Flashback Friday: "Project Tomorrow Survey Reports on Latest Digital Learning Trends"

Happy Flashback Friday! Every Friday we focus on Speak Up data, articles, and press releases from the past. This week we're looking at K-12 Tech Decision's article, "Project Tomorrow Survey Reports on Latest Digital Learning Trends" from June 2014, which features data from Speak Up 2013. Check out their article below:

Digital equity is a growing concern for K-12 educators and technology professionals according to the latest Speak Up Survey conducted by Project Tomorrow, a national non-profit education group headquartered in Irvine, California. According to the survey, 46 percent of district technology leaders cite digital equity as the most challenging issue they face. This is up from just 19 percent in a survey conducted in 2010.

Project Tomorrow’s annual Speak Up National research project gathers information for schools and districts across the U.S. to provide insight on digital learning trends. The latest survey sought to provide answers to these three questions:

• How are K-12 students currently using digital tools and resources to support schoolwork activities?
• How are K-12 students currently using digital tools to enable out of school learning activities?
• What are K-12 students’ aspirations for using digital tools and resources within innovative learning environments

Other noticeable findings from the survey include:

• Girls in K-12 use technology for digital collaboration at higher rate than their male peers.
• 29 percent of high school boys say they are interested in a STEM career. Only 19 percent of female high school students reported an interest.
• The use of Facebook is declining among students in grades 6-12, but nearly 44 percent regularly use apps like Instagram, Snapchat and Vine.
• One-third of middle school students say they prefer to read digital materials rather than printed materials, however, more than half say online textbooks would be an essential component of the “ultimate school.”

Are you interested in learning more about what students, educators, administrators, and more have to say about education and digital learning? Click here to read our previous reports.

Don't forget that you can be a part of the conversation. Speak Up and have your voice heard during Speak Up 2014! Speak Up provides an easy way for students, parents and educators to participate in local decisions about technology, as well as contribute to the state and national dialogue about educational technology. Data from the surveys - including data regarding online classes - will be released in February 2015. Click here to register for Speak Up 2014 and mark your calendars for the survey's launch date on October 6!