Friday, August 30, 2013

The Power of Social Media

L.A. Unified School District is Keeping Tabs on the Social Media Use of its Employees

By now, we're all aware of the power of social media. It can be a source of good in a variety ways, from being a guide to new information, to being a powerful globally-recognized social organizing tool.

L.A. Unified School District's Social Media Policies
But sometimes social media can be a source of disruption....for school districts.

Recently, the Los Angeles Unified School District's bulletin regarding their standards for social media use of their employees, including of their teachers and educators, has come under attack by some, and has been praised by others.

A sampling of the policies can be found below:

"1. Keep personal social network accounts separate from work related
accounts. When a student or minor wishes to link to an employee’s
personal social networking site, redirect them to the school approved
website. Accepting invitations to non-school related social networking sites
from parents, students or alumni under the age of 18 is strongly
discouraged, and on a case-by-case basis, may be prohibited by the site
administrator. (BUL – 5167.0, Code of Conduct with Students –
Distribution and Dissemination Requirement Policy)

2. Any employee or associated person engaging in inappropriate conduct
including the inappropriate use of social media sites during or after school
hours may be subject to discipline.

3. Never post any identifying student information including names, videos and
photographs on any school-based, personal or professional online forum or
social networking website, without the written, informed consent of the
child’s parent/legal guardian and the principal.

4. Never share confidential or privileged information about students or
personnel (e.g., grades, attendance records, or other pupil/personnel record
information).

5. Users should have no expectation of privacy regarding their use of District
property, network and/or Internet access to files, including email. The
District reserves the right to monitor users’ online activities and to access,
review, copy, and store or delete any electronic communication or files
and/or disclose them to others as it deems necessary. [Refer to BUL –999.4,
Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) For District Computer Systems]

6. Posting inappropriate threatening, harassing, racist, biased, derogatory,
disparaging or bullying comments toward or about any student, employee,
or associated person on any website is prohibited and may be subject to
discipline."

To read the full bulletin, click here.

Do you agree with the district's stance? Do you think these policies will help to create a more peaceful environment for all involved? Does your district have similar policies?

Please join us in this conversation!

To learn more about this issue, read the articles surrounding it in The Huffington Post and LA Weekly.

Don't forget to vote for Julie Evans' panel (Project Tomorrow's CEO) at the SXSWEdu conference! Click the webtile below for more information.


Register for Speak Up 2013 before the long weekend ahead!

Have a great Labor Day weekend! Enjoy!

- The Project Tomorrow team

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Fun Facts for Back to School

The Class of 2017

What are the generational-specifics of the class of 2017?
Students of all kinds...pre-school,elementary, intermediate, high school, college, and graduate school have already hit the books, and others are preparing for their first days which will begin soon!

With each new school year, comes a new class of students with differing viewpoints and nuances than the students or the generation before it.

Beloit College in Wisconsin recognizes this, and conjures a document each year that lists the generational-specifics of each new college class year! 

Be sure to read the fun-filled document, and find out what information you also share with the Class of 2017!


Moreover, Beloit College also posts guides for administrators and educators who work with and interact with each new class year. Read those here

Happy Reading!

Remember to register for Speak Up 2013!

Don't forgot to vote for Julie Evans' panel at the SXSWEdu conference! Click the webtile below for more information: 



- The Project Tomorrow team

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Around the Web Wednesday: Pt III

Happy Wednesday to all of our followers, supporters, and blog readers!

Today marks the third installment in our Around the Web Wednesday series.

Check the Project Tomorrow blog every Wednesday for the Around the Web series! 
We hope you are enjoying reading up on the latest issues, discussions, and trending topics in education each week. If an article particularly speaks to you, please let us know!

Remember to register for tomorrow's (8/29) free webinar hosted by Julie Evans and sponsored by DreamBox Learning, titled The Future of Personalized Learning in Elementary Schools. The webinar will take place from 3pm-4pm Eastern time. Registration and participation in this event is free! Click here to get started.

Don't forget to vote for Julie Evans' panel, ListenUp! SpeakUp! GameUp! A Game Data Discussion, at the SXSWEdu conference. Click the webtile below for more information.


Registration for Speak Up 2013 is LIVE on our brand new site! Click here to get started.

Do you have any fun or interesting Back to School Stories? Share it with us in the comments below! 

Happy Reading!

- The Project Tomorrow team

Around the Web Wednesday

1. Video Games to Strengthen Math & Science Skills: Read it here!

2. Q & A-Back to School with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan: Read it here!

3. MOOCs, MOOCs, MOOCs! Read it here!

4. Flipped Classrooms - Fit to Flourish! Read it here!

5. Superintendents Who Take to Twitter! Read it here!

6. Blended Learning or Classroom Training? Read it here!

7. How Businesses can Benefit from the "Flipped Classroom" Model: Read it here!

8. Guides for Educators & Administrators Regarding the College Class of 2017! Read it here!

9. The New Teacher Project: Read it here!

10. What Teacher Leadership Looks Like: Read it here

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The Future of Personalized Learning in Elementary Schools

A Webinar Sponsored by DreamBox Learning

Be sure to register for Thursday's webinar- 08/29 
Have you participated in one of Julie Evans' past webinars? If so, what new insights did you learn? If you haven't had the chance to participate in any of Julie Evans' past webinars, you may view them here

This coming Thursday, August 29th, you'll have the opportunity to participate in another free webinar session presented by Project Tomorrow's CEO, Julie Evans, and Neal Manegold, Curriculum Producer of DreamBox Learning.

The webinar, appropriately titled The Future of Personalized Learning in Elementary Schools, will focus upon the topic of personalized learning, and how today's technological resources can help achieve personalized learning in our elementary schools.

To register for Thursday's webinar, click here. The webinar will take place from 3-4pm Eastern time.

Who will be attending? Let us know in the comments! Have a great Tuesday.

- The Project Tomorrow team

Monday, August 26, 2013

Exciting News & Events at Project Tomorrow

Happy Monday to all our followers and supporters!

Below, you will find our Fall 2013 newsletter that highlights the latest exciting  news and events occurring at Project Tomorrow.

Be sure to read up on all the new changes, like the launch of our BRAND NEW website! Log onto to tomorrow.org to witness the new site for yourself! Please let us know what you think by commenting below, or on Facebook and Twitter.

In other related news, we are so thrilled to announce that our blog has reached over 2,000 page views! We are thrilled with your readership, and invite you to check back each day for new posts that will feature news and discussions concerning all things education related.

We would also like to apologize to those that tried to register for Speak Up 2013 earlier this morning. Due to the launch of our new site, you may have received an error message, or were simply unable to complete your request. We are happy to announce that registration is now up and running, and you may now register here. Thank you for your understanding. We appreciate all of you.

Don't forget to vote for Project Tomorrow's CEO Julie Evans' panel ListenUp! SpeakUp! GameUp! A Game Data Discussion at the SXSWEdu conference in Austin, Texas, which, with your help, will be scheduled to occur in March 2014! 

Happy Reading!

- The Project Tomorrow team

HiRes

The end of Summer is upon us...

Which means the sun-filled days are dwindling, and Fall and the upcoming school year are quickly approaching!
With the beginning of Fall also comes a renewed sense of energy; as the weather shifts and the trees and plants around us sense a change, we also respond by gaining momentum from the newfound environment.
Here at Project Tomorrow, we have been busy prepping and planning for the upcoming season. In this newsletter you will find information regarding registration and the launch date of Speak Up 2013, the debut of our new website and blog, a news alert regarding the FCC and the E-Rate program, voting information regarding a SXSWEdu conference panel, thought-provoking reports and presentations by Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow’s CEO, and updates regarding Project Tomorrow's Teacher Initiative Programs.
We hope you will welcome Fall with us, and enjoy reading about our latest ventures.
As always, please feel free to share with us your thoughts and comments.

Happy Fall!

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What is Speak Up?

Speak Up provides an easy way for students, parents and educators to participate in your local decisions about technology, as well as contribute to the state and national dialogue about educational technology. Since 2003, Project Tomorrow has collected the viewpoints of over 3 million students, educators and parents – the Speak Up dataset represents the largest collection of authentic feedback from these key educational stakeholders.

What schools/districts are saying about Speak Up:

"The South Carolina Virtual School Program looks forward to reviewing our Speak-Up survey responses every year, because it allows us to put a finger on the pulse of our students’ learning experiences. We are able to identify ways to expand and grow our program based on student feedback. The South Carolina Virtual School Program always focuses on the students’ open, written comments in the Speak-Up surveys, because this present students with the opportunity to openly express their thoughts, opinions, and suggestions about how we can adjust our program and adapt it to stay at the cutting edge in the growing field of online education."
--Vicki Williams, South Carolina Virtual School Program, South Carolina
"The data collected through the Speak Up survey[s] was shared with key stakeholders in the district including parents, patrons, Board of Education, and the Technology Advisory Committee members. Each group found the data informative and helpful to them in their work.
--Kristy Sailors, Director of Educational Technology-Blue Valley School District, Kansas

What changes are being made for Speak Up 2013?

As a new feature this year (to simplify the registration process) all districts and schools, in the current NCES database, are automatically registered to participate in Speak Up.
To manage your school or district information and obtain free, online access to your school or district’s aggregated results, your registration must be activated with a primary/main contact by registering on our website.
As always, registration is not required, but recommended as you will be kept up to date with important Speak Up information. To Learn more about the benefits of designating a main contact please go to our site here, or see below:

Benefits of designating a Main/Primary contact:

1.Gain administrative access by assigning your district (or school) an organizational login password (administrative password), which allows you to update district or school contact information.
2.Assign individual student survey passwords to schools. (optional)
3.Assign school primary contacts to facilitate the survey taking process at the school level. (optional)
4.Have the ability to monitor district/school’s survey counts at any time through the main contact login.
5.View your district and school data once it becomes available (administrative password is required to view data results.)
6.Ensure confidentiality of your surveys with your students by assigning a survey “secret password” for students to use to take the survey.
7.Receive weekly emails with up to date participation numbers by school and/or district (option to opt out of emails during registration process).
8.Receive an email from Project Tomorrow when your Speak Up local data becomes available.
9.Keep up to date on other important updates during the survey process.

Types of Main/Primary Contacts:

1.District- Has access to all schools within the district. Will only need to assign one contact for the district. The district assigned passwords (administrative and survey) will work for all schools within that district.
2.School- Access to an individual school site. This is optional. Can assign individual school level passwords different from the district passwords (district passwords will work in addition to school level passwords).
3.Private School- Access to your individual school. If you would like to group a set of private schools to receive a grouped dataset much like the district level reports, please contact the Speak Up Team at speakup@tomorrow.org.
4.Organization – Please contact the Speak Up Team at speakup@tomorrow.org to help set up your registration.
5.International school- Access to your individual school. If you would like to group a set of schools to receive a grouped dataset much like the district level reports, please contact the Speak Up Team at speakup@tomorrow.org.

Registration Information:

To register, log onto our new website here.
If you prefer to have us register for you, please send us an e-mail to speakup@tomorrow.org with the following information:
1.The name of your district or school
2.Your State
3.Name, title, and email address of the main contact
4.A student survey password
5.An organizational login password (to view weekly survey counts and other important updates during the survey period)
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.

Other new features of Speak Up 2013:

  • Educators and parents will not be required to enter a survey password.
  • Districts and/or schools will still need to assign a student level survey password to take the survey
  • New survey for Community members and Business Partners will be added to the survey deck

Questions? E-mail us at speakup@tomorrow.org

Speak Up 2013 Surveys will open October 2nd, 2013, and will run through December 20th, 2013!

***

Make Sure to Log On and Witness All the New Changes!

We are pleased to announce the debut of our new website! Log onto www.tomorrow.org to see the new site for yourself. We hope you enjoy navigating all the new links, and that you find the information on the site to be useful and user-friendly. Please let us know what you think!
We want to give a special thanks to Judith Marciante, our website guru, for her diligence and hard work on putting together Project Tomorrow's new website.
Moreover, we are excited to announce the new Project Tomorrow blog!
Our new blog launched in mid-July, and has been gaining a rapid readership ever since! We reached1,000 views on Monday, August 5th, 2013.
We can't thank our followers enough for your support in Project Tomorrow. Please continue to follow our blog, where you'll find new posts daily highlighting important trends and topics in education, as well as updates and information about Project Tomorrow's initiatives. Feel free to comment on any and all posts that provoke thoughts, ideas, or discussions from your personal experiences. We welcome an honest and empathetic discourse concerning the educational experiences of our communities.
Additionally, you can stay updated on all things Project Tomorrow by following Project Tomorrow onTwitter and Facebook, Speak Up on Twitter and Facebook, and Julie Evans' Twitter account here.
Thank you, and Enjoy!
***
On July 23, 2013, the FCC released the E-rate Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) which is designed to collect input from stakeholders on a broad range of issues.
The FCC is specifically seeking feedback on how to ensure that schools and libraries have access to 21st Century connectivity to support digital learning, on how to maximize the cost-effectiveness of E-rate funds and how to streamline the application process.
This NPRM is a very long document and there are lots of proposed rule changes for E-rate funding. The link to the actual NPRM can be found here.
The deadline for stakeholder feedback or comments is September 16. We recommend that all of our Speak Up friends take a look at this document as the proposed changes may impact your schools and districts and how you are currently using your E-rate funding.
If you decide to file a statement or comment with the FCC and would like to use Speak Up data to support your comment, please let us know. We are currently considering our own filing as well.
Thank you!
***

Vote for Julie

Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow's CEO, regularly gives insightful and thought-provoking presentations on current educational trends directly affecting our children, schools, educators, and communities.
Have you seen one of Julie's presentations? You may see her work by logging onto our website here.
Julie has the unique opportunity to speak with a panel of other educational visionaries throughSXSWEdu!
The panel discussion is titled ListenUp! SpeakUp! GameUp! A Game Data Discussion
The speakers leading this important discussion are:
•Jessica Millstone, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop
• Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow
• Allisyn Levy, BrainPOP
• Robert Torres, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
With your help, we can bring this timely and valuable discussion to fruition.
We would so appreciate you logging on, registering, and casting a vote for Julie's panel here, or by clicking the webtile below! Voting is currently live, and will run through Friday, September 6th.
Thank you for your participation!
PanelPicker Vote
About SXSWEdu
March 3-6, 2014 in Austin, Texas will be a formative four-day conference highlighting pivotal trends and topics in education lead by pioneers and visionaries in the educational field.
To learn more about SXSWedu, visit their site.
***

Be sure to stay updated on the latest reports and presentations by Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow's CEO!

Below, you'll find the most recent links to Julie's reports, presentations, and webinars. We hope these reports bring you new insight and value into relevant educational trends and topics.
Feel free to share your comments with us via TwitterFacebook, and our Blog.
***
fea_CA

Future Educators Association of California

The Future Educators Associaiton of California (FEA) is a Career and Technical Organization catering to Careers in Education and Child Development classes. FEA provides opportunities for leadership, competitions, conferences, networking, and scholarships. Click Here to find out more!
YT2LearnLogo_Blue_Small

YouthTEACH2Learn

The YouthTEACH2Learn Program is a free high school curriculum designed to give students a practical experience in teaching math and science in an elementary school setting. The curriculum is modeled after Cal State Fullerton's entry level education course and expands on the curriculum by providing students the opportunity to teach in a full classroom setting. Click Here for more information.
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Thank you for your continued support in Project Tomorrow!

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Friday, August 23, 2013

Fun-Fact Friday

Happy Friday to all our followers and readers!
 
How has your week been? If you've been following our posts, be sure to let us know which one intrigued you the most!
 
Happy Friday!
 Before the work week is officially over, don't forget to vote for Julie Evans' panel ListenUp! SpeakUp! GameUp! A Game Data Discussion  at the SXSWEdu conference here. Other panelists of this discussion include:
 
Allisyn Levy of BrainPOP
Robert Torres of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
 
...And while you are voting for Julie's panel, you might as well register for Speak Up 2013, right? All the information can be found here.
 
Exciting events are on the horizon at Project Tomorrow, as our brand new website will be launching very soon! We will be sure to blog about all the new features as soon it arrives...keep checking back!
 
For Fun-Fact Friday, read up on DoSomething.org's feature on 11 Facts About Education in America here.
 
Did anything shock or surprise you? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
 
We've also provided you a few quotes about education to inspire your weekend!
 
Enjoy!
 
- The Project Tomorrow team

Education Quotes:

    “Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

   “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”
Plutarch

    “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.”
Margaret Mead

  “A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination.”
Nelson Mandela

    “In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.”
Phil Collins

    “All I have learned, I learned from books.”
Abraham Lincoln

    “Wisdom.... comes not from age, but from education and learning.”
Anton Chekhov

    “All of life is a constant education.”
Eleanor Roosevelt, The Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt

   “The mind once enlightened cannot again become dark.”
Thomas Paine

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Main Contact Information for Speak Up Surveys

Speak Up Main Contact Registration

Happy Thursday to all of our followers!

Below you will find information regarding the importance of designating a person as a Main Contact for your school/district in regards to Speak Up Surveys.
 
Speak Up 2013 surveys will open October 2nd and will run through December 20th
 
E-mail us at speakup@tomorrow.org with any questions you may have. We hope you find this information helpful!

Don't forget to register for Speak Up 2013, and vote for Project Tomorrow's CEO Julie Evans' panel at the SXSWEdu conference.

-The Project Tomorrow Team

Thank you for your interest in Speak Up!

Speak Up provides an easy way for students, parents, educators and community members to participate in your local decisions about technology, as well as contribute to the state and national dialogue about educational technology. As the primary contact for your district, school or organization you will be in charge of the promotion and encouragement of the survey at your selected organizational level. In return, you will receive free, online access to your aggregated results with state and national comparisons in February 2014.

The Speak Up Promotional materials page (http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/promo.html) offers convenient tools for helping make Speak Up a success in your district. You can find promotion flyers for posting at each school, informational flyers for your stakeholders, lesson plans for teachers, a banner ad to place on your website, sample emails, tweets and blog posts for encouraging participation and more.

Benefits of designating a primary contact:

  • Gain administrative access by assigning your district (or school) an organizational login password (administrative password), which allows you to
    • Update district or school contact information.
    • Assign individual student survey passwords to schools .(*optional)
    • Assign school primary contacts to facilitate the survey taking process at the school level. (*optional)
    • Have the ability to monitor district/school’s survey counts at any time through the main contact login.
    • View your district and school data once it becomes available *administrative password is required to view data results.
  • Ensure confidentiality of your surveys with your students by assigning a survey “secret password” for students to use to take the survey. *Educators and parents are no longer required to enter a password to take the survey.
  • Receive weekly emails with up to date participation numbers by school and/or district (option to opt out of emails during registration process).
  • Receive an email from Project Tomorrow when your Speak Up local data becomes available.
  • Keep up to date on other important updates during the survey process.

Types of Primary Contacts:

District- Has access to all schools within the district. Will only need to assign one contact for the district. The district assigned passwords (administrative and survey) will work for all schools within that district.
School- Access to an individual school site. This is optional. Can assign individual school level passwords different from the district passwords (district passwords will work in addition to school level passwords).
Private School- Access to your individual school. If you would like to group a set of private schools to receive a grouped dataset much like the district level reports, please contact the Speak Up Team at speakup@tomorrow.org.
Organization – Please contact the Speak Up Team at speakup@tomorrow.org to help set up your registration.
International school- Access to your individual school. If you would like to group a set of schools to receive a grouped dataset much like the district level reports, please contact the Speak Up Team at speakup@tomorrow.org.

Information needed to register:

  1. Name
  2. Email address
  3. An organizational login password (to view weekly survey counts and other important updates during the survey period)
  4. Student Survey password (secret word students will use to access the survey

    *Main contact information will need to be renewed for each survey year.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Around the Web Wednesday: Take 2

Happy Wednesday!

The middle of the week calls for some time to catch up on the most recent news and events concerning education.


Check out the Project Tomorrow Blog each week for our Around the Web Wednesday series.

Read about all the various topics below! Be sure to let us know which one intrigued you the most!

Don't forget to Register for Speak Up 2013, and vote for Project Tomorrow's CEO Julie Evans' panel at the SXSWEdu conference.

Happy Reading!

- The Project Tomorrow Team

Around the Web Wednesday:

1. Do you believe education is in constant change/evolvement? Read about it here!

2. A Washington D.C. university looks to expand online education programs: Read about it here!

3. The growth of online learning: Yay or Nay? Read about it here!

4. What education reforms are needed? Read about it here!

5. Florida teachers and science education: Read about it here!

6. STEM training for middle school teachers: Read about it here!

7. Race to the Top grants: Read about it here!

8. Technology and New York schools: Read about it here!

9. U.S. Department of Education awards $12.3 million in grants: Read about it here!

10. The teacher turnover crisis in American urban schools: Read about it here!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

The Need for STEM education & High Speed Internet

Increasingly, the need for mathematical and technical skills are being required of potential employees and future business owners worldwide as well as nationwide.
 
But what needs to be done in order to prepare the next generation of American workers?
 
 
Recently, Arne Duncan, Secretary of U.S. Education, promoted an urgent need for high speed Internet connection and the wide-spread implementation of STEM education programs across our nation's K-12 schools.
 
One particular initiative put forth by the Obama administration (titled ConnectED), aims to have high speed broadband Internet connection in 99% of our nation's schools within the next five years.
 
Duncan believes the implementation of high speed Internet connection in our schools will lead to an increase in science, math, and technology comprehension, as Internet connection will make it easier to explore careers and concepts utilized by high-speed broadband connection.
 
Project Tomorrow is pleased to support the ConnectED initiative, and we are highly anticipating the results of this pivotal plan. To learn more about the ConnectED initiative, read about it here or on the White House site.
 
In addition to ConnectED, the Educate to Innovate initiative, launched in November 2009, aims to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education in our schools. The initiative supports and promotes partnerships between businesses and schools to create an environment where STEM education is hands-on, and introduced at an earlier age to students. You can learn more about the Educate to Innovate initiative here.
 
You can also read more about Secretary Dunan's recent statements regarding STEM education and the ConnectED intiave at CIO.com here.
 
What are your hopes for the future of American education? Share your thoughts with us.
 
Don't forget to register for Speak Up 2013, and vote for Project Tomorrow's CEO Julie Evans' panel at the SXSWEdu conference in Austin, Texas here.
 
Have a happy Tuesday!
 
- The Project Tomorrow Team
 




Monday, August 19, 2013

VOTE for Julie Evans' Panel!

Vote for Julie

Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow's CEO, regularly gives insightful and thought-provoking presentations on current educational trends directly affecting our children, schools, educators, and communities.

Have you seen one of Julie's presentations? You may see her work by logging onto our website here.

Julie has the unique opportunity to speak with a panel of other educational visionaries through SXSWEdu!

With your help, we can bring this important and valuable discussion to fruition.

We would so appreciate you logging on, registering, and casting a vote for Julie's panel here! Voting is currently live, and will run through Friday, September 6th.

Thank you for your active and continued support in Project Tomorrow!

- The Project Tomorrow Team

PanelPicker Vote

About SXSWEdu

March 3-6, 2014 in Austin, Texas will be a formative four-day conference highlighting pivotal trends and topics in education lead by pioneers and visionaries in the educational field.

To learn more about SXSWedu, visit http://www.sxswedu.com/about.