Don't miss tomorrow's webinar!

There is still time to register for Julie's webinar with Libraries Unlimited and ABC-CLIO Solutions! Check out the information below to learn more about the webinar and how you can save your seat for this virtual event.

How to Harness Students' Evolving Vision for Learning: Research & Recommendations

Tuesday, January 12 at 1pm PT/4pm ET

Presented by Julie Evans, CEO, Project Tomorrow

Sponsored by Libraries Unlimited and ABC-CLIO Solutions

Click here to register

Analysis of the Speak Up Research Project data reveals that today’s K-12 students have a unique vision for digital learning that is often surprising and sometimes perplexing to the adults in their learning lives. Students are increasingly tapping into a diverse set of digital tools, content and resources to self-direct learning around areas of academic passion, both in and out of school. Most importantly, this emerging learning behavior is shaping how the students view information, research, learning and school.

In this webinar, Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, will explore this phenomenon as she addresses these questions from School Library Connection Editorial Experts:

• What are the three elements that comprise the Student Vision for Digital Learning?
• What types of learning experiences support the Student Vision?  How prevalent are those types of experiences in schools today?
• How can teachers and librarians use this information about the Student Vision to transform learning in their schools?

Going beyond anecdotes and assumptions, this interactive and eye-opening webinar will provide school library leaders and educators with a new set of lenses for evaluating the future of learning. Julie will field questions from attendees after her presentation.

Join the SLC @ The Forefront community to participate in online discussions with peers, for invitations to upcoming webinars, to view past webinar recordings, to take a quiz and receive a CE certificate for a past webinar, and for access to more resources.

Click here to register for the webinar and learn more

Libraries Unlimited is committed to serving libraries by producing library science textbooks, reference works, practical handbooks, and professional guides of unparalleled quality.

ABC-CLIO Solutions provides robust digital resources that support librarians, patrons, educators, and students in the development and communication of informed positions on complex topics.

Don't miss Julie's session at FETC next week!

Are you attending the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) next week in Orlando, Florida? If so, plan to attend Julie Evans's session on Friday, January 15 at 10am with Robert Miller (Volusa County Schools) and Kari Stubbs (BrainPOP). Check out the details below:

Digital Teachers, Digital Principals: Transforming the Ways We Engage Students (CS154)

Friday 10:00-11:00 a.m

OCCC - North 220 FG

Promising new developments in the use of digital content, and specifically digital and online educational games, in elementary and middle school classrooms aim to make the connection between student engagement and empowered learning more explicit. Explore a white paper that highlights Speak Up research findings around teacher and student use of digital content and games for learning, and how administrators are increasingly supporting those efforts. Hear examples of how digital content and games are transforming classrooms and and how games can influence classroom practice via the BrainPOP GameUp portal.

Julie Evans
Chief Executive Officer, Project Tomorrow

Julie Evans is the CEO of Project Tomorrow (www.tomorrow.org), an internationally recognized education nonprofit organization that focuses on improving learning opportunities for students through the effective utilization of STEM resources. Previously, Ms. Evans was a sales and marketing executive with Unisys and two ed tech startups. She is a graduate of Brown University and serves on several nonprofit boards and corporate advisory councils. Ms. Evans is a frequent speaker and writer on K-12 and higher education issues around digital learning. In April 2008 she was named one of the Top Ten Most Influential People in Education Technology over the past 10 years by eSchool News.

Robert Miller
5th Grade Teacher, Volusa County Schools

Robert Miller is a fifth grade teacher at Port Orange Elementary School in Port Orange, FL. An avid user of technology in his instruction, Robert is constantly revising his pedagogy to reflect current research in content delivery and student creativity. He is also an Apple Distinguished Educator, a Google Certified Teacher, and a member of the inaugural class of YouTube Star Teachers.

Kari Stubbs
Vice President, Learning and Innovation, BrainPOP

Dr. Kari Stubbs is an internationally recognized educator who began her career as a public school teacher in Kansas and Texas. She went on to lead the Kansas Title IID program, and served as an adjunct professor while earning her PhD in Curriculum with an emphasis on Technology. Currently, she serves as Vice President of Learning and Innovation at BrainPOP. Kari has presented extensively on the subject of technology and education, keynoting and speaking at conferences across the United States and around the globe from Shanghai and Dubai to Australia, Prague, Beijing, and beyond.

Educators Rising California – January Newsletter

Happy New Year!! To kick off the new year, we have many exciting announcements, including the Educators Rising California state competition categories, the southern and central California regional conferences, scholarship and internship opportunities, upcoming webinars, and more!

State Competitions

Based on the feedback of our Educators Rising California members (that's you!), we have selected four categories for this year's state competition. The categories are: 1. Recruitment and Marketing Presentation 2. Lesson Planning and Delivery – STEM 3. Creative Lecture 4. Children’s Literature K-3 Competition Thank you for your input and help selecting these categories. We hope you are as excited about the competitions as we are! For more information about the categories, including the rubrics, please visit the Educators Rising California website. All four categories are in alignment with the national competition, and the top five places in each of the categories will be eligible to enter the national competition. Please note that ALL STATE SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MARCH 1st TO BE CONSIDERED. If you are interested in a national competition category where there is not an Educators Rising California competition, you can directly enter the national competition. Submissions for national competitions will be due on April 18, 2016. Find out more about the national competitions here.

Regional Conferences

In addition to the national Educators Rising conference, Educators Rising California will be holding two regional conferences this year. All Educators Rising California members are invited to attend. Educators Rising California Southern Region Conference Tomorrow’s Teachers Conference March 25, 2016 Santiago Canyon College We are pleased to announce that we will again co-host the Tomorrow’s Teachers Conference at Santiago Canyon College for all Educators Rising California chapters in southern California. Teacher leaders will receive information on registration in January 2016. Educators Rising California Central Region Conference A central region conference will be held in the greater Fresno area in the late spring of 2016. Keep a look out for more information about this conference on our website and in our next newsletter. Educators Rising National Conference: June 24-27, 2016 Boston, Massachusetts All Educators Rising members can participate in this action-packed event filled with networking opportunities, competitive events, and professional development for students and teachers alike. Sessions will feature education leaders from across the country. For more information and to register, visit: National Conference More information about the conferences can be found on our website.

Chapter Activities

Last month we provided information about chapter activities with “5 Things To Do With Your Educators Rising Chapter”. In case you missed it, you can check it out here: 5 Things Here are five activities for this month: 1. Participate in national and state competitions. 2. Plan your trip to the Educators Rising California southern California conference on March 25th. 3. Apply to be a national student officer. Applications are due January 13th. For more information, click here. 4. Check out one of the webinars listed in the section below. 5. Share your ideas with us! Want to share your chapter's plans or past events with us? Send your ideas toinnovation@tomorrow.org!

Webinars

Be sure to watch one or all of these upcoming education related webinars!

How to Harness Students' Evolving Vision for Learning: Research & Recommendations

Tuesday, January 12 at 1pm PT/4pm ET Presented by Julie Evans, CEO, Project Tomorrow Sponsored by Libraries Unlimited and ABC-CLIO Solutions Click here to register In this webinar, Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, will address these questions from School Library Connection Editorial Experts: ▪ What are the three elements that comprise the Student Vision for Digital Learning? ▪ What types of learning experiences support the Student Vision? How prevalent are those types of experiences in schools today? ▪ How can teachers and librarians use this information about the Student Vision to transform learning in their schools?

Making Learning Mobile 3.0 Report

Thursday, January 28th at 1pmPT/4pm ET Click here to register Watch this webinar to learn about the results from the Making Learning Mobile 3.0 study, which takes an in-depth look at the impact of 1-to-1 tablet implementation, including Internet access outside the classroom, with Chicago Public Schools students. Kajeet®, the only wireless service provider dedicated to kids and education, and Project Tomorrow®, a national education nonprofit, announce the results from a three-year-long study on the impact of mobile devices on teaching and learning. The project was sponsored by Kajeet with funding from Qualcomm’s Wireless Reach Initiative.

Teaching for Deeper Learning for All Students

Tuesday, February 2 at 11AM/2PM ET Click here to register Presented by The Alliance for Excellent Education and the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future This webinar will focus on a vision for what deeper learning looks like and the teaching to support it. What research and best practices support educators in providing all students with opportunities to develop the competencies they will need to succeed in the future? Panelists will take an in-depth look at building a culture of collective responsibility to ensure all students have access to deeper learning. They also will discuss creating conditions to support deeper learning, including new roles for teachers along with sufficient time for professional learning and collaboration.

Scholarship and Internship Opportunities

Bank of America Student Leaders Program Bank of America offers this internship and training program to high school Juniors and Seniors. As a Student Leader, you will have the opportunity to: ▪ Work as a paid intern at a local nonprofit for eight weeks. ▪ Attend the week-long Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C. ▪ Develop leadership and career skills. ▪ Connect with like-minded students from your own community and across the country. More details are available here: Student Leaders. Applications are due by January 29, 2016

Cox Cares Scholarship The Cox Cares foundation is awarding up to $110,000 in scholarships to students across their Southern California service area, which includes San Diego, Orange County, Palos Verdes, and Santa Barbara. Eligibility requirements and application details can be found on the Cox Cares website. You can also download a printable flyer here: flyer. The deadline to submit an application is February 3, 2016.

Thank you for your interest and continued support of Educators Rising California! Be sure to stay updated on all things Educators Rising by visiting our website and following ourblog. Please also feel free to contact Kelly Moriarty at kmoriarty@tomorrow.org with questions, to share your chapter's activities, or even to shout out your enthusiasm for Educators Rising California!!

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!

Thank you again for participating in Speak Up 2015! All participating schools and districts will be able to view their data beginning in February 2016. In the meantime, be sure to check out our national preliminary data, which was released during Speak Up America week!

Best Apps, Games and Sites of the Last Year - The Journal
Leaders give their 2016 higher-ed predictions - eCampus News
Research: Flipped Learning Improves How Students Perceive Ability To Learn Physics - Campus Technology
Engage Kids With Coding By Letting Them Design, Create, and Tell Stories - MindShift
Richard Culatta to Step Down as US Director of Educational Technology - EdSurge

Speak Up America Photo/Video Challenge and Book Giveaway Winners

Happy Tuesday! Thank you again to all who participated in Speak Up 2015 and our Speak Up America 2015 week long event! We are excited to highlight the winners of our photo/video challenge and our book giveaway:

Photo Challenge Winners

• Irvington Community Elementary School, IN
• Howe Public Schools, OK
• Andress High School, El Paso ISD, TX

Video Challenge Winners

• Union Intermediate, Sampson County Schools, NC
• New Market School, Madison County Schools, AL

Book Giveaway Winners

• Flip Your Classroom by Bergmann and Sams (donated by Arfstrom Consulting)
  Winner: Margaret Thompson from Moore County Schools, NC
• Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert Putnam (donated by Arfstrom Consulting)
  Winner: Lori Oren from Bulloch County Schools, GA
• Real Women, Real Leaders: Surviving and Succeeding in the Business World by Kathleen Hurley (donated by Girls Thinking Global)
  Winners: Shannon Bosley from Diocese of Covington, KY and Kelly Berenda from Community Schools of Frankfort, IN

Thanks again to everyone who participated, and congratulations to our winners! Check back soon to view our list of free conference registration winners!

Webinar: How to Harness Students' Evolving Vision for Learning: Research & Recommendations

Happy new year! We hope you enjoyed the holidays! We're excited to kick off 2016 with our upcoming webinar with our friends at ABC-CLIO and Libraries Unlimited. Check out the details below:

How to Harness Students' Evolving Vision for Learning: Research & Recommendations

Tuesday, January 12 at 1pm PT/4pm ET

Presented by Julie Evans, CEO, Project Tomorrow

Sponsored by Libraries Unlimited and ABC-CLIO Solutions

Click here to register

Analysis of the Speak Up Research Project data reveals that today’s K-12 students have a unique vision for digital learning that is often surprising and sometimes perplexing to the adults in their learning lives. Students are increasingly tapping into a diverse set of digital tools, content and resources to self-direct learning around areas of academic passion, both in and out of school. Most importantly, this emerging learning behavior is shaping how the students view information, research, learning and school.

In this webinar, Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, will explore this phenomenon as she addresses these questions from School Library Connection Editorial Experts:

• What are the three elements that comprise the Student Vision for Digital Learning?
• What types of learning experiences support the Student Vision?  How prevalent are those types of experiences in schools today?
• How can teachers and librarians use this information about the Student Vision to transform learning in their schools?

Going beyond anecdotes and assumptions, this interactive and eye-opening webinar will provide school library leaders and educators with a new set of lenses for evaluating the future of learning. Julie will field questions from attendees after her presentation.

Join the SLC @ The Forefront community to participate in online discussions with peers, for invitations to upcoming webinars, to view past webinar recordings, to take a quiz and receive a CE certificate for a past webinar, and for access to more resources.

Click here to register for the webinar and learn more

Libraries Unlimited is committed to serving libraries by producing library science textbooks, reference works, practical handbooks, and professional guides of unparalleled quality.

ABC-CLIO Solutions provides robust digital resources that support librarians, patrons, educators, and students in the development and communication of informed positions on complex topics.

Only a few hours left to Speak Up!

Speak Up closes today! Today is your last chance to take the Speak Up survey! You have until 11:59pm PT tonight to take the survey and pass it on to your friends, family, colleagues, and anyone who wants to make an impact on the future of education! We've had a fantastic survey period this year withover 500,000 surveys submitted so far, so let's keep the momentum going until the last minute of Speak Up! Quick links: ▪ Updated survey counts and participation numbers: Our final update before we close the survey tonight! ▪ Speak Up America: The results are in - see who won our photo/video challenge! ▪ Happy holidays from the Project Tomorrow Team! Our office will be closed through January 4th - have a wonderful break!

Please be sure to take the survey before 11:59pm PT TONIGHT! If you've already taken the survey, spread the word to your network of friends and family! Word of mouth is always the best promotion - help us expand our reach! Click here to take the survey and pass it on. Happy reading! Feel free to share your thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter, and our Blog. -The Project Tomorrow team

Updated Survey Counts and Participation Survey counts as of December 18th: 501,024 (and counting!) overall surveys taken. Students: 413,958 Teachers: 39,448 Administrators: 4,441 Parents: 36,620 Community Members: 6,557 Top 5 States based on Total Surveys* ▪ Indiana (101,303 surveys) ▪ Texas (76,272 surveys) ▪ Maryland (47,929 surveys) ▪ California (41,568 surveys) ▪ Alabama (34,115 surveys) Top 10 Districts Overall based on total surveys* ▪ Klein ISD, TX ▪ Baltimore County Public Schools, MD ▪ Brevard County School District, FL ▪ Weslaco ISD, TX ▪ El Paso ISD, TX ▪ Fairfax County Public Schools, VA ▪ Shelby County School District, AL ▪ Baltimore City Public School System, MD ▪ Albemarle County Public Schools, VA ▪ Elkhart Community Schools, IN Top 10 Schools Overall based on total surveys* ▪ Klein Oak High School, Klein ISD, TX ▪ Klein Forest High School, Klein ISD, TX ▪ Arrowhead High, Arrowhead UHS School District, WI ▪ San Marcos High School, San Marcos Unified, CA ▪ San Elijo Middle School, San Marcos Unified, CA ▪ Klein Collins High School, Klein ISD, TX ▪ Andress High School, El Paso ISD, TX ▪ Hawthorne High, Centinela Valley Union High School District, CA ▪ Weslaco High School, Weslaco ISD, TX ▪ Albemarle High, Albemarle County Public Schools, VA

*As of December 17, 2015 at 3:30PM PT

Speak Up America Results With 35 #SpeakUpSnapshot and #VoicesofSpeakUp entries this year, it was hard to pick our top five winning submissions! Congratulations to the following schools/districts for winning our 2015 photo/video challenge - and a huge thanks to all of the schools and districts who submitted pictures and videos of their students speaking up! We are also excited to announce the recipients of our Speak Up America Book Giveaway! Thanks to all who submitted their names into our drawing - check out the winners below:

Photo Challenge Winners ▪ Irvington Community Elementary School, IN ▪ Howe Public Schools, OK ▪ Andress High School, El Paso ISD, TX

Video Challenge Winners ▪ Union Intermediate, Sampson County Schools, NC ▪ New Market School, Madison County Schools, AL

Speak Up America Book Giveaway Flip Your Classroom by Bergmann and Sams (donated by Arfstrom Consulting) Winner: Margaret Thompson from Moore County Schools, NC Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert Putnam (donated by Arfstrom Consulting) Winner: Lori Oren from Bulloch County Schools, GA Real Women, Real Leaders: Surviving and Succeeding in the Business World by Kathleen Hurley (donated by Girls Thinking Global) Winners: Shannon Bosley from Diocese of Covington, KY and Kelly Berenda from Community Schools of Frankfort, IN

Happy Holidays from the Project Tomorrow Team! We hope you all have a wonderful holiday break and a happy new year! Our office will be closed for the holiday season and will reopen on January 4, 2016. See you in the new year!

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: Blackboard, Inc., BrainPOP, CDW, DreamBox Learning, Fuel Education, Qualcomm Wireless Reach, Rosetta Stone, Scholastic Education, American Association of School Administrators, Consortium for School Networking, CUE, Digital Learning Day, 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, State Education Technology Directors’ Association and TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association).