The document summarizes key findings from the 2012 Speak Up National Research Project conducted by Project Tomorrow. Some of the main points covered include: - Students have a vision for digital learning that incorporates social learning, personalized and un-tethered learning experiences with rich digital content. - While administrators see technology as important, teachers, parents and students see it as even more critical to student success. - Students are adopting mobile devices and want to use their own devices for schoolwork, though many schools still restrict this. - Online and blended learning are growing trends, though full implementation faces obstacles. - Students are actively using digital content and social media for informal "DIY" learning outside of

1. 2013 Campus Leadership Academy
Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow CEO
February 5, 2013

2. Big Questions
What are the expectations of K-12 students for
digital learning?
How does that student vision compare with the
teachers’ & administrators’ reality?
What is the unique parent perspective on digital
learning?
How well are our K-12 schools meeting the
expectations of students?
What are the key trends on the horizon?

3. Discussion Agenda
 Speak Up National Research Project
 Student Vision for Digital Learning
 Parent, Teacher & Administrator Perspective
Speak Up 2012 National Findings
Views of K-12 Students, Teachers,
Parents and Administrators

4. Project Tomorrow, a national
education nonprofit organization
Programs:
• Research & evaluation studies
• School and community programs
• Events for students
Mission: To ensure that today’s
students are prepared to become
tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and
engaged citizens of the world.

5. Speak Up National Research Project
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
 Pre-Service Teachers in Schools of Education
Inform policies & programs
 Analysis and reporting of findings and trends
 Consulting services to help transform teaching and learning
+ 3 million surveys since 2003

6. Speak Up survey question themes
 Learning & Teaching with Technology
 21st Century Skills: Digital Citizenship & Global Awareness
 Math and Science Instruction
 Students’ Career Interests in STEM
 Professional Development / Teacher Preparation
 Internet Safety
 Administrators’ Challenges
 Emerging Technologies both in & out of the Classroom
 Mobile Devices, Online Learning, Digital Content, E-textbooks
 Educational Games, Social Media tools and applications
 Flipped Classroom, Print to Digital, Online Assessments
 Designing the 21st Century School

7. Speak Up survey question themes
 Learning & Teaching with Technology
 21st Century Skills: Digital Citizenship & Global Awareness
 Math and Science Instruction
 Students’ Career Interests in STEM
 Professional Development / Teacher Preparation
 Internet Safety
 Administrators’ Challenges
 Emerging Technologies both in & out of the Classroom
 Mobile Devices, Online Learning, Digital Content, E-textbooks
 Educational Games, Social Media tools and applications
 Flipped Classroom, Print to Digital, Online Assessments
 Designing the 21st Century School
Activities Value Propositions Aspirations

8. National Speak Up 2012 Participation: 466,303
 K-12 Students 364,233
 Teachers & Librarians 56,346
 Parents (in English & Spanish) 39,713
 School/District Administrators 6,011
 About the participating schools & districts
o 8,020 schools and 2,431 districts
o 30% urban / 43% rural / 27% suburban
o All 50 states + DC
 Honor Roll of States with highest participation:
TX, CA, OH, IN, AL, NC, WI, AZ, FL, PA

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

11. Speak Up National Findings: 2003 - 2012
 Students function as a “Digital Advance Team”
 Students regularly adopt and adapt emerging
technologies for learning
 Students’ frustrations focus on the unsophisticated use of
technologies within education
 Persistent digital disconnect between students and
adults
 Exacerbation of lack of relevancy in current education
 Students want a more personalized learning
environment

12. The New Student Vision for Learning
Social–based learning
Personalized
Un–tethered learning
Learning
Digitally–rich learning

13. The New Student Vision for Learning
Three Essential Elements
Social–based learning
Students want to leverage
emerging communications
and collaboration tools to
create personal learning
networks of experts

14. The New Student Vision for Learning
Three Essential Elements
Un-tethered learning
Students envision
technology-enabled learning
that transcends classroom
walls

15. The New Student Vision for Learning
Three Essential Elements
Digitally-rich
learning
Students see the use of
relevancy-based digital
tools, content and
resources as key to
education productivity

16. Let’s set some context . . . .

17. School Site Administrators’ Realities
Wake Up in the Middle of the Night Issues
Test scores 48%
Staff morale 45%
Curriculum standards 44%
Adequate funding 40%
Student behavior 40%
School safety 35%
Using data to assess achievement 30%
Adequate technology 28%
0% 20% 40% 60%

18. Administrators’ Realities
What has the greatest potential to enhance
student achievement?
School Site District Level
Enhancing teacher effectiveness 57% 58%
21st century skills integration 49% 54%
Leveraging technology 37% 49%
Common Core Standards 49% 48%
Engaging parents as co-teachers 37% 31%

19. Administrators’ Realities
What tech solutions are you considering to help
with your budget situation?
1. Tablets instead of laptops for students 42%
2. Online teacher PD 40%
3. Cloud computing solutions 28%
4. Blended online classes for students 28%
5. Allowing student use of personal devices 26%
6. Digital textbooks 25%
7. Online classes for students 20%

20. Different views on value of ed tech
How important is the
District Admin effective use of
technology to student
success?
Principals
Parents
Extremely
important
Important
Teachers Somewhat
important
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

21. The New Student Vision for Learning
Key Trends:
 Mobile Learning
 Virtual/Online Learning
 Digital Content &
Social Media

22. Your assignment:
 Debunk myths
 Uncover hidden digital divides
 Evaluate your vision
 Do you have a shared vision of
the future?

23. The New Student Vision for Learning
Key Trends: Mobile Learning

24. Students’ personal access to mobile devices
80%
65%
59%58%
52%
47% 48%
45% 45% 45%
38%
36%
26%
19% 18%
12%
Cell Phone Smartphone Tablet Digital Reader
K-2 Gr 3-5 Gr 6-8 Gr 9-12

25. Students’ plans for using mobiles at school
How would you use a mobile device to help you
with schoolwork?
A. Increase effectiveness of school:
Check grades 78%
Take notes for class 69%
Access online textbooks 64%
Write papers and do homework 56%
Use the calendar 56%
Learn about school activities 47%

26. Students’ plans for using mobiles at school
How would you use a mobile device to help you
with schoolwork?
B. Leverage capabilities to increase personalization
of learning process:
Anytime, anywhere research 73%
Receive reminders & alerts 63%
Collaborate with peers & teachers 61%
Organize schoolwork assignments 54%
Access school network from home 52%

27. Students: different devices for different tasks
Create a presentation? Laptop
Communicate with classmates/teacher? Smartphone
Read a book or article? Digital reader
Take notes in class? Tablet

28. What obstacles do you face using
technology at school?
Students say:
1. Websites that I need are blocked 58%
2. I cannot access social media tools 47%
3. I cannot use my mobile device 46%
4. Too many rules! 46%
5. Teachers limit our tech use 41%

29. Let me use my own mobile device!
Gr 9-12 55%
Gr 6-8 55%
Gr 3-5 31%

30. The BYOD/BYOT trend – what a difference
a year makes!
Policy/Position Admin 2011 Admin 2012
Do not allow 52% 37%
Discretion of building 16% 21%
principal
Discretion of teacher 21% 32%
We provide devices 13% 18%
Evaluating BYOD/T 19% 28%
BYOD/T in place 17% 30%

31. The New Student Vision for Learning
Key Trends:
Virtual/Online
Learning

32. Districts are tapping into many types of
online learning
Online teacher professional
development
Virtual conferences and webinars
Blended learning classes for students
Fully online classes for students
Building your own online courses
Fee based online summer school
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
District Administrators

33. Who is learning online?
Types of online learning Students: Students:
experiences Gr 6-8 Gr 9-12
100% online school 6% 7%
Online self study class 8% 15%
Teacher led online class 9% 15%
Online class for personal 8% 10%
interests

34. Online classes for students: A “must have”
for the ultimate school
Students Gr 9-12 46%
Students Gr 6-8 41%
Students Gr 3-5 38%
Parents 36%
Administrators 51%

35. Parents have first hand experience with
online learning
I have taken an online class:
For work or job training 43%
For an academic/college program 29%
To learn new skills 22%
To explore a hobby 13%
For traffic school 7%
23% who have not taken an online
class would like to!

36. Why take an online class?
For high school students, traditional reasons:
scheduling and college credit.
For middle school students, it’s about changing the
learning paradigm.
 Get extra help in a tough subject
 More comfortable asking questions
 In control of my own learning
 More motivated to learn
 Work at my own pace
 Review class materials whenever I want
 Share ideas with my classmates

37. The New Student Vision for Learning
Key Trends: Digital Content & Social Media

38. Social media for learning
Student “DIY Learning” at work ….
 17% have sent out a Tweet about an academic topic
 14% have taken an online class they found on their own
 1 in 5 took an online assessment to find out how they
compared to other students
 1/4 have used a mobile app to help organize their school
work
 29% have used a video that they found online to help them
with homework (i.e. Kahn Academy effect)
 30% have sought homework help thru their Facebook site;
38% regularly use Facebook as a collaboration site

39. New question area for Speak Up this year –
who is flipping?
Experience with flipped learning Teachers Principals
(about their
teachers)
Did this – with my own videos 3% 27%
Did this – with online videos 6% 19%
I’m interested in this 18% 27%
Concern: student home access 53% 47%
Concern: need PD in creating videos 27% 33%
Concern: need PD in finding videos 21% 31%
Concern: need PD in what to do in class 17% 31%

40. And what do students think?
Good way for me to learn:
Students Gr 9-12 63%
Students Gr 6-8 59%

41. What do you prefer to read?
Online digital text
Printed text

42. Pixel vs. Print Preferences
Gr 6-8 Gr 9-12
Personal
reading: 37% 27%
digital
Schoolwork
reading: 36% 29%
digital

43. The New Student Vision for Learning
Social–based learning
Personalized
Un–tethered learning
Learning
Digitally–rich learning

44. Other key trends we are watching
 Continuing “digital disconnects”
 Spectrum of digital native-ness
 24/7 access redefined
 Inadequacy of the 1-to-1 paradigm
 Everyone needs a personal learning network
 Responsible use vs. acceptable use
 Blurring of informal & formal learning lines

45. Other key trends we are watching
 Collaborations driving 21st century skills
 Game-ification momentum – learning as
process
 Students as content producers
 Changing ideals for assessment
 It’s really all about productivity!
 Maximizing personalized learning
 Emergence of Free Agent Learners!

46. How to use Speak Up data
 Input for planning
 Justify budget and purchasing decisions
 Inform new initiatives – as an evaluation tool
.
 Tool to engage parents
 Demonstrate interest in students’ ideas
 Use for grant writing and fund development
 Content for professional development
 As a competitive tool
 And more . . . . . . .

47. More Speak Up? www.tomorrow.org
National Speak Up Findings and reports
Targeted and thematic reports
Online learning trends
Mobile learning & social media
Print to digital migration
Social learning
Intelligent adaptive software
Presentations, podcasts and webinars
Services: consulting, workshops, evaluation and efficacy
studies

48. Next up for us
School and district data release – February 6
◦ In conjunction with Digital Learning Day
National 2012 Speak Up Reports
◦ Congressional Briefings in Washington DC
◦ Reports available on our website
◦ April and May
New targeted reports
◦ Pre-service teachers report - Thursday
◦ Online learning trends report – ISTE
◦ More to come ….

49. How to participate with us
 Focus groups with students, parents and educators
 Evaluation and research projects
.
 Participate in mini surveys
 Follow us via social media and thru our listserv
 Sharing ideas and best practices
 Speak Up 2013 – sign up in spring, surveys in the fall
 www.tomorrow.org

50. Thank you.
Let’s continue this conversation.
Julie Evans
Project Tomorrow
jevans@tomorrow.org
949-609-4660 x15
Twitter: JulieEvans_PT
Copyright Project Tomorrow 2013
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