Speak Up family and friends: Life Lessons in Leadership (Webinar)

Join our longtime friend of Speak Up, Ann McMullan (Education Consultant), for a FREE webinar on Tuesday, February 23 about leadership. Check out the details below:

Life Lessons in Leadership

Tuesday, February 23, 2016 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EST

Presented by Ann McMullan, Education Consultant

Hosted by Kathy Hurley, CEO, and Deb deVries, President, Girls Thinking Global

Sponsored by Girls Thinking Global

Click here for more details

In the fast-changing world of the 21st century, it is a given that at some point in your life – as a child, young adult or professional – the opportunity or responsibility of leading others will fall on your shoulders. Whatever leadership role you find yourself in, there are basic principles of leadership that will strengthen your abilities and help assure your success. Those principles, and how to cultivate them will be shared in this webinar. This webinar will be of interest to anyone at any age who is serving as a leader or hopes to serve in a leadership position in the future.

Ann McMullan is an education consultant who works throughout the United States and internationally as a public speaker, writer, and consultant focused on leadership, professional development and curriculum. Ann is a frequent speaker at state and national education conferences. She is also a contributor to several educational publications, including eSchoolNews, EdNET Insight and CoSN. Previously, Ann served sixteen years as Executive Director for Educational Technology in Klein ISD, outside Houston, serving nearly 50,000 students.

Girls Thinking Global (GTG), a global community of organizations serving girls and young women by leveraging technology to create a collaborative space that connects best practices, knowledge, and expertise.

Speak Up Sneak Peek for #DLDay: Digital Equity and Teacher Preparation

Speak Up Sneak Peek for #DLDay: Digital Equity and Teacher Preparation

Top 5 technology skills principals* want new teachers to acquire during their pre-service program:

1. How to source, evaluate and use digital content within instruction (64%)
2. How to develop and implement online assessments (61%)
3. How to manage a classroom where every student has a mobile device (53%) 
4. How to use social media tools within instruction (53%)
5. How to set up a blended model class (50%) 

*Data from 2,868 principals

Speak Up 2015 reports are coming soon! www.tomorrow.org

Speak Up Sneak Peek for #DLDay: Digital Equity and College/Career Readiness

Speak Up Sneak Peek for #DLDay: Digital Equity and College/Career Readiness

Top 5 college and career ready skills administrators* think students need for future success:

1. Critical thinking and problem solving skills (91%)
2. Ability to work with a diverse group of people (90%) 
3. Teamwork and collaboration skills (87%)  
4. Independent learning skills (81%) 
5. Technology skills (76%)

*Data from 662 district administrators and 2,868 school administrators.

Speak Up 2015 reports are coming soon! www.tomorrow.org

Speak Up Sneak Peek for #DLDay: Digital Equity and Instructional Quality

Speak Up Sneak Peek for #DLDay: Digital Equity and Instructional Quality

45% of parents* say that their top concern regarding technology use at their child’s school is how much the use of technology within instruction varies from teacher to teacher.

Top 5 things that teachers** say they need to more effectively use digital content, tools and resources within instruction in their classroom:

1. Classroom set of laptops, tablets or Chromebooks for student use (59%)
2. Planning time with colleagues (57%)
3. Professional development (52%)
4. Confidence that students have consistent, safe Internet access outside of school (51%)
5. Funds to purchase/license digital content and apps (51%) 

*Data from 37,655 parents

**Data from 35,903 teachers

Speak Up 2015 reports are coming soon! Visit www.tomorrow.org for more details.

Speak Up Sneak Peek for #DLDay: Digital Equity and Leadership

Happy Digital Learning Day! We're celebrating this special day by releasing sneak peeks of our Speak Up 2015 data - check out our digital equity and access data below:

Speak Up Sneak Peek for #DLDay: Digital Equity and Leadership

Leadership in changing school culture often means understanding what the current culture is and then identifying those areas in which you think the greatest change or impact is possible.  

Teachers still do not value the effective use of technology as highly as administrators (and parents). Just 36% of teachers* said the effective use of instructional technology is extremely important to students’ success compared with 67% of district administrators**.

Top 5 educational approaches district administrators** say have the greatest potential to enhance student achievement in their districts:

1. Enhancing teacher effectiveness through professional development (62%)
2. Leveraging technology more effectively (51%) 
3. Integrating college and career ready skill development into instruction (44%)
4. Enhancing the leadership skills of administrators (39%)
5. Increasing STEM learning opportunities for students (34%) 

*Data from 35,903 teachers

**Data from 662 district administrators

Speak Up 2015 reports are coming soon! Visit www.tomorrow.org for more details.

Speak Up Sneak Peek for #DLDay: Digital Equity and Access

Happy Digital Learning Day! We're celebrating this special day by releasing sneak peeks of our Speak Up 2015 data - check out our digital equity and access data below:

Speak Up Sneak Peek for #DLDay: Digital Equity and Access

68% of teachers* say that they are reluctant to assign digital homework or Internet dependent assignments or projects since some students may not have safe, consistent access to the Internet outside of school.

Top 5 ways that district administrators** say they are currently addressing this issue: 

1. Allowing students on campus before and after school to access school network (68%)
2. Encouraging libraries and other public Internet locations to give students priority (52%) 
3. Telling students to download assignments and resources to USB sticks (45%) 
4. Discouraging assignments of homework that is Internet dependent (37%)  
5. Providing wifi access in school parking lots of student access (34%)

*Data from 35,903 teachers

**Data from 662 district administrators

Speak Up 2015 reports are coming soon! Visit www.tomorrow.org for more details.

Speak Up News February 2016

Your Speak Up data is in! We are excited to release the Speak Up 2015 data results to all participating organizations! If your school or district participated in Speak Up between October and December of last year, it’s time to dig in and see what your students, teachers, parents and community members had to say. Keep reading to learn how to access your data and more. Quick links: ▪ Your survey results are now available! Learn how to access your Speak Up data results. ▪ Exporting your data is easy: Simply print the results or copy and paste them into one of our templates. ▪ Need help with your Speak Up data? Learn more about our Speak Up services. ▪ Digital Learning Day is next Wednesday. Find out how YOU & the schools, students, and educators in your network can participate. ▪ Speak Up on the go! Learn more about upcoming presentations with our CEO, Julie Evans.  For more than a decade, Speak Up has been providing this service to schools and districts around the country. We’re excited to see how this data informs your initiatives, policies and practices. Drop us a note and let us know how you use the data this year or how we can make the surveys even more useful next year. We love hearing from you! Feel free to share your thoughts with us on Facebook,Twitter, and our Blog. -The Project Tomorrow team Access your Speak Up results online All schools and districts around the country who registered for Speak up 2015 can now access their data for free - here's how: 1. Click here to access your reports. 2. Select either Option 1 to view District results or Option 2 to view individual School results. 3. Next, enter the state, the first few letters of your district or school name and your admin password. 4. To view data reports, select the number in the “# of District Surveys” column to display that survey type. 5. To view your open ended text responses, click on “District ” in the Open Ended Responses Column. 6. Print the results or copy and paste them into your own file or this Speak Up Data Excel Template. To view your data across audiences and by theme, use ourthematic report template to drop in your school or district’s data. *Please note, at least one survey must be present to display the survey results with state and national comparisons. Exporting your Speak Up data Exporting your Speak Up data is quick and easy! Just follow these steps: 1. Highlight and copy the Speak Up data by survey type from our Speak Up data homepage. 2. Paste your data into our template Excel spreadsheet (click here to download) - the survey types are already organized by tab. 3. The file is already formatted to print, making it easy to view your data! Click here to learn more about accessing your data, or watch our quick how-to video here. Need help? The Project Tomorrow staff is available to help you effectively use your data, here are just a few of the services we can provide you: ▪ Identify the top 5 trends in your school, district or state with national benchmarks ▪ Create a Speak Up presentation that you can use to share your Speak Up results in your school or district ▪ Provide Speak Up fast facts that can be used on your website, newsletters or promotional material ▪ Present your Speak Up data in person or via a webinar ▪ Prepare a summary of your specific Speak Up findings (school, district or state) that can be distributed to your stakeholders ▪ Write a case statement, using the Speak Up data, highlighting the benefits of investing in technology (school, district, state or national) ▪ Prepare a customized narrative report about your Speak Up data (school, district or state) Contact the Speak Up Team, to learn more about our consulting services and fees. Digital Learning Day 2016 Project Tomorrow is helping spread the word about Digital Learning Day on February 17th, 2016, and we would like you to join in! It’s a day thousands of schools and local communities across the country recognize great teaching practices and showcase innovative teachers, leaders, and instructional technology programs that are improving student outcomes with the help of digital tools. As a grassroots effort, Digital Learning Day encourages students, teachers, leaders, and communities to be part of transforming our education system. That means thinking differently about how technology can be used to support more engaged, deeper learning opportunities for all students. Get involved by adding an event or activity to the official Digital Learning Day map or joining the online conversation using #DLDay. Learn More about DLD here Speak Up On the Go! Upcoming presentations Webinar: Digital Learning and Technology Trends at Private Schools Hosted by Sevenstar Wednesday, February 17th Register here Nebraska Distance Learning Association Spring Conference Thursday, February 25th Omaha, NE - Keynote session: 9AM, Walnut Grand Ballroom - Ten Things Everyone Should Know about Today’s Students and Digital Learning: Breakout session 1, 10:30-11:15 BYOD sessions: ETC! 2016 California State University, Stanislaus Saturday, February 27th Workshop: Pink or Blue? Examining Gender in Games SXSWedu Austin, TX Tuesday, March 8 4:00PM - 6:00PM Hilton Austin Downtown Room 410 Session: Digital Equity Challenges: Strategies for Bridging the Home/School Connection COSN 2016 Washington D.C. Tuesday, April 5th 9:15-10:15 a.m. - Cardoza NSBA 2016 conference TBA Boston, MA April 9-11 Speak Up Congressional Briefing TBA (Mid-April) Washington, DC Click here to sign up for alerts on our upcoming briefing! 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 me at jhostert@tomorrow.orgor via phone at (949) 609-4660 ext. 17. Many thanks to our sponsors and partners for the support of Speak Up: Blackboard, Inc., BrainPOP, CDW, DreamBox Learning, Fuel Education, Qualcomm Wireless Reach, Rosetta Stone, Scholastic Education, American Association of School Administrators, CETPA, Consortium for School Networking, CUE, Digital Learning Day, ICE (Indiana Connected Educators), iNACOL, International Society for Technology in Education, National School Boards Association, National School Public Relations Association, National Science Teachers Association, National Secondary School Principals Association, NCCE (Northwest Council for Computer Education), NETA (Nebraska Educational Technology Association), State Education Technology Directors’ Association and TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association).

Your Speak Up 2015 data is now available! Learn how to access your data here:

Your data is in! If your school or district participated in Speak Up between October and December of last year, it’s time to dig in and see what your students, teachers, parents and community members had to say. You get all of the qualitative data as well as the responses to this year’s open-ended questions.

You can also access the results for your state and the overall national findings – so you can see how your community compares.

You’ll need your login and password to access your data. If you don’t have it, go to our website to retrieve your password.

All schools and districts around the country who registered for Speak up 2015 can now access their data for free. Here’s how.

1.) Click here to access your reports.

2) Select either Option 1 to view District results or Option 2 to view individual School results.

3.) Next, enter the state, the first few letters of your district or school name and your admin password.

4.) To view data reports, select the number in the “# of District (School) Surveys” column to display that survey type.

5.) To view your open ended text responses, click on “District (School)” in the Open Ended Responses Column.

6.) Print the results or copy and paste them into your own file or this Speak Up Data Excel Template. To view your data across audiences and by theme, use our thematic report template to drop in your school or district’s data.

*Please note, at least one survey must be present to display the survey results with state and national comparisons.

For more than a decade, Speak Up has been providing this service to schools and districts around the country. We’re excited to see how this data informs your initiatives, policies and practices. Drop us a note and let us know how you use the data this year or how we can make the surveys even more useful next year. We love hearing from you!

Click here to access your data

Private school leaders, don't miss our special Speak Up 2015 webinar on February 17!

Digital Learning and Technology Trends at Private Schools

Wed, Feb 17, 2016

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST

Private School Leaders are invited to watch Julie Evans, CEO, Project Tomorrow present the latest Speak Up survey findings from the fall of 2015. 

Join us for the latest information on the following topics: 

• Use of technology for learning and teaching 
• Use of mobile devices 
• Online and blended learning classes 
• Professional Development 
• College and career readiness 

Registration is free to hear Julie's expert analysis of the data to help you discover the unique digital learning aspirations of your students, parents, staff, and community members.

Click here to register

Sign up for a free He Named Me Malala DVD!

Calling all Educators Rising California members! In a collaboration between Participant Media and the Malala Fund, the Students Stand #withMalala campaign is providing free HE NAMED ME MALALA DVDs and screening licenses to teachers and educators who want to bring Malala’s story into their curriculum. These will be provided on a first come, first serve basis (while supplies last). 

We also encourage you to take advantage of the HE NAMED ME MALALA curriculum and discussion guide created by Journeys in Film, as well as the student toolkit to help turn your chapter into activists.

Sign up for your FREE DVD here* and join educators and students around the world as they stand #withMalala!

*To qualify for a free DVD and education license, screenings must be for educational purposes and admission may not be charged. If you have questions, please contact: Malalafieldtrip@participantmedia.com.
*If you are a NGO, and would like a free DVD and NGO screening license, please email: Malalafieldtrip@participantmedia.com.
*If you are a student looking to host a screening, please email: Malalafieldtrip@participantmedia.com. 

To learn more, please click here.

Speak Up Family & Friends: The Evolution of Blended and Competency-Based Schooling with DreamBox Learning

Happy Wednesday! Our friends at DreamBox Learning are hosting a special webinar about blended and competency-based schooling. Check out the details below:

The Evolution of Blended and Competency-Based Schooling: What Lies Beyond the Horizon?

Presented by Dr. Tim Hudson, Vice President of Learning, DreamBox Learning

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

3pm - 4pm ET

Click here to learn more

Even when we believe we’re thinking “outside the box,” we’re often limited in our capacity to envision new school models that are more personalized, leverage technology effectively, and ultimately improve learning. When designing schools and classrooms, we often don’t realize how heavily our ideas are influenced by the assumptions and mental models we have about learning and education. In this this webinar, Dr. Tim Hudson will explore some of these hidden assumptions and help us imagine the full implications of blended learning that ensures high achievement for all students. He will field questions from attendees during this live, interactive session. This webinar will useful for superintendents, principals, curriculum directors, curriculum coordinators, and IT professionals.

DreamBox Learning Math offers a groundbreaking combination of intelligent adaptive learning, rigorous elementary mathematics curriculum, and motivating learning environment. The innovative DreamBox platform captures every decision a student makes while working in the program and adjusts the student’s learning path appropriately, providing millions of individualized learning paths, each one tailored to a student’s unique needs.

We can't wait to learn about blended learning with DreamBox Learning! Click here to sign up for their webinar.

Check out OC STEM's Communication Toolkit for the Common Core Standards, featuring past Innovation Awards finalists!

Our friends at OC STEM have just released a Communication Toolkit to help Orange County parents and students easily and effectively communicate the benefits of the new California Standards, also referred to as the Common Core Standards. This Toolkit features talking points, handouts, newsletter items, social media messages, and videos - the last of which features past student Innovation Awards finalists, Kevin Yoon and Helen Kim. Click on the image below to download the toolkit, or click here.