Speak Up, America! What do you think about technology use for learning?

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, smartphones, tablets, mobile apps, online classes and games – do these digital tools or others like them really have a place within our classrooms today? 

Are students more engaged in learning when instruction includes these tools? 

Can technology increase teacher productivity or student achievement?  

Do these tools support the development of critical thinking, communications, teamwork and global awareness? 

What are the expectations of parents, business leaders and community members around the use of  technology within learning? 

And if schools want to make better use of these digital tools, what are the challenges they face – is it funding, teacher training, support, bandwidth?  

How do students say they want to use these digital tools to support learning?   

It’s time to share your answers to these questions!

All across America, district administration teams, school boards, civic leaders and state and federal policymakers are asking these same questions.  And too often they are relying upon hunches, guesses or outdated reports to inform their policies, plans and programs.  That’s just silly – and not an example of good decision-making.  

They can learn directly from you – students, parents, teachers, administrators and community leaders – to inform their decisions on these topics. 

By giving 15 minutes of your time to Speak Up America 2014, you can make sure your voice is heard loud and clear from classrooms to the halls of Congress, from state capitols to boardrooms.  Ensure that policymakers are making those important program and funding decisions based upon real data from real education stakeholders – you!   

We would like everyone to have a voice in the future of how technology is used in our nation’s schools.  So, please share this link (www.speakup4schools.org/speakup2014)  with your friends, students, teachers, parents, administrators, community organizations, members, affiliates or anyone who has a passion for improving education and ask them to take the Speak Up survey THIS WEEK. 

More than 300,000 K-12 students, parents and educators have already completed Speak Up surveys from all across the country.  But now it is your time - Speak Up, America!  Have a voice in the future of digital learning in our nation’s schools by participating in this year’s special Speak Up America campaign by Dec. 19^th!

Learn more at www.tomorrow.org/speakup.