Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Speak Up 2013 National Research Project Findings

A second year review of flipped learning
Speak Up 2013 National Findings

March 2014

Students, teachers and administrators are increasingly interested in tapping into digital tools such as video to transform the classroom experience. From this research, it is evident that the flipped learning model is gaining the attention of educators who are interesting in improving student achievement and teacher effectiveness by leveraging digital tools to enable innovation.”
Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow
Speak Up 2013 National Research Project Findings: A Second Year Review of Flipped Learning is a collaborative effort between Project Tomorrow and The Flipped Learning Network using data from the more than 403,000 K-12 students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members that participated in the 11th annual Speak Up online surveys in the Fall of 2013. For the second year in a row, specific questions were asked of students, educators and administrators on flipped learning and use of videos in the classroom. Teachers and school administrators were asked to comment on their current or planned implementation of this innovative strategy.
This new whitepaper reveals significant growth in just one year in interest and implementation of flipped classrooms and a drop in concerns about student online access. Teacher interest in professional development on making quality instructional videos and on how to best use class time in a flipped classroom remained high, but this concern among administrators has declined while some are beginning to provide this training.
Speak Up 2013 flipped learning findings include:
  • One out of six math and science teachers are implementing a flipped learning model using videos that they have created or sourced online.        
  • 16 percent of teachers say they are regularly creating videos of their lessons or lectures to students to watch.   
  • 45 percent of librarians and media specialists are regularly creating videos and similar rich media as part of their professional practice. 
  • 37 percent of librarians are helping to build teacher capacity by supporting teachers’ skills in using and creating  video and rich media for classroom use.
  • While, almost one-fifth of current teachers have “learning how to flip my classroom” on their wish list for professional development this year,  41 percent of administrators say pre-service teachers should learn how to set up a flipped learning class model before getting a teaching credential.
  • 66 percent of principals said pre-service teachers should learn how to create and use videos and other digital media within their teacher preparation programs.  
  • 75 percent of middle and high school students agree that flipped learning would be a good way for them to learn, with 32 percent of those students strongly agreeing with that idea.  
Click here to download a copy of the five-page white paper.
About Flipped Learning Network 
The mission of the Flipped Learning Network™ (FLN) is to provide educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources to successfully implement Flipped Learning. The goals of the FLN are to 1) Serve as the hub connecting educators engaged in Flipped Learning; 2) Facilitate and collaborate on research relevant to Flipped Learning; and 3) Provide access to professional learning opportunities on Flipped Learning. www.flippedlearning.org

Friday, March 21, 2014

New Speak Up Whitepaper

For Immediate Release:                                 
March 21, 2014         

Contact: Amber Taylor, 703-201-4893
amber@taylored-communications.com 


New Speak Up 2013 Findings Show Growth in Flipped Classroom Implementation and Interest

Washington, D.C. – A quarter of administrators identified flipped learning as having a significant impact on transforming teaching and learning in their school district, surpassing other digital learning trends such as educational games and mobile apps (21 percent) and even online professional learning communities for teachers and administrators (19 percent), according to new findings from Speak Up 2013 to be released during the CoSN 2014 Annual Conference on Friday. An additional 40 percent of administrators said they were interested in their teachers “trying flipped learning” this year.

The white paper, Speak Up 2013 National Research Project Findings: A Second Year Review of Flipped Learning, reveals significant growth in just one year in interest and implementation of flipped classrooms and a drop in concerns about student online access. Teacher interest in professional development on making quality instructional videos and on how to best use class time in a flipped classroom remained high, but this concern among administrators has declined while some are beginning to provide this training.

“Students, teachers and administrators are increasingly interested in tapping into digital tools such as video to transform the classroom experience. From this research, it is evident that the flipped learning model is gaining the attention of educators who are interesting in improving student achievement and teacher effectiveness by leveraging digital tools to enable innovation,” said Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow.

During the fall of 2013, more than 403,000 K-12 students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members participated in the 11th annual Speak Up online surveys facilitated by the national education nonprofit organization, Project Tomorrow. For the second year, in conjunction with the Flipped Learning Network, specific questions were asked of students, educators and administrators on flipped learning and use of videos in the classroom.

For the survey, flipped learning was defined as using lecture videos as homework while utilizing class time for more in-depth learning such as “discussions, projects, experiments and to provide personalized coaching to individual students.”  

The five-page white paper will be available online at www.flippedlearning.org/research and http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/2014_FlippedLearningReport.html.  

“We know from other research that teachers who are flipping their classrooms report higher student achievement, increased student engagement and better attitudes toward learning and school,” said Kari M. Arfstrom, Executive Director of the Flipped Learning Network. “Many flipped teachers report that their job satisfaction has improved and they are feeling re-energized, so we are excited to see more teachers and administrators looking to implement this model in their schools.”

Speak Up 2013 flipped learning findings include:

  • One out of six math and science teachers are implementing a flipped learning model using videos that they have created or sourced online.
  • 16 percent of teachers say they are regularly creating videos of their lessons or lectures to students to watch.   
  • 45 percent of librarians and media specialists are regularly creating videos and similar rich media as part of their professional practice. 
  • 37 percent of librarians are helping to build teacher capacity by supporting teachers’ skills in using and creating  video and rich media for classroom use.
  • While, almost one-fifth of current teachers have “learning how to flip my classroom” on their wish list for professional development this year,  41 percent of administrators say pre-service teachers should learn how to set up a flipped learning class model before getting a teaching credential.
  • 66 percent of principals said pre-service teachers should learn how to create and use videos and other digital media within their teacher preparation programs.  
  • 75 percent of middle and high school students agree that flipped learning would be a good way for them to learn, with 32 percent of those students strongly agreeing with that idea.  

“These results show that both more professional development for teachers and tapping into librarians and media specialists to support teachers’ fledgling implementations of flipped learning show great promise,” said Arfstrom.

About Project Tomorrow
Project Tomorrow® is the nation’s leading education nonprofit organization dedicated to the empowerment of student voices in education. With 17 years of experience in the K-12 education sector, Project Tomorrow regularly provides consulting and research support about key trends in K-12 science, math and technology education to school districts, government agencies, business and higher education.  The Speak Up National Research Project annually polls K-12 students, parents and educators about the role of technology for learning in and out of school and represents the largest collection of authentic, unfiltered stakeholder voice on digital learning. Since 2003, over 3.4 million K-12 students, parents, teachers, librarians, principals, technology leaders and district administrators have shared their views and ideas through Speak Up. www.tomorrow.org


About Flipped Learning Network

The mission of the Flipped Learning Network™ (FLN) is to provide educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources to successfully implement Flipped Learning. The goals of the FLN are to 1) Serve as the hub connecting educators engaged in Flipped Learning; 2) Facilitate and collaborate on research relevant to Flipped Learning; and 3) Provide access to professional learning opportunities on Flipped Learning. www.flippedlearning.org

Thursday, March 20, 2014

CoSN 2014 Attendees!

It's not too late to stop by CEO of Project Tomorrow, Julie Evans's panel session Tomorrow (3/21) at 10:30AM with Chris Dede!

New Strategies for Transformational Learning: Building Professional Development Capacity through Mobile Technologies

 PresentersJulie Evans, CEO, Project Tomorrow with Chris Dede
   Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies
   Harvard University
 DescriptionMobile learning for both students and educators is expanding and evolving rapidly. This session highlights insights from several mobile learning initiatives that span the range of new tools, media, and instructional strategies. Its focus is how mobile devices enable novel, effective forms of professional development that increase engagement and learning by both educators and students. Descriptions of exemplary projects across the country will provide you with strategies for leveraging mobile technologies to address key professional development challenges as well as enhance student instruction.
 Focus AreaVision & Leadership
 Essential Skill 1Instructional Focus & Professional Development
 Essential Skill 2Leadership and Vision
 AudienceSchool System Administrators
 RoomCardoza

Save the date! Our second congressional briefing is on June 2nd!

Speak Up's second congressional briefing in Washington, DC will be on June 2nd! This briefing will focus on the impact of digital learning tools to support college and career readiness. Stay tuned for more details as the date approaches!

Don't forget the first congressional briefing will take place on April 8th at 12PMET in Dirksen Senate Office Buliding, Room 562The April 8th briefing will include a presentation of the national findings and a moderated panel discussion with students and educators. This year’s national report on the findings will be distributed to all attendees. Click here to RSVP to attend the briefing; click here to request a copy of the report.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Around the Web Wednesday

Happy Around the Web Wednesday! Browse all the links below for the latest news and topics trending in education and technology. Be sure to let us know which article intrigued you the most!


Be sure to check back each week for our Around the Web Wednesday series. Have a great day!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

National Release of Speak Up 2013 National Findings


2014 Congressional Briefing
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
12:00-1:30PM
Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 562

Please join us for the release of the Speak Up 2013 National Findings. This is the first of two Congressional Briefings on the data results from the 403,000 online Speak Up surveys submitted from education stakeholders nationwide in fall 2013.
The April 8th briefing will include a presentation of the national findings and a moderated panel discussion with students and educators. This year’s national report on the findings will be distributed to all attendees.
Click here to RSVP to attend the briefing; click here to request a copy of the report.
If you need additional information about Speak Up or the Congressional Briefing, please feel free to contact Jenny Hostert at jhostert@tomorrow.org or 949 609-4660 ext 17.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Happy March!

We hope this month has treated you all well! Exciting events are on the horizon here at Project Tomorrow.

In this newsletter, you will find information regarding...

▪ Speak Up Goes to Washington! National Release of the Speak Up 2013 Student Findings. RSVP now to attend the April 8th Briefing.
▪ Calling all Future Teachers, the Speak Up For Higher Education survey, "Tomorrow's Teachers Speak Up!" is now open for input. Get involved today!
▪ Speak Up on the Go! Register to attend one of the upcoming webinars with our CEO, Julie Evans.
▪ Save the Date! Speak Up's 2nd Congressional Briefing which will focus on the impact of digital learning tools to support college and career readiness will be held on June 2, 2014!

Happy Reading! Feel free to share your thoughts with us on FacebookTwitter, and our Blog.
-The Project Tomorrow team
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CongressBriefingBanner

National Release of Speak Up 2013 K-12 Student Findings - Washington, DC.

RSVP today to attend this in person event on April 8, 2014 OR click here to reserve a copy of the report!

Please join us on Tuesday, April 8th to receive a copy of this year’s report on the unfiltered views of the 325,279 K-12 Students that participated in Speak Up 2013. Reserve your spot today to learn about the role of technology in the classroom and hear directly from a panel of students themselves on topics such as mobile and flipped/blended learning, school to home communications, broadband capacity and designing the ultimate school for today’s learners.
This is the first of two Congressional Briefings on the data results from over 403,000 online Speak Up surveys submitted from education stakeholders nationwide in fall 2013. A second briefing focusing on the impact of digital learning tools to support college and career readiness is slated for June 2, 2014.
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 hereBetter yet email us with your reservation request!
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HE Logo

Calling all future teachers and teacher educators!

Participate in the Speak Up for Higher Education “Tomorrow’s Teachers Speak Up” survey and share your ideas about teaching with the nation!

Project Tomorrow is facilitating a special online survey for college students in teacher preparation programs to collect and report on the views of the next generation of teachers about the use of technology within instruction.
Participation is open to all students in teacher preparation programs both at the undergraduate and graduate level, teacher education faculty within Schools of Education, as well as career changers in special programs.
Colleges, universities and programs that promote the surveys to their students will receive a free online report with the national data findings as well as institutional results. Additionally, a national report on the survey findings will be released in fall 2014 in a special Congressional Briefing in Washington DC. Results will be shared with policymakers, academic research organizations and media.
To learn more about how your institution can promote Tomorrow's Teachers Speak Up!, please contact Jenny Hostert at (949) 609-4660 x17 /jhostert@tomorrow.org or visit our website at http://www.tomorrow.org/SU4HigherEd/index.html.
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Speak Up On the Go! Upcoming Webinars by Julie Evans

Join us for a free webinar on educational technology trends driving innovation in the classroom.

Beyond the Digital Conversion: Educational Technology Trends Driving Innovation

Blackboard and Project Tomorrow
March 18, 2014
2PM EST
Register Now
Webinar Description:
The term 'digital conversion' is becoming increasingly prevalent in school and district conversations about how to improve student achievement, enhance teacher effectiveness, and stimulate new levels of parental engagement in schools. But what does this term really mean, and how are districts considering new methods to support their goals? Join Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, as she leads a discussion around exciting new trends in education that underscore new learning models as a means to drive innovation and more deeply engage students.

Speak Up Survey Insights for Private School Leaders

Sevenstar
April 15, 2014
2:00PM-3:00PM EST
Register Now
The Speak Up national findings have been helping private schools define education technology policies for 11 years. Each year, the views of private school stakeholders are captured to identify key trends and help plan for 21st century education.
Join us for an informative presentation that will help you discover:
• What technology solutions administrators want most
• Where schools are prioritizing technology investments
• Which technologies students and parents want at school
• How students learn to write digitally and manage their digital footprint
• What major concerns parents have about privacy and BYOD
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Thank you for your interest and continued support of Speak Up! Be sure to stay updated on all things Speak Up by following us on FacebookTwitterInstagram and our Blog.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Jenny Hostert, our Speak Up Operations Manager, at jhostert@tomorrow.orgor via phone at 949/609-4660 ext. 17.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Beyond the Digital Conversation

Join Project Tomorrow and Blackboard for a free webinar on educational technology trends driving innovation in the classroom!

Date: March 18, 2014
Time: 2PM ET
Presenter: Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow
Register here

The term 'digital conversion' is becoming increasingly prevalent in school and district conversations about how to improve student achievement, enhance teacher effectiveness, and stimulate new levels of parental engagement in schools. But what does this term really mean, and how are districts considering new methods to support their goals? Join Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, as she leads a discussion around exciting new trends in education that underscore new learning models as a means to drive innovation and more deeply engage students.

About Blackboard: 
From their beginning as a small education technology company, Blackboard has been dedicated to improving every aspect of the education experience for millions of learners and educators around the world. They work with thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations, providing them with tomorrow’s education experience today.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Around the Web Wednesday

Happy Around the Web Wednesday! Browse all the links below for the latest news and topics trending in education and technology. Be sure to let us know which article intrigued you the most!



Be sure to check back each week for our Around the Web Wednesday series. Have a great day!


Friday, March 7, 2014

College Board announces major changes to the SAT

College Board announced on Wednesday major changes to the SAT. The association that heads the standardized test noted that it does not focus on major academic skills and has "become disconnected from the work of our high schools." In order to give students a test that will prepare them college, the test has been changed to reinstate the 1600-point scoring scale (rather than the 2400-point scale), eliminated essays, replaced obscure and uncommon vocabulary words with words more frequently used in college courses, and has ended the penalty for inputting the wrong answer.

Besides changing the test the College Board has also created several initiatives to give more support to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as giving every income-eligible student four fee waivers to apply to college. Furthermore, the association has noted that students who cannot afford test-prepatory courses are typically at a disadvantage; in order to combat this disadvantage, the College Board is teaming up with Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organization that provides free lessons online, to offer free SAT preparatory courses to every student via the Internet. Through their partnership with Khan Academy, the College Board hopes to close the wealth gap and quiet any critics who say that standardized test unintentionally favors students who can afford courses.

To read more about the changes to the SAT, check out these articles by The New York Times and US News. What do you think about the new SAT? What about College Board's partnership with Khan Academy? Let us know!

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Around the Web Wednesday

Happy Around the Web Wednesday! Browse all the links below for the latest news and topics trending in education and technology. Be sure to let us know which article intrigued you the most!



Be sure to check back each week for our Around the Web Wednesday series. Have a great day!