Getting to Know the Project Tomorrow Team

Happy Monday!

We hope you all had a great weekend! Today we would like to introduce you to Kelly Stump, our Program Support Coordinator - Special Projects!

Kelly Stump

Program Support Coordinator - Special Projects

Project Tomorrow

kstump@tomorrow.org

949-609-4660 x11 voice

Kelly joined the Project Tomorrow team as a Program Support Coordinator in 2015. In addition to supporting education research and other projects, she also coordinates several events such as the annual Innovation in Education Awards and the Youth Leadership Summit. Kelly has always had a passion for education. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Southern California, she spent six years teaching an environmental science program with the Orange County Department of Education. At Project Tomorrow, Kelly hopes to continue to support and encourage students to pursue their passions through education. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, hiking, and reading.

CoSN 2015: 10 Reasons Why Flipping the Classroom Can Change Education

Last week's 2015 CoSN Conference in Atlanta, Georgia featured several sessions about digital learning, special programs, educational technology, and an interesting overall dialogue about K-12 education technology. One spotlight presentation, held by Kathleen Fulton, president of Fulton Creative Consulting, listed the "Top 10 Reasons Why Flipping the Classroom Can Change Education." Check out the list below:

1. Maximizes class time
2. Individualizes instruction
3. Creates peer learning opportunities
4. Improves effectiveness
5. Excites teachers
6. Interests students
7. Flipping benefits parents
8. It uses resources effectively
9. Builds 21st Century skills
10. Flipped classrooms could be the future of education

To learn more about each reason, as well as Fulton's caveats for each reason, check out the original article, "CoSN 2015: 10 Reasons Flipped Classrooms Could Change Education" by D. Frank Smith (EdTech Magazine). You can also learn more about flipped learning through Kathleen Fulton's book of the same name.

During the fall of 2014, over 521,865 K-12 students, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members participated in the 12th annual Speak Up online surveys facilitated by the national education nonprofit organization, Project Tomorrow© in conjunction with the Flipped Learning Network™.

For the third year in a row, specific questions were asked of teachers, librarians, and building and district administrators on flipped learning and the use of videos in the classroom. Educators and administrators weighed in on professional development when learning how to flip a class. Students lent their voices on flipped learning, videos as homework, and how (and how often) they use learning and social media tools. Click here to learn more.

CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) is the premier professional association for district technology leaders. For over two decades, CoSN has provided leaders with the management, community building, and advocacy tools they need to succeed. Today, CoSN represents over 10 million students in school districts nationwide and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education.

Scholarship opportunity for high school seniors in Orange County, CA and Salt Lake County, UT

Are you or do you know a high school senior in Orange County, California and Salt Lake County, Utah who will be pursuing a STEM Bachelor's Degree? Check out this scholarship opportunity from our friends at Edwards Lifesciences:

Edwards Lifesciences is passionate about improving the quality of life around the world and strengthening the communities in which we live and work. The Edwards Lifesciences Scholarship Program was launched to increase access to higher education and to promote careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Through this program, 10 Orange County, California and Salt Lake County, Utah high school seniors pursuing STEM bachelor’s degrees will be selected to receive a four-year scholarship totaling $10,000 ($2,500 per year) from The Edwards Lifesciences Fund. In addition, the scholarship recipients will have an opportunity to visit the Edwards Lifesciences campus in Irvine or Draper and apply for internship opportunities with the company.

Scholarship Criteria:
Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be a current high school senior who is a resident of Orange County, California or Salt Lake County, Utah
• Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college or university for the 2015-2016 academic year pursuing a major in a STEM field
• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident
• Demonstrate financial need
• Note: Children of Edwards Lifesciences employees are eligible to apply

Important Dates:

• March 2015 – Scholarship application available for 2015 -2016 academic year 
• April 11, 2015 – Application deadline 
• By May 31, 2015 - Scholarship Recipients Announced 
• July 30, 2015 – Scholarship Award Ceremony at Edwards’ corporate headquarters in Irvine 
• August 2015 – First half of scholarship mailed to students ($1,250) 
• December 2015 – Second half of scholarship mailed to students ($1,250)

Click here to learn more about the scholarship program

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!

- The Project Tomorrow Team

Report: To Unlock Potential of Ed Tech, Use a 'Closed-Loop' Instructional Approach - The Journal

CoSN 2015: 10 Reasons Flipped Classrooms Could Change Education - EdTech Magazine

Four Student Data Privacy Issues Adults Should Be Aware Of - MindShift

The 10 questions to ask before you start your one-to-one program - eSchool News

NEW DETAILS: President Obama Hosts 5th White House Science Fair - The White House

Privacy Pitfalls as Education Apps Spread Haphazardly - The New York Times

Questions To Ask About Ed-Tech At Your Kids' School - NPR

Obama announces over $240 million in pledges at White House Science Fair

Yesterday at the 2015 White House Science Fair, President Obama announced over $240 million in pledges to inspire more students - especially those from underrepresented groups - to pursue education in science, technology, engineering, and math. Included in Obama's announcement were:

• $150 million philanthropic effort to empower a diverse cadre of promising early-career scientists to stay on track to become scientific leaders of tomorrow;
• $90 million “Let Everyone Dream” campaign to expand STEM opportunities to under-represented youth;
• $25 million Department of Education competition to create science and literacy themed media that inspires students to explore;
• 120 universities and colleges committing to train 20,000 engineers to tackle the “Grand Challenges” of 21st century; and,
• CEO coalition Change the Equation committing expand effective STEM programs to an additional 1.5 million students this year.

This year's White House Science Fair focused on diversity and included students from underrepresented backgrounds. The Fair also featured more women and girls in science than in previous years, with over 100 students from more than 30 states. Among the participants were a high school student from Arizona who created an algorithm to identify other medical applications for existing drugs, a student from Pennsylvania who designed an innovative carbon-dioxide powered battery, and a group of 6-year-old "Supergirls" who invented a batter-powered page turner to help people with disabilities read books.

To learn more about the White House Science Fair and yesterday's events, watch the video above or visit the White House Science Fair's homepage and the fact sheet about Obama's new STEM commitments.

Did your district participate in Speak Up 2014?

If so, we've provided a way for all district contacts to view a report of their district’s school results in a side by side comparison format. Follow these steps to view your data:

1. Visit the view data homepage and log in under option 1.
2. Once logged in, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Download Excel Summary."
3. Select which audience you would like to view data under.
4. Download the spreadsheet.

Still not sure how to access your school comparison data? Contact the Speak Up team at speakup@tomorrow.org for help.

Please note this information is only available to districts that participated in Speak Up 2014.

Top Ten Things Everyone Should Know About K-12 Students' Views on Digital Learning

In honor of Digital Learning Day last week, we released a sneak peek of the 2014 National Findings for K-12! Last fall, 431,231 K-12 students nationwide spoke up about digital learning and more - here's a preview of what we learned:

• 42% of 6th-8th graders say taking an online or virtual class should be a requirement for graduation.
• Amongst girls, 64% of 3rd-5th and 50% 6th-8th graders want to code.
• 46% of 9th-12th graders are Twitter users now – 4 times more than in 2011 when only 11% were tweeting

To read the full list of things everyone should know about K-12 students' views on digital learning, click here.

Speak Up 2014 New Participation Map

Are you from a top Speak Up participating district? Explore our new Speak Up interactive map and see where your district ranked in Speak Up 2014 participation! Click here to view the map on our website.

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!

- The Project Tomorrow Team

Six Things We Learned At South By Southwest EDU - NPR

When Students Can't Go Online - The Atlantic

Privacy Pitfalls as Education Apps Spread Haphazardly - The New York Times

#SXSWEdu: You go (far), girl! Inspiring girls in STEM - SmartBlog on Education

Why cellphones belong in our classrooms - eSchool News

5 Questions About Videogames in the Classroom - The Journal

What Teens are Learning From ‘Serial’ and Other Podcasts - MindShift

Digital Debate: Is social media destroying social skills?

The California Writing Project, a national partner of Digital Learning Day, utilized Google Hangouts to hold digital debates between students about issues in their schools, communities, and across California. Check out the first Digital Debate about social media in the video above.

Digital Debate Topic #1: Social Media
Cary Zierenberg's eighth grade students from Natomas Charter School's Leading Edge Academy and Sean Young's students from Pleasanton Middle School chose to debate Topic #1: Social Media— Is social media destroying our social skills? The students and teachers are considering developing their own debate topics and taking each other on again later in the semester.

During Speak Up 2014, 46% of high schools students said they use Twitter - this is four times more users than in 2011 when only 11% of students were tweeting. Do you think social media is destroying students' social skills? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments!

To learn more about the California Writing Project, visit their website. Click here if you are interested in learning more about their Digital Debates.

The 40-year-old California Writing Project is a network of sixteen regional sites, nine housed on University of California campuses and eight on California State University campuses. Every year, over 20,000 teachers participate in CWP campus, school, and district programs. These teachers, representing all grade levels, from kindergarten through university, often teach in disciplines other than English. The project also provides programs that serve administrators, paraprofessionals, students, and parents.The California Writing Project has a central mission: to improve student writing and learning by improving the teaching of writing. By having successful teachers of writing teach their colleagues, CWP is able to conduct significant numbers of programs each year, ranging from 1900-2300 programs.

CoSN 2015: The Eight Essentials for Success in Mobile Learning

Tuesday, March 17

9:15-10:15am - M301

Focus Area: Pioneering Innovation

Click here for more information

Presenters: 
Chris Dede, Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies, Harvard University
Julie Evans, CEO, Project Tomorrow

Description:
Researchers and developers have generated many insights about how to design, deliver, and evaluate highly successful mobile learning projects. These strategies for effective development and sustainability are summarized below, categorized as “8 essentials”:
• Purposeful planning for mobile device usage
• Leveraging content and curriculum that is mobile-empowered
• Understanding the power of Internet access
• Preparing educators effectively
• Securing leadership buy-in
• Building personal learner efficacy and capacity for self-directed learning
• Measuring project results with meaningful metrics
• Creating an ecosystem that is sustainable and scalable
Applying these strategies will greatly increase the chances for success of a mobile learning initiative.

This session will present examples illustrating successful use for each of the eight strategies. Participants will gain insights into how to develop, implement, and evaluate mobile learning initiatives.

Project Tomorrow Celebrates Digital Learning Day 2015

Happy Digital Learning Day! Project Tomorrow is proud to be a longstanding Core Partner in Digital Learning Day. Subsequently, we've released a new participation map and a special sneak peek at the 2014 National Findings for K-12 students titled: Top Ten Things Everyone Should Know About K-12 Students' Views on Digital Learning. Additionally all 2014 Speak Up district contacts now have access to a new data report to help with data analysis. Not sure what Digital Learning Day is about? Keep reading to learn more about the event, as well as ways you can get involved. Quick links: ▪ Digital Learning Day 2015: Learn more about this annual celebration, as well as ways to get involved. ▪ Top Ten Things Everyone Should Know About K-12 Students' Views on Digital Learning: Get a sneak peek at the 2014 National Findings for K-12 students.  ▪ Speak Up 2014 Participation Map: We've created a new and improved participation map in honor of #DLDay - check it out! ▪ New data report for district contacts: If your district participated in Speak Up 2014, check out this new way to view your data. Thanks for reading! Feel free to share your thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter, and our Blog. Don't forget to share your digital learning celebrations with@OfficialDLDay and with the hashtag #DLDay! -The Project Tomorrow team

Digital Learning Day 2015 About Digital Learning Day Since 2012, Digital Learning Day has provided a powerful venue for education leaders to highlight great teaching practice and showcase innovative teachers, leaders, and instructional technology programs that are improving student outcomes. This grassroots effort blossomed into a massive nationwide celebration as teachers realized that Digital Learning Day is not about technology, it’s about learning. It’s not about laying off teachers for laptops, it’s about enhancing the role of the teacher in America’s classrooms. Digital Learning Day promotes the effective use of modern day tools afforded to every other industry to improve the learning experience in K-12 public schools. Digital Learning Day Live! This year, Digital Learning Day is going live! Digital Learning Day Live! will highlight some of the nation’s most promising digital learning initiatives and foster a stimulating discussion about what it takes to integrate technology effectively, strategically, and meaningfully in schools. This free online event streams live from Washington, DC, beginning at 1PM EST. To RSVP to this free, online event, visit the Digital Learning Day website. Get involved! It's not too late to start celebrating Digital Learning Day! Check out some of these easy ways to get involved: ▪ Visit Digital Learning Day's Planning Resources Hub to find free and easy to use tools to get started with your digital celebration. ▪ View the interactive activity map to gain ideas from other celebrants ▪ Spread the word about digital learning by visiting Digital Learning Day's Facebook page, Twitter account (@OfficialDLDay), and by using the hashtag #DLDay. ▪ Join the virtual experience by participating in Digital Learning Day Live! Visit Digital Learning Day's official website to learn more, and keep reading to see how we're celebrating digital learning today.

Top Ten Things Everyone Should Know About K-12 Students' Views on Digital Learning Sneak peek at the 2014 National Findings for K-12 Students We are excited to release a sneak peek of the 2014 National Findings for K-12 students in honor of Digital Learning Day! Last fall, 431,231 K-12 students nationwide spoke up about digital learning and more - here's a preview of what we learned: ▪ 42% of 6th-8th graders say taking an online or virtual class should be a requirement for graduation. ▪ Amongst girls, 64% of 3rd-5th and 50% 6th-8th graders want to code. ▪ 46% of 9th-12th graders are Twitter users now – 4 times more than in 2011 when only 11% were tweeting. To read the full list of things everyone should know about K-12 students' views on digital learning, click here.

Interactive District Participation Map

Check out our new interactive participant map, which shows how loudly all of our Speak Up 2014 districts spoke up about education, technology, and more. Click here to view the map.

Did your district participate in Speak Up 2014? If so, we've provided a way for all district contacts to view a report of their district’s school results in a side by side comparison format. Follow these steps to view your data: 1. Visit the view data homepage and log in under option 1. 2. Once logged in, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Download Excel Summary." 3. Select which audience you would like to view data under. 4. Download the spreadsheet. Please note this information is only available to districts that participated in Speak Up 2014.

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 Facebook, Twitter, Instagramand our Blog. If you have any questions please feel free to contact our Speak Up Operations Manager, Jenny Hostert, at jhostert@tomorrow.org or via phone at (949) 609-4660 ext. 17.

Many thanks to our sponsors and partners for the support of Speak Up 2014: Blackboard Inc., BrainPOP, Fuel Education, DreamBox Learning, Schoolwires, Qualcomm Wireless Reach, Rosetta Stone, American Association of School Administrators, Consortium for School Networking, Digital Learning Day, Digital Promise, edWeb, International Association for K-12 Online Learning, International Society for Technology in Education, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National School Boards Association, Secondary Education Teachers’ Association, and the Southern Regional Education Board.

Digital Learning Day is in ONE day!

In honor of Digital Learning Day, Project Tomorrow will release a special sneak peek at the 2014 National Findings for K-12 students titled: Top Ten Things Everyone Should Know About K-12 Students' Views on Digital Learning. Additionally all 2014 Speak Up district contacts will gain access to a new data report to help with data analysis! Check www.tomorrow.org/speakup or @SpeakUpEd on Twitter this Friday for more details! Happy Digital Learning Day!

To learn more about Digital Learning Day, visit the event's website, and watch their informative video above. How are you celebrating Digital Learning Day? Share your plans on their interactive map and on Twitter by mentioning @OfficialDLDay and #DLDay.

Started in 2012, Digital Learning Day has provided a powerful venue for education leaders to highlight great teaching practice and showcase innovative teachers, leaders, and instructional technology programs that are improving student outcomes. This grassroots effort blossomed into a massive nationwide celebration as teachers realized that Digital Learning Day is not about technology, it’s about learning. It’s not about laying off teachers for laptops, it’s about enhancing the role of the teacher in America’s classrooms. Digital Learning Day promotes the effective use of modern day tools afforded to every other industry to improve the learning experience in K-12 public schools. To learn more, visit http://www.digitallearningday.org/domain/54.

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!

Mark your calendars - Digital Learning Day is this Friday, March 13th! Not sure what digital learning or Digital Learning Day are? Visit the event's website for more information. How will you celebrate #DLDay? Let us know by commenting on this post or sharing your ideas on Twitter and Facebook.

- The Project Tomorrow Team

Almost 40% Of Minority Teens Want Tech Careers, Research Finds - Forbes

Social media inside, outside of the classroom - SmartBlog on Education

Trident Tries Shorter Online Courses - Campus Technology

What Happens When Teens Try to Disconnect From Tech For Three Days - MindShift

6 things keeping your CTO up at night - eSchool News

Here’s What Will Truly Change Higher Education: Online Degrees That Are Seen as Official - NY Times

Research: Active Learning More Important than Flipping the Classroom - The Journal

The Road To TEACH #SXSWedu

Wednesday, March 11 

12:00PM - 1:30PM 

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Theater 2 

320 East 6th Street

Click here for more information

Do you have what it takes to be a teacher? Three college students, all aspiring teachers, embark on a cross-country road trip of self-discovery and adventure and find real-life inspiration from educators, policy makers, social entrepreneurs, and activists who share their own roads to the classroom. We follow Nadia, Rafael, and Grace's personal journeys as they contemplate their futures and begin to understand the vast opportunities, personal rewards, and vital need for passionate young people to teach. Join the Q&A after the film and discuss how to inspire the next generation to teach.

Panelists

Grace Worm

Roadtrip Nation - Roadtripper

Julie Evans

Project Tomorrow - CEO

Lisa Zimble

Participant Media/TEACH Campaign - Producer

Mike Marriner

Roadtrip Nation - Co-Founder

Rafael Silva

Roadtrip Nation - Roadtripper

Paying it forward: Leveraging Today’s Female Voices in Ed Tech #SXSWedu

Tuesday, March 10

3:00PM - 4:00PM

Austin Convention Center Room 12AB

500 East Cesar Chavez Street 

#edtech4women

http://www.tomorrow.org/SxSweduPanel.html

Are you at SXSWedu? Attend Julie Evans's panel with Dr. Kari Stubbs, Dr. Mila Thomas Fuller, and Dr. Kecia Ray.

This panel brings together female change agents intentionally gathered from across the ed tech space with the hope of examining the unique role women can play at this interesting nexus of education and technology.  The discussion will be anchored around data on the presence, role, and level of influence of female voices in education and will include personal histories and testimonies on the growth in this field.

Join the conversation to hear from and interact with Nashville district leadership, the CEO of Project Tomorrow, a Vice President from BrainPOP, and the Director of the National Council of Teachers of English, all of whom have been national leaders in their field and have lent their expertise and vision to the work of the board of ISTE, the International Society of Technology in Education.  Research has demonstrated that the today’s young girls and women need role models in technology fields to develop self-efficacy in these fields.  While women have dominated the teaching profession for over the past century, the role of women as technology leaders within education is still emerging.

This interactive discussion explores multiple paths to ed tech leadership, including through university doctoral work, leadership with state and federal grants,  school district leadership, lending thought influence to visionary agencies such as Horizon K12 and Digital Promise, research  expertise, corporate America or a membership association, and contributing to the industry conversation through publications and at conferences such as SXSWedu.  The experiences of this diverse panel of education technology leaders will provide invaluable input into new best practices for supporting young girls and women in this field.  Whether you are examining how to further your own personal voice in the space, grow your PLN and exploring new professional career paths, or you are interested in how to leverage the experiences of women who are currently in this field to mentor and coach the next great generation of female ed tech leaders, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Speak Up 2014 National Research Project Findings: Flipped Learning continues to trend for third year

Project Tomorrow and The Flipped Learning Network Speak Up 2014 National Data

To continue watching the Flipped Learning trend, for the third year in a row we have partnered with the Flipped Learning Network to ask specific questions on flipped learning in the Speak Up 2014 surveys. In this new whitepaper, the Flipped Learning Network, focuses on data from teachers, librarians, building and district administrators, technology leaders and students regarding their use of videos in the classroom, digital content, and other flipped learning related experiences. Additionally, educators and administrators weighed in on professional development when learning how to flip a class. While students lent their voices on flipped learning, videos as homework, and how (and how often) they use learning and social media tools. To read the full report, click here.

Results were released at AASA: The School Superintendents Association’s National Conference on Education on February 28, 2015.

The mission of the Flipped Learning Network™ 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; (3) provide access to professional learning opportunities on Flipped Learning.

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!

- The Project Tomorrow Team

What happens when computers, not teachers, pick what students learn? - The Hechinger Report

What the New E-Rate Application, Funding and Deadlines Mean to You - The Journal

‘Collaboration Nation’ offers $50K to one tech-savvy district - eSchool News

What Students Think About Using iPads in School - MindShift

3D Printing Heats Up on Campus - Campus Technology

Why Chevron Is Helping Fund STEM Education - TIME

Infographic: Mobile Learning in the United States

In honor of Mobile Learning Week 2015, we created this handy infographic based on mobile learning data pulled from Speak Up 2014. Click here to view the full image, or click on the smaller version above. Let us know what you think!

Additionally, if you participated in Speak Up 2014, your data is now available for viewing! Click here to access your data or retrieve any lost passwords.

Memo #5 from Mobile Learning Week 2015

Paris, France

February 27, 2015

The last day at this year’s Mobile Learning Week was a research seminar. The goal of the seminar was to bring together researchers as well as practitioners and policymakers to discuss the types of research that is available and needed around mobile learning, with an eye this year on women and girls.  With our longstanding interest and work in mobile learning research, I was excited participate in these discussions and to be part of the closing MLW2015 panel about the intersection of mobiles, women/girls and leadership.

At first glance, these three terms or concepts – mobile devices, women/girls’ empowerment, leadership – may seem to be an odd mix with little apparent commonality.  Each is a rich topic in their own right and in many circles, justifies their own dedicated conferences and research.  That is why this year’s Mobile Learning Week, as a collaboration between UNESCO and UN-Women, was such a fascinating idea and experience.  The big question is where do these three weighty concepts intersect and how can they be leveraged together to yield greater impact for all.  With the benefit of hindsight now, it is obvious that through the week’s keynotes, panel discussions, breakout sessions and workshops, the real goal of this year’s event was to uncover this unique intersection.  Not an easy task but one that I think was very successfully summarized in this closing panel.  I felt honored to be able to share my interpretation of this challenge (and potential solutions) as a panel participant.  Here is a short synopsis of some of the remarks I shared on this panel.   

As we learn from the annual Speak Up data, while girls and boys have similar perceptions on the value of digital tools and resources, including mobile devices, on their learning, the way they want to use technology can be very different. Girls are particularly interested in using mobiles to connect, create and collaborate with others.  Underlying these activities is a deep felt passion to share ideas and to have a voice in local as well as wider range issues that affect their lives. After spending the week with conference representatives from all over the globe, I have a new appreciation for the immense power of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to enable girls and women to have a voice, a voice that in many parts of the world is not socially or culturally the norm.  In that sense, the impact of mobile devices on women and girls is indeed a new sense of empowerment.  And while we don’t often think about that in the United States, I think the impact can be similar in many circumstances.  Beyond sharing ideas, we also learn from Speak Up that girls like the idea of using their mobile devices to create and share various forms of content.  This type of content creation can be to develop skills or to gain feedback from others on their work. Earlier in the week, I learned about an interesting Silicon Valley nonprofit called Technovation (http://www.technovationchallenge.org/home/) that provides a program and competition for girls around mobile app development to solve local problems. This type of activity brings together the idea of skill development with content creation in a way that has high relevancy for girls.  Again more empowerment at play!

When I think about the types of skills that girls are acquiring through their use of mobile devices and mobile-enabled content, the concept of developing a next great generation of women leaders comes clearer into focus. When I talk with corporate and university leaders about the types of skills that today’s youth need to acquire to be successful in the new economy and society, the refrain is amazing consistent.  The skills that have the highest value include communications, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and computation thinking.  These are also the same skills that leadership gurus say are essential for leadership in a global, information-intensive era.  As noted earlier, the girls themselves articulate the relationships between their use of mobile devices and the development of these types of skills. Given the need for the development of new skills, and a new attitude about the potential of women and girls to be full participants in leadership roles in work and society, the responsibility of mobile devices in supporting these twin goals cannot be ignored.  It simply makes common sense now.  So, as we close out this year’s Mobile Learning Week, our new discussions post-2015 should be not about if access to mobile devices is important for women and girls, but rather, what we need to do to position these tools to enable and empower new capabilities and opportunities for all.  I look forward to continuing this discussion throughout the year and leveraging what I have learned at this year’s Mobile Learning Week to inform our work at Project Tomorrow.