Flashback Friday: Speak Up 2013

Happy Flashback Friday! Every Friday we focus on Speak Up data, articles, and press releases from the past. In honor of Speak Up's launch this past Monday, we're taking a look at data from Speak Up 2013. Check out some data from our report, "The New Digital Learning Playbook: Understanding the Spectrum of Students' Activities and Aspirations" below:

• Girls outpace boys in use of many digital tools for learning, particularly the socially based tools like texting and collaborating online.
• 29 percent of high school boys say that they are very interested in a job or career in a STEM field, but only 19 percent of girls say the same. This gap remains even among girls and boys who self-assess their technology skills as advanced. During the seven years that the Speak Up surveys have polled high school students on their interest in STEM fields, the level of student interest has not increased significantly.
• Students continue to report less regular interaction with traditional social networking sites like Facebook, while 44 percent of students in grades 6-12 report using social media apps like Instagram, Snapchat and Vine. Nearly one-third of high school students reported using Twitter.
• One-quarter of students in grades 3-5 and nearly one-third of students in grades 6-12 say that they are using a mobile device provided by their school to support schoolwork (these percentages were greater among Title I schools than non-Title I schools).
• In four years, the percent of middle school students taking tests online increased from 32 percent to 47 percent.
• High school students reported a mean average of 14 hours per week using technology for writing.
• Only one-third of middle school students say that for schoolwork reading, they prefer to read digital materials rather than printed materials; more than half, however, say online textbooks would be an essential component of their “ultimate school.”
• Digital equity, including to student access to the Internet outside of school, is a growing concern among district technology leaders with 46 percent saying it is one of the most challenging issues they face today (compared to just 19 percent in 2010).

This year we've added more questions about Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), data privacy, student interest in programming and computing, and online assessments. What will this year's results be? Contribute to the conversation by participating in 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 be sure to take the survey before it closes on December 19th, 2014!

Flashback Friday: "Apps and Games for STEM Learning"

Happy Flashback Friday! Every Friday we focus on Speak Up data, articles, and press releases from the past. This week we're looking at National Environmental Education Week's blog post, "Apps and Games for STEM Learning" from April 2014, which features data from one of our Speak Up 2013 reports. Check out a snippet of it below:

According to Project Tomorrow's latest Speak Up report released this week, "girls and boys across all grade levels see digital games as having significant learning benefits if employed within a school environment, including greater engagement in learning and making it easier to understand difficult concepts." 

One-quarter of teachers said that they are integrating digital games into their classrooms, and students are playing games outside of school to support their own learning. "Approximately one-quarter of middle school students have played an online game outside of school on their own, specifically to learn something. The percentage jumps to almost 50 percent amongst boys and girls who consider their technology skills advanced.

Interestingly, the report also showed that nearly one-third of high school boys say that they are very interested in a job or career in a STEM field, but only 19 percent of girls share that same vision for themselves. 

Be sure to check out National Environmental Education Week's original post, "Apps and Games for STEM Learning," their guide to the "Apps & Games for Environmental Engineering," and last year's Speak Up report The New Digital Learning Playbook: Understanding the Spectrum of Students’ Activities and Aspirations for more information.

Are you a teacher or student who uses apps and games for in the classroom? Let us know by participating in 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!

Flashback Friday: "Are Teachers of Tomorrow Prepared to Use Innovative Tech?"

Happy Flashback Friday! Every Friday we focus on Speak Up data, articles, and press releases from the past. This week we're looking at MindShift's article, "Are Teachers of Tomorrow Prepared to Use Innovative Tech?" from February 2013, which features data from a report we did with Blackboard Inc about the digital experiences and expectations of tomorrow's teachers. Check out a recap of the article below:

With a new generation of teachers coming into the work force, it's no surprise that there is a discrepancy between what principals expect of these teachers-to-be and what they're actually learning in school. 

Principals expect new teachers to be trained in educational technology.  They want new hires to incorporate social media into their classrooms as a way of communicating with students and parents; they also want new hires to already have experience with blended learning and teaching online classes. However, tomorrow's teachers' tech training focuses only on simple management tools. Despite this, 72% of pre-service teachers report they're well-prepared to use technology in the classroom; however their knowledge of technology may be from growing up with it rather than learning how to use digital tools during their training. 

Incoming teachers seem to be caught between generations: while they use technology in their own lives and to enhance their own education, they're learning to teach in a system that's behind the times. 68% of teachers-in-training learn about digital learning through field placements or by taking advice from their peers and professors. Despite these discrepancies between principals' expectations and the realities of tomorrow's teachers' tech education, it is certain that new teachers are more accepting and more knowledgeable of using technology in the classroom.

To learn more about the topic, check out the original article, "Are Teachers of Tomorrow Prepared to Use Innovative Tech?" (MindShift) and our report with Blackboard Inc.

Are you a principal and have something to add to this conversation? Participate in 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!

Additionally, if you are a future teacher and want to leave your input, Speak Up for Higher Ed - Tomorrow's Teachers Speak Up! is open until October 6. Click here to learn more about the program and sign up.

Flashback Friday: "10 Major Technology Trends in Education"

Happy Flashback Friday! Every Friday we focus on Speak Up data, articles, and press releases from the past. This week we're looking at THE Journal's article, "10 Major Technology Trends in Education" from February of this year, which features data from Speak Up 2013. Check out some of the major trends below:

1. Personal Access to Mobile Devices
• Students overwhelmingly have access to personal mobile devices. 89% of high school students have access to Internet-connected smart phones, while 50% of students in grades 3-5 have access to the same type of devices.
2. Internet Connectivity
• In 2013, 64% of students surveyed identified 3G- or 4G- enabled devices as their primary means of connecting to the Internet, with another 23% saying they connect through an Internet-enabled TV or Wii console.
• When asked why traditional broadband access wasn't their primary means of connectivity, students said there was less contention for access with other members of the family through these non-traditional devices
3. Use of Video for Classwork and Homework
• Video is a tool that has been on the rise in recent years. 46% of teachers are using video i the classroom, while 1/3 of students are accessing video online - through their own initiative - to help with their homework (e.g. Khan Academy).

To view all the technology trends in education, read THE Journal's article "10 Major Technology Trends in Education" and check out our official reports here.

Want to give your input as to what today's technology trends in education are? Participate in 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!

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!

Flashback Friday: "Students Speak Up: Trust Us With Devices"

Happy Flashback Friday! Every Friday we focus on Speak Up data, articles, and press releases from the past. This week we're highlighting MindShift's article, "Students Speak Up: Trust Us With Devices" from June 2013, which features data from Speak Up 2012 and notes that students want technology in their schools. Check out this snippet from MindShift's article:

Of the more than 364,000 students surveyed, 65 percent of middle schoolers and 80 percent of high schoolers have access to a smartphone — nearly triple the number reported from the 2008 survey. Speak Up reports that, in the decade since they’ve been collecting data on how new technological tools can transform education, there have been big, dramatic changes. When they took their first survey in 2003, students’ biggest classroom hurdles were access to the Internet and working on outdated computers. Today’s students, however, have surpassed those original blockades to digital learning and are now most concerned that they aren’t able to access the full range of learning tools available to them, due to firewalls that keep them from social networks and a range of websites, as well as school restrictions on their smartphones.

On top of being experts at technology, students are also advocates for the use of technology in schools. A student from Brooklyn Tech High School in Brooklyn, New York, states that his school is "a bit technologically stunted" due to its lack of computers - some that aren't even connected to the Internet. He also notes that his school's ban on cell phones, iPads, and laptops is a huge mistake that limits students' ability to find information quickly and even promotes the use of cell phones for unrelated purposes, such as texting in class. However, having access to devices and high-speed Internet is just one problem that's waiting to be solved - teachers should also be trained in technology in order to stay up to date with their tech-savvy students.

Every year, Speak Up offers students an opportunity to share their opinions and ideas about technology use in school to their teachers, principals, superintendents, and even local governments. An example of a question from the student survey is:

Besides not having enough time in your school day, what are the major obstacles to using technology in your school? 

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!

Flashback Friday: The Challenge of Educating Today’s Digital Natives

Happy Flashback Friday! As part of our new blog series, Flashback Fridays will focus on previous Speak Up data, press releases, and articles. This week we're highlighting IMS Global Learning Consortium's article from March 2014, "The Challenge of Educating Today's Digital Natives," which features Julie Evans and highlights the challenges that educators face when working with students who are experts in digital technology. Check out an excerpt from the article below:

While all K-12 and college students today enjoy some familiarity with technology, Evans said their data shows that the leading edge of the truly digital native student today is at the 8th grade level. “What we’re seeing is that it’s the middle school students and younger that are actually more digitally native, not only more comfortable using technology, but that they are fully taking advantage of this technology to supplement their education. We’re seeing about a third of middle school students that tell us they are doing self-directed learning outside of school using some type of digital resource.”

 "... The perception that these students were coming to class every day as empty vessels and their teacher needed to fill them with wisdom was not the case,” said Evans.

Students are increasingly taking online classes to supplement their traditional classes - sometimes without their teachers even knowing. Furthermore, while schools and platform providers try to guess which devices are most popular among students, students are actually "very device agnostic. What is most important to them is to use the right tool for the right task." Given this growth in students' thirst for knowledge and growth in number of platforms that allow students to access that knowledge, educators and schools should be aware of how their students are adopting technology and should use that information to adapt to meet their educational needs.

As "digital natives," students are experts in digital technology use and should be taken into consideration when schools are creating policies regarding technology. Our Speak Up 2014 surveys feature questions regarding students' use of technology, such as the question:

Besides not having enough time in your school day, what are the major obstacles to using technology in your school?

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!