Next Generation of Learners

© Project Tomorrow 2011
Next Generation of Learners –
Florida Style!
Speak Up 2010 Florida Data Results
High School Student Surveys
Julie Evans
Project Tomorrow
jevans@tomorrow.org

Today’s Discussion Questions
• Who is this “next generation learner?”
• What do we know about this learner?
• How are we “adapting” to the needs of
this new learner profile?
Focus: Florida high school students

• Annual national research project
 Online surveys + focus groups
 Open for all K-12 schools and schools of education
 Institutions receive free report with their own data
• Collect ideas ↔ Stimulate conversations
 K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators
• Inform policies & programs
 Analysis and reporting
 Services to help transform teaching and learning
Speak Up National Research Project

Speak Up is facilitated annually
by Project Tomorrow
(formerly known as NetDay)
Project Tomorrow
(www.tomorrow.org)
is the leading education nonprofit
organization dedicated to the
empowerment of student voices in
education.

• Empowering authentic voices – since 2003:
 1.9 million K-12 students
 180,000 teachers and librarians
 124,000 parents
 15,500 school and district leaders
 30,000 K-12 schools – from all 50 states, DC,
American military base schools, Canada, Mexico,
Australia, int’l schools . . .
Speak Up National Research Project
2.2 million respondents

 Learning & Teaching with Technology
 21st
Century Skills: Digital Citizenship
 Science and Math Instruction / STEM Career Interests
 Professional Development / Teacher Preparation
 Internet Safety
 Administrators’ Challenges
 Emerging Technologies in the Classroom
 Online Learning, Mobile Devices, Digital Content
 Educational Games, Web 2.0 tools and
applications
 Designing the 21st Century School
Speak Up survey question themes

 K-12 Students 294,399
 Teachers 35,525
 Librarians 2,135
 Parents (in English & Spanish) 42,267
 School/District Administrators 3,578
 Technology Leaders 1,391
 Schools / Districts 6,541 / 1,340
Participating States for Student Surveys: 48 states
Top 12 (# of participants):
TX, CA, AL, AZ, FL, NC, IL, MD, IN, NV, PA, WI
National Speak Up 2010 Participation: 379,355

Key Findings: Speak Up 2003 – 2010
 Students function as a “Digital Advance Team”
 Students regularly adopt and adapt emerging technologies
for learning
 Students’ frustrations with the unsophisticated use of
technologies within education
 Lack of relevancy in education exacerbated
 Persistent digital disconnect between students and adults
 Emergence of the new Free Agent Learner!

What can the Speak Up
findings tell us about the
future of learning?

Increasingly, students’ aspirations around
the use of emerging technologies within
education is a reflection of their desired
vision for learning in general.
What can the Speak Up data tell us about the
future of learning?

Result:
A new uniquely “student vision” for
leveraging emerging technologies to
drive achievement and educational
productivity

Creating Our Future: Students Speak Up about
their Vision for 21st Century Learning
Social–based learning
Un–tethered learning
Digitally–rich learning

 Customized questions
 Focus on personalized learning
 To inform state and district plans
Special partnership with Florida Department of Education

Florida participation:
 K-12 Students
 Elementary 6812
 Middle School 4481
 High School 3120
 Teachers & Librarians 2170
 Parents (in English & Spanish) 1148
 School/District Administrators 241
National Speak Up 2010 Participation: 379,355

 67% view themselves as average tech users
 50% have a smart phone
 53% say best use of technology is in English
class
 56% say school is doing a good job using
technology for learning
Florida High School Student Profile
Snapshot

The era of the technology-enabled
Free Agent Learner
Speak Up National Data Findings

Key Characteristics:
– Self directed learning
– Un-tethered to traditional education
– Expert at personal data aggregation
– Power of connections
– Creating new networks of experts
– Experiential learning is key – make it real
– Everyone is a content developer
– Process as important as knowledge gained
Meet the Free Agent Learner!

Florida National
Self-directed learning
source
53% 40%
Took online class 33% 11%
Facebook
collaboration
25% 23%
Podcasts/videos 24% 18%
Cell phone app for
organization
22% 21%
Found experts online 16% 13%
Used writing tools 15% 14%
Meet the Free Agent Learner!

1. Doing hands on, interactive experiments (56%)
2. Teacher led traditional class (45%)
3. Teacher led online class (37%)
4. Watching videos (34%)
5. Working in small groups on projects (33%)
What is the activity or teaching approach
that is the best way for you to learn?
Florida High School Students 2010

1. Creating media (47%)
2. Mini quizzes with clickers (38%)
3. Online tests (36%)
4. Group projects (28%)
5. E-portfolios (25%)
What is the best way for you to demonstrate to
your teacher what you have learned?

As a result of technology, the role of the teacher
in many classes is changing. Which of these do
you think is the most effective role for a teacher
today?

Which of these do you think is the most effective
role for a teacher today?
Different roles:
 Teacher resource recommender 55%
 Teacher coach 48%
 Teacher collaborator 46%
 Teacher assessor 42%
 Teacher facilitator 40%
 Teacher content expert 37%
 Teacher partner 36%

What if your science class was like this:
Each day you received a personalized set of learning goals
and you worked at your own pace moving ahead in the
curriculum only once you had mastered the material. During
class you would have the flexibility to use computer based
games, collaborate with other students on experiments and
problem solving exercises, receive one-on-one tutoring from
a teacher as needed, and use a variety of digital resources
and tools. What would be the benefits of this kind of
learning environment for you?

What would be the benefits of this kind of
learning environment for you?
I like working at my own pace 67%
I would be in control of my learning 58%
I would have a greater sense of independence 49%
It would be easier for me to succeed 45%
I would be more motivated to learn 44%
It would be easier to review class materials 43%
I would learn more science 42%

• Continuing “digital disconnects”
• Spectrum of digital native-ness
• Multiple “computers” in the backpack
• Adaptation trumps adoption
• Anytime, anyplace, anywhere, any pace
learning
• Developing personal expert networks
Key trends we are watching:

• Self directed learning for student & teacher
• Everyone is a content developer
• Make it relevant to me!
• Blurring of informal & formal learning lines
• Beyond engagement: it’s really about
productivity!
• “Long tail” of training & education
Key trends we are watching:

Thank you.
Let’s continue this conversation.
Julie Evans
Project Tomorrow
jevans@tomorrow.org
949-609-4660 x15
Copyright Project Tomorrow 2010.
This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted
for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes,
provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced
materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the
author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written
permission from the author.

Next Generation of Learners

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (6)

Similar to Next Generation of Learners

Similar to Next Generation of Learners (20)

More from Julie Evans

More from Julie Evans (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Next Generation of Learners