25/22 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm South 220B
Infusing Computational Thinking into
Everyday Elementary Curriculum – Yes,
You Can!
W820 Thursday, 1/27/22 10:30 am – 12:30 pm North 322
Addressing the Leadership Disconnects
on Cybersecurity
C91 Thursday, 1/27/22 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm South 210B
Building Teacher Capacity for Mobile Learning in Rural Communities

26. @fetc @SpeakUpEd
Building Teacher Capacity for
Mobile Learning in Rural Communities
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
1:00 PM to 1:45 PM
C019
Your reflections and feedback are appreciated.
Submit your survey responses on the FETC Mobile App

27. Thank you for joining us
today.
We would love to continue
this discussion with you.
Please contact us!
DR. JULIE A. EVANS DR. LU YOUNG
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
PROJECT TOMORROW UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
@JULIEEVANS_PT @LUSETTLESYOUNG
JEVANS@TOMORROW.ORG LU.YOUNG@UKY.EDU