Plan to attend today's Making Learning Mobile 3.0 webinar!

The final results from our three-year long Making Learning Mobile study are finally here! Join Julie Evans (Project Tomorrow) and Michael Flood (Kajeet) at 1pm PT/4pm ET today for a webinar featuring the results from our Making Learning Mobile 3.0 study with Kajeet, 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. Click here to register for today's webinar.

You can also sign up to download a copy of the report and read the official press release. Check out some key findings from the Making Learning Mobile 3.0 study below:

• Use of technology at home increased year-over-year. Sixty-nine percent of the 5th graders used the Internet-enabled tablets every day, at school and home, to support their learning this year, whereas last year, 51 percent of the students reported they rarely or never used technology at home to support schoolwork or homework assignments while in 4th grade.
• Falconer Elementary students had the highest percentage of 5th graders scoring at or above the national average RIT (Rasch Unit) in math compared to other comparable Chicago schools, according to the Northwest Evaluation Association’s Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) assessment scores.
• Within one class of the cohort, the students’ average RIT score in math improved by 11.26 points from the spring 2014 to spring 2015- this was 24 percent higher than the overall 5th grade at the school.
• Students identified a change in their learning behaviors that resulted in increased learning opportunities. Sixty-eight percent stated they were more likely to complete homework assignments with Internet-enabled tablets and 76 percent said they had a greater interest in learning. 

We look forward to seeing you online for today's webinar! Click here to visit our Making Learning Mobile (MLM) Project homepage.

Don't miss tomorrow's Making Learning Mobile 3.0 webinar!

We are excited to release the results from our three-year-long Making Learning Mobile study with Kajeet! Join Julie Evans (Project Tomorrow) and Michael Flood (Kajeet) for tomorrow's webinar about how Chicago Public Schools successfully incorporated mobile learning for 5th grade students. Check out the details below:

Webinar: Making Learning Mobile 3.0 Report

Thursday, January 28

1pm PT/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.

Click here to register for the webinar and click here to learn more about the study. We look forward to seeing you online tomorrow!

Webinar: Final 3-Year Study Results Show Student Improvement

The final results from our three-year-long Making Learning Mobile study with Kajeet are finally here! Join Julie Evans (Project Tomorrow) and Michael Flood (Kajeet) for a webinar about how Chicago Public Schools successfully incorporated mobile learning for 5th grade students. Check out the details below:

Webinar: Making Learning Mobile 3.0 Report

Thursday, January 28

1pm PT/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.

Click here to register for the webinar. We look forward to seeing you online on Thursday, January 28!

Happy Giving Tuesday!

After giving thanks on Thanksgiving, it's time to give back with #GivingTuesday! Today, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world are coming together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

For #GivingTuesday we ask our supporters to consider a donation to Project Tomorrow to ensure that today's students are prepared for tomorrow. All donations will go towards our programs that help students gain the skills they need for the future. Please visit http://bit.ly/donatePT to support Project Tomorrow.

We also ask our Speak Up family and friends to donate 15 minutes of your time for the future of education. Make a difference today by expressing your views about education, technology, and college and career ready skills through the Speak Up 2015 National Research Project. Click here to take the survey.

We want everyone to have a voice in the future of how technology is used in our schools - please share the Speak Up survey with your students, teachers, parents, administrators, community organizers, friends, and anyone who has a passion for improving education: bit.ly/SU15survey

Thank you for your continued support of Speak Up! To learn more about #GivingTuesday, visit their official website.

Help Project Tomorrow Win $5K!

Vote online from October 26 - October 30, 2015

Project Tomorrow is a finalist in the Cox Cares $5k Giveaway social media competition that will award $5,000 to a deserving Orange County nonprofit organization.

We need your help this week! From today through October 30, vote for Project Tomorrow in the Cox Cares $5k Giveaway social media competition and help us receive $5,000! Voting is simple and will take only five minutes of your time. There are two ways to vote:

Cox Cares website

1. Visit http://cox-cares.org/-5k-giveaway.html.
2. Choose Orange County from the dropdown menu.
3. Click on "Project Tomorrow" to vote!

Twitter

1. Visit http://twitter.com/CoxCalifornia.
2. Retweet their tweet with Project Tomorrow's name.
3. Spread the word - each retweet counts as a vote!

Thank you for supporting Project Tomorrow!

-- The Project Tomorrow Team

About Project Tomorrow 
The vision of Project Tomorrow is to ensure that today’s students are well prepared to be tomorrow’s innovators, leaders and engaged citizens of the world. To learn more about Project Tomorrow, please visit tomorrow.org.

About Cox Cares Foundation 
The philanthropic arm of Cox Communications, the Cox Cares Foundation, is funded by employee payroll donations that are matched by the company. The foundation provides scholarships to students, grants to non-profit organizations, and funds programs that improve the quality of life for children and families throughout Southern California. For more information about the Cox Cares Foundation, visit www.cox-cares.org.

The Project Tomorrow 2015 Innovation in Education Awards is tonight!

The Project Tomorrow 2015 Innovation in Education Awards will be presented at the 22nd Annual High-Tech Innovation Awards dinner reception tonight in conjunction with OC Tech Alliance’s own corporate awards at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. This high profile event attracts over 300 business and community leaders each year. Award finalists and a guest will be hosted at the reception. Award recipients will receive regional and national recognition through both online and traditional media outlets. In addition, all finalists will receive funding to use to expand a science, math or technology program in their classroom.

Finalists for this year’s awards are:

Innovative School-Wide Program of the Year in Science, Math & Technology – distinguishing a public, private, or parochial school that demonstrates innovation with an outstanding, results-based school-wide program

• Stoddard Elementary School, Anaheim City School District
  Program: Stoddard STEAM Academy
• Foothill High School, Tustin Unified School District
  Program: Foothill Engineering and Technology (FEAT)
• The Prentice School in Santa Ana, Private
  Program: Assistive Technology Tools

High Impact Teacher of the Year in Science, Math & Technology – acknowledging the influence of a great teacher in his/her use of science, math or technology to significantly impact student academic achievement

• Dwynn Famalette, Aliso Niguel High School, 10-12th Science Teacher
• Sharon McCubbin, Springbrook Elementary, 3rd Grade Teacher
• Suzy Hardy, St. John’s Episcopal School in Rancho Santa Margarita, 6-8th Math/Technology Teacher

Emerging Student Innovator of the Year in Science, Math & Technology – recognizing eighth grade, freshman, sophomore, or junior high school students who are creatively using science, math and technology resources to solve a school or community problem

• Anna Lou, Oxford Academy Cypress, 10th Grade (rising junior)
• Ruoxi Michelle Chen, Sage Hill School, 11th Grade (rising senior)
• Sean O’Bannon, Foothill High School, 11th Grade (rising senior)

We are excited to announce our three winners at tonight's event! Stay tuned to view the names of the winners later this week!

Last call for tomorrow's webinar: Maximizing Your K-12 Communications to Support Student Success

Maximizing Your K-12 Communications to Support Student Success

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (Eastern Time)

Presented by Julie Evans, CEO, Project Tomorrow

Sponsored by Schoolwires, a Blackboard solution

Click here to register

Did you know that 86% of the public believes that parent support is the most important way to ensure student achievement? Blackboard and Project Tomorrow have surveyed thousands of parents across the U.S. to understand how they want to be communicated with, which channels they prefer, and how to increase their engagement with schools and districts. In this webinar, explore the parent survey data we’ve collected and learn what tools and practices you need to maximize family and community engagement in your district that ultimately influence student success.

Join Project Tomorrow President & CEO Julie Evans to hear more about:

• What role parents feel social media and mobile have in K-12

• What parents believe are measures of student success

• What parents worry about for their child’s academic future

• What ways in which parents like to be communicated

Julie will field questions from the audience at the end of her presentation. K-12 administrators interested in parent engagement survey feedback and community engagement technology tools that will help districts maximize their communications will benefit from this webinar.

A CE certificate will be emailed to attendees within 24 hours of the live event.

If you miss the live session, a link to view the recording will be sent within 24 hours of the live event.

This is a free program from edWeb.net. edWeb.net is a social network and professional learning community that makes it easy for teachers and all educators to connect and collaborate with peers, share information and best practices, and spread innovative ideas to improve teaching and learning. To learn more about edWeb.net, click on their logo to the right.

Registration for the 6th Annual Youth Leadership Summit is now open!

WHAT?
The “Leading the Way: Youth Leadership Summit for Math & Science” is a unique opportunity for Orange County’s high school students to share their ideas on how to improve math and science education and to learn about how math and science proficiency is increasingly a critical skill for many current and future jobs in Orange County. This interactive, half-day summit will empower students to explore careers in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and provide these students with valuable information about the workforce development trends in the county and what they need to do to be well prepared for the jobs of the future. Additionally, through working group discussions, we will capture the students’ ideas on how to improve K-12 math and science education and thus, Orange County’s economic future.

WHEN?
Saturday, October 24th, 2015 from 8:45am to 2:00 pm

WHERE?
Edwards Lifesciences Global Headquarters, 1 Edwards Way, Irvine, CA 92614

WHO?
200 of Orange County’s best and brightest high school students who are interested in science, technology, engineering and math, and serve as representatives from their
high schools. Panel discussions with representatives from a diversified set of OC companies and engineers on the role of math and science in their industry, and their expectations for employees in the future. Break-out sessions and tabletop exhibits to introduce students to local STEM career opportunities and college programs.

WHY?
Statewide, California reports that in 2020, the number of jobs requiring a college degree will outstrip the number of jobs which do not, with most of those jobs being STEM-related. Additionally, 45% of today’s current science and engineering workforce will retire within the next few years. It is also becoming increasingly apparent that science and math proficiency are the new “must-haves” for jobs outside of the usual STEM fields including positions in the hospitality, construction and services sectors. To be prepared to become part of the new OC workforce, today’s students must receive a world-class science and math education, and understand what is needed both in terms of skill development and educational attainment to compete for these new OC jobs.

HOW?
Participation by the invited high school students is 100% underwritten through corporate sponsorship funds provided by our Summit sponsors and includes a specially prepared packet of information and resources for the students, continental breakfast and lunch.

For information about the Summit, sponsorship or speaking opportunities, or to discuss ways for your company or organization to be involved, please contact Kelly Moriarty at kmoriarty@tomorrow.org or 949-609-4660.

For more information about the event and how to register, please visit our website: Youth Leadership Summit

Upcoming webinar: Maximizing Your K-12 Communications to Support Student Success

Maximizing Your K-12 Communications to Support Student Success

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (Eastern Time)

Presented by Julie Evans, CEO, Project Tomorrow

Sponsored by Schoolwires, a Blackboard solution

Click here to register

Did you know that 86% of the public believes that parent support is the most important way to ensure student achievement? Blackboard and Project Tomorrow have surveyed thousands of parents across the U.S. to understand how they want to be communicated with, which channels they prefer, and how to increase their engagement with schools and districts. In this webinar, explore the parent survey data we’ve collected and learn what tools and practices you need to maximize family and community engagement in your district that ultimately influence student success.

Join Project Tomorrow President & CEO Julie Evans to hear more about:

• What role parents feel social media and mobile have in K-12

• What parents believe are measures of student success

• What parents worry about for their child’s academic future

• What ways in which parents like to be communicated

Julie will field questions from the audience at the end of her presentation. K-12 administrators interested in parent engagement survey feedback and community engagement technology tools that will help districts maximize their communications will benefit from this webinar.

A CE certificate will be emailed to attendees within 24 hours of the live event.

If you miss the live session, a link to view the recording will be sent within 24 hours of the live event.

This is a free program from edWeb.net. edWeb.net is a social network and professional learning community that makes it easy for teachers and all educators to connect and collaborate with peers, share information and best practices, and spread innovative ideas to improve teaching and learning. To learn more about edWeb.net, click on their logo to the right.

Don't miss this month's upcoming webinars with Blackboard!

Stay up to date with the most recent Speak Up data by saving your spot for Julie Evans's webinars with Blackboard - with one coming up this Monday! Learn how you can save your spot below:

Digital Learning Trends Making an Impact on Student Engagement and Development

Blackboard and Project Tomorrow

Monday, September 14

3:30pm ET

Click here to register

The increased use of technology, both in school and out of school, creates an urgency for teachers to embrace digital learning to make the student educational experience more productive and personal. The annual Speak Up National Research Project provides an exclusive window into the views of education leaders, teachers and students on personalized learning and innovative learning environments. In this webinar we will share the latest Speak Up national findings from over 403,000 K-12 students, parents and educators with an emphasis on how the use of digital content, tools and resources in innovative classrooms are having a large impact on students' engagement and development of critical college and career ready skills.

Maximizing Your K-12 Communications to Support Student Success

Blackboard and Project Tomorrow

Wednesday, September 30

3pm ET

Click here to register

Did you know that 86% of the public believes that parent support is the most important way to ensure student achievement? Blackboard and Project Tomorrow have surveyed thousands of parents across the U.S. to understand how they want to be communicated with, which channels they prefer, and how to increase their engagement with schools and districts. In this webinar, explore the parent survey data we’ve collected and learn what tools and practices you need to maximize family and community engagement in your district that ultimately influence student success.

Finalists Announced for Innovation in Education Awards Honoring Schools, Educators and Students in Orange County

Annual Awards Recognize New Approaches to Preparing Students for 21st Century Lives and Careers

Irvine, Calif. –Nine finalists were announced today for the 2015 Innovation in Education Awards presented by Project Tomorrow and the OC Tech Alliance to schools, educators and high school students who are charting new paths in education

Project Tomorrow, the nation’s leading nonprofit group focused on science, math and technology education, and the OC Tech Alliance have been recognizing outstanding education programs, educators and students for their innovative uses of science, math and technology with this award since 2006.

Finalists for this year’s awards are:

• Innovative School-Wide Program of the Year in Science, Math & Technology – distinguishing a public, private, or parochial school that demonstrates innovation with an outstanding, results-based school-wide program
• Stoddard Elementary School, Anaheim City School District
  Program: Stoddard STEAM Academy
• Foothill High School, Tustin Unified School District
  Program: Foothill Engineering and Technology (FEAT)
• The Prentice School in Santa Ana, Private
  Program: Assistive Technology Tools
• High Impact Teacher of the Year in Science, Math & Technology – acknowledging the influence of a great teacher in his/her use of science, math or technology to significantly impact student academic achievement
• Dwynn Famalette, Aliso Niguel High School, 10-12th Science Teacher
• Sharon McCubbin, Springbrook Elementary, 3rd Grade Teacher
• Suzy Hardy, St. John’s Episcopal School in Rancho Santa Margarita, 6-8th Math/Technology Teacher
• Emerging Student Innovator of the Year in Science, Math & Technology – recognizing eighth grade, freshman, sophomore, or junior high school students who are creatively using science, math and technology resources to solve a school or community problem
• Anna Lou, Oxford Academy Cypress, 10th Grade (rising junior)
• Ruoxi Michelle Chen, Sage Hill School, 11th Grade (rising senior)
• Sean O’Bannon, Foothill High School, 11th Grade (rising senior)

The 2015 Innovation in Education Award recipients will be announced at the 22nd Annual High-Tech Innovation Awards Dinner on Thursday, October 8th, 2015 at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. The annual education-focused segment is a partnership between Project Tomorrow and corporate sponsors, Emulex and Haworth.

More about the Awards, including past recipients, can be found online: http://www.tomorrow.org/programs/innovationawards.html

Nominations for the 2015 Project Tomorrow Innovation in Education Awards could be self-submitted or submitted by a district and/or school staff person. Organizations such as a PTA unit, parent advisory committee, or any youth based organization were also eligible to nominate. An independent review panel of local education and business leaders will select the award recipients. The annual Innovation in Education Awards are open to all public and private schools in Orange County.

About Project Tomorrow

Project Tomorrow (www.tomorrow.org), a national education nonprofit organization headquartered in Irvine, California, supports the innovative uses of research-based science, math and technology resources to develop critical thinking, problem solving and creativity in K-12 students. Project Tomorrow addresses the challenges of developing schools for the 21st century through national research projects, community and school-based programs, online tools and resources, and advocacy efforts to ensure that all students are prepared to be tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and engaged citizens of the world.

About Orange County Technology Alliance

Orange County Technology Alliance is a 501(c)6 nonprofit trade association committed to fast-forwarding the local innovation economy. It is the only technology association addressing the needs of technology companies of all sizes, from small privately held enterprises to large publicly traded entities, based in Orange County, Calif. The alliance serves members through local networking, professional development, state and federal advocacy, savings on business services and industry recognition. To learn more about OC Tech Alliance visit www.octechalliance.com or email Brenda@octechalliance.com. Follow alliance activities on Twitter at twitter.com/octechalliance.

Our report with Blackboard Inc. was featured in The Journal!

Last week Project Tomorrow and Blackboard Inc. released our annual report, "Trends in Digital Learning: Empowering Innovative Classroom Models for Learning," at ISTE 2015. This report featured data from Speak Up 2014, showing that the use of digital tools leads to positive results in schools. Check out some data from the Journal's article below:

• Over 90% of K-12 administrators say technology is an important part of achieving their districts' academic goals
• More than 78% of parents believe the use of technology would help their children develop the skills needed to succeed in life
• Mobile learning through the use of tablets and other devices has grown by 41% compared to last year
• Nearly half of K-12 students are more interested in classes that use digital tools

Click here to read Michael Hart's article, "Survey: Technology Vital to Student Success," for the Journal

Click here to download a copy of our report with Blackboard Inc., "Trends in Digital Learning: Empowering Innovative Classroom Models for Learning"

Project Tomorrow summer hours

We hope you all have a fun and safe Fourth of July weekend! Please note that our office will be closed on Fridays from July 3rd to August 28. Have a wonderful weekend!

ISTE 2015 Recap

We had a blast at ISTE 2015! If you missed us at this year's conference & expo in Philadelphia, PA, check out the links below:

Paying It Forward: Leveraging Female Voices in Ed Tech
Monday, June 29, 8:30-9:30am
Click here to learn more
Download presentation
#edtech4women

The Eight Essentials for Success in Mobile Learning
Monday, June 29, 12:45-1:45pm
Click here to learn more

Trends in Digital Learning: Empowering Innovative Classroom Models for Learning
Report by Project Tomorrow and Blackboard Inc.
Tuesday, June 30th
Click here to download a copy of the report

Why Student Data?
Tuesday, June 30, 12:30-1:30pm
Click here to learn more

Digital Teachers, Digital Principals: Transforming the Ways We Engage Students
Tuesday, June 30, 4:00-5:00pm
Click here to learn more
Download presentation
Download report from Project Tomorrow and BrainPOP

Digital Learning in Special Education Classrooms: Insights from Research and Practice
Wednesday, July 1,10:15–11:15 am
Click here to learn more

Report with Blackboard Inc.: “Trends in Digital Learning: Empowering Innovative Classroom Models for Learning”

Trends in Digital Learning: Empowering Innovative Classroom Models for Learning focuses on how innovative classroom models empower more engaging and purposeful learning environments for students and teachers. The report examines both the desired student achievements and the strategic use of digital tools, content and resources to understand, from the perspective of the students, teachers and administrators on the front lines, the opportunities and challenges associated with empowering new innovative classroom models.

Since 2007, Project Tomorrow has collaborated with Blackboard Inc. to create a series of annual reports that focus on the year-to-year trends in the use of digital learning tools to change the classroom learning paradigm through an in-depth analysis of the latest Speak Up national findings. In this latest update report, we examine the trends from our analysis of the Speak Up data collected in fall 2014. More than 521,000 K-12 students, parents, educators, and community members participated in Speak Up 2014, and the findings of how teachers and administrators are empowering innovation with digital tools, content and resources is the focus for this year’s trends report.

Key Findings from this year’s report include:

• More than 9 out of 10 administrators say that the effective use of technology within instruction is important for achieving their school or district’s core mission of education and preparation of students.
• Over three-quarters of parents (78%) say that the best way for their child to develop the college, career and citizen ready skills they will need for future success is to use technology on a regular basis within his or her daily classes at school.
• Two-thirds of middle school students (64%) agree that effective technology use increases their interest in what they are learning at school.
• Three-quarters of principals attribute increased student engagement in learning to the effective use of digital content in their blended learning classrooms
• 52% of teachers in blended classrooms say that their students are developing collaboration skills as a result of using technology within learning; 61% of their students agree!
• Almost three-quarters of technology leaders (73%) say that their school or district is now offering online courses for their students. Top subjects offered: Math, Social Studies/History, English Language Arts, Science and World Languages.

Click here to download a copy of the report from the Blackboard, Inc. website.

Project Tomorrow at ISTE 2015

We are excited to be a part of ISTE 2015 in Philadelphia, PA! For over thirty years, the ISTE Conference & Expo has been the leading forum in which over 18,000 attendees and industry representatives, including teachers, technology coordinators, administrators, library media specialists, teacher educators, and policy makers, exchange ideas about education technology. If attending, be sure to take part in our various workshops, panels, and sessions, featuring Speak Up 2014 data and more. 

With the first day of ISTE 2015 nearly halfway through, we invite you to check out our remaining activities below. Let us know if you're attending any of our sessions!

Quick links: ▪ The Eight Essentials for Success in Mobile Learning: Join Julie Evans, Angela Baker, and Chris Dede to gain insights into how to develop, implement, and evaluate mobile learning initiatives. ▪ Digital Learning is more than a trend: Request a copy of our report with Blackboard, "Trends in Digital Learning: Empowering Innovative Classroom Models for Learning." ▪ Why Student Data? Hear firsthand how educators, school districts, and the private sector are using student data to improve teaching and learning. ▪ Digital Teachers, Digital Principals: Transforming the Ways We Engage Students Join Julie Evans, Robert Miller, Kari Stubbs, and Matthew Brown as they discuss strategies to increase student engagement. ▪ Stop by our Speak Up Collaborator Booth! Come say hi and learn about Speak Up on your way to your ISTE sessions!

Thanks for reading! Feel free to share your thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter, and our Blog. -The Project Tomorrow team

Monday, June 29

The Eight Essentials for Success in Mobile Learning Monday, June 29, 12:45-1:45pm Location: PCC Ballroom A Click here to learn more Attend this session to learn eight essential strategies for success in mobile learning, with examples illustrating successful use for each strategies. You'll gain insights into how to develop, implement and evaluate mobile learning initiatives. Applying these strategies will greatly increase the chances for success of a mobile learning project.With Julie Evans (Project Tomorrow), Angela Baker (Qualcomm Wireless Reach), and Chris Dede (Harvard University).

Tuesday, June 30

Digital learning is more than a trend Release of the 2015 report, Trends in Digital Learning: Empowering Innovative Classroom Models for Learning. This latest report from Blackboard and Project Tomorrow details how schools and districts are using new technologies to create the ultimate learning experience. Report highlights how: ▪ Educators are using new technologies to engage students in and out of school ▪ Blended and digital learning translate directly to student confidence and success ▪ Students are reacting to these evolving and innovative classroom models

Click here to request a copy of the report

Why Student Data? Tuesday, June 30, 12:30-1:30pm Location: PCC 114 Access to student data can improve teaching and learning. Hear firsthand how educators, school districts, and the private sector are using student data to improve educational outcomes and how they are safeguarding student information.

Digital Teachers, Digital Principals: Transforming the Ways We Engage Students Tuesday, June 30, 4:00-5:00pm Location: PCC 103BC Click here to learn more Engaging students in learning can potentially improve achievement, but increasing student engagement is still an elusive concept in many classrooms. Armed with research findings and classroom practices, we'll provide you with new strategies and ideas to use in your classrooms. With Julie Evans (Project Tomorrow), Robert Miller (Port Orange Elementary), Kari Stubbs (BrainPOP), and Matthew Brown (Sunnyside Intermediate School).

Speak Up Collaborator Booth (Conference Center, level 2, Booth 9) 200 Meeting Room corridor - between registration, association services, program sessions, keynotes, and the Expo Hall Monday, June 29, 9:30 am–5:30 pm Tuesday, June 30, 9:30 am–5 pm Wednesday, July 1, 9:30 am–3 pm Stop by our collaborator booth to say hi and learn more about Speak Up on your way to all your great ISTE sessions!

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 2014: Blackboard Inc., BrainPOP, Fuel Education, DreamBox Learning, Schoolwires, Qualcomm Wireless Reach, Rosetta Stone, American Association of School Administrators, Consortium for School Networking, Digital Learning Day, Digital Promise, edWeb, International Association for K-12 Online Learning, International Society for Technology in Education, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National School Boards Association, Secondary Education Teachers’ Association, and the Southern Regional Education Board.

Project Tomorrow at ISTE 2015

June 28 – July 1

Philadelphia, PA

We are excited to be a part of ISTE 2015 in Philadelphia, PA! If you're attending the conference, be sure to take part in our various workshops, panels, and sessions, featuring Speak Up 2014 data and more. Check out our list of ISTE 2015 activities below, and don’t forget to visit our website as we update it with our latest ISTE schedule and plans.

Using Speak Up Data to Inform Your Digital Learning Plans – a special workshop for school and district leaders
Sunday, June 28, 2:30-5pm
Location: Hilton Garden Inn
Click here to register
Plan to attend this special, first-ever workshop for school and district leaders on how to leverage Speak Up data from your education stakeholders to inform and guide your digital learning plans. You have collected the views and aspirations of your students, parents, teachers, community members and staff — now how do you use that data to kickstart a new initiative, change the perceptions of your teachers, gain the support of your school board, parents and community, or develop new funding sources to support your plans? We will cover all of that and more in this special workshop that will feature strategies for using the Speak Up data — and testimonials from school district leaders on their successes. Refreshments and appetizers will be provided also.

Paying It Forward: Leveraging Female Voices in Ed Tech
Monday, June 29, 8:30-9:30am
Location: PCC 116
Click here to learn more
Female ed tech leaders from across the globe gather annually at ISTE. This year, we will formalize this convening with an engaging session around leadership. From coaching to mentorship to collaboration, the session will showcase female agents of change and examine how to strengthen the female voice in education technology. With Julie Evans (Project Tomorrow), Mila Fuller (National Council of Teachers of English), Ellen Bialo (Interactive Educational Systems Design), Margaret Roth (Yet Analytics), and Kari Stubbs (BrainPOP).

The Eight Essentials for Success in Mobile Learning
Monday, June 29, 12:45-1:45pm
Location: PCC Ballroom A
Click here to learn more
Attend this session to learn eight essential strategies for success in mobile learning, with examples illustrating successful use for each strategies. You'll gain insights into how to develop, implement and evaluate mobile learning initiatives. Applying these strategies will greatly increase the chances for success of a mobile learning project. With Julie Evans (Project Tomorrow), Angela Baker (Qualcomm Wireless Reach), and Chris Dede (Harvard University).

Why Student Data?
Tuesday, June 30, 12:30-1:30pm
Location: PCC 114
Access to student data can improve teaching and learning. Hear firsthand how educators, school districts, and the private sector are using student data to improve educational outcomes and how they are safeguarding student information.

Digital Teachers, Digital Principals: Transforming the Ways We Engage Students
Tuesday, June 30, 4:00-5:00pm
Location: PCC 103BC
Click here to learn more
Engaging students in learning can potentially improve achievement, but increasing student engagement is still an elusive concept in many classrooms. Armed with research findings and classroom practices, we'll provide you with new strategies and ideas to use in your classrooms. With Julie Evans (Project Tomorrow), Robert Miller (Port Orange Elementary), and Kari Stubbs (BrainPOP).

Speak Up Collaborator Booth (Conference Center)
Monday, June 29, 9:30 am–5:30 pm
Tuesday, June 30, 9:30 am–5 pm
Wednesday, July 1, 9:30 am–3 pm

Stop by our collaborator booth to say hi and learn more about Speak Up on your way to all your great ISTE sessions!

The 2015 Project Tomorrow Innovation in Education Awards are now open for nominations!

Now in its 10th year, this award and scholarship opportunity celebrates and showcases school programs, educators, and students for their innovative use of science, math, or technology in the classroom and community. We are seeking nominations from schools throughout Orange County in the following three categories:

• Innovative School-Wide Program ($1,000 Winner Award, $250 Finalist Award)
• High Impact Teacher ($1,000 Award, $250 Finalist Award)
• Emerging Student Innovator ($1,500 Scholarship, $500 Finalist Scholarship)

This year's awards will be presented at the 22nd Annual High-Tech Innovation Awards dinner reception on Thursday, October 8th, 2015, in conjunction with OC Tech Alliance's own corporate awards. Award recipients will be hosted, along with a guest, at the reception and will receive regional and national recognition through both online and traditional media outlets.

Please help us spread the word and take a moment to identify and recognize innovation at your school.

How?
1. Nominate a student, teacher, or innovative school-wide program (You can even nominate yourself!)
2. Let people know about this award opportunity! Pass along this information to teachers, counselors, and parent groups and encourage them to participate. More information can be found here:

• Flyer 
• Overview 
• Online Nomination Forms

Why?
1. Reward Innovation: Your teachers and students deserve financial support and recognition for their innovative projects.
2. Positive PR: Let the community, the county, and even the nation, know about your school and its accomplishments.
3. Build relationships with local business leaders: Over 300 business leaders from Orange County will hear about your school’s innovations at the High-Tech Innovation Awards dinner.

All applications must be received by 5 p.m. Friday, May 15th, 2015 for consideration. More information and the nomination forms can be found online at our website. For additional information, please contact Kelly Stump at 949-609-4660, ext. 11 or innovation@tomorrow.org.

Thank you, in advance, for participating and for all you do to develop tomorrow's innovators!

Getting to Know the Project Tomorrow Team

Happy Monday!

We hope you all had a great weekend! Today we would like to introduce you to Kelly Stump, our Program Support Coordinator - Special Projects!

Kelly Stump

Program Support Coordinator - Special Projects

Project Tomorrow

kstump@tomorrow.org

949-609-4660 x11 voice

Kelly joined the Project Tomorrow team as a Program Support Coordinator in 2015. In addition to supporting education research and other projects, she also coordinates several events such as the annual Innovation in Education Awards and the Youth Leadership Summit. Kelly has always had a passion for education. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Southern California, she spent six years teaching an environmental science program with the Orange County Department of Education. At Project Tomorrow, Kelly hopes to continue to support and encourage students to pursue their passions through education. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, hiking, and reading.

CoSN 2015: 10 Reasons Why Flipping the Classroom Can Change Education

Last week's 2015 CoSN Conference in Atlanta, Georgia featured several sessions about digital learning, special programs, educational technology, and an interesting overall dialogue about K-12 education technology. One spotlight presentation, held by Kathleen Fulton, president of Fulton Creative Consulting, listed the "Top 10 Reasons Why Flipping the Classroom Can Change Education." Check out the list below:

1. Maximizes class time
2. Individualizes instruction
3. Creates peer learning opportunities
4. Improves effectiveness
5. Excites teachers
6. Interests students
7. Flipping benefits parents
8. It uses resources effectively
9. Builds 21st Century skills
10. Flipped classrooms could be the future of education

To learn more about each reason, as well as Fulton's caveats for each reason, check out the original article, "CoSN 2015: 10 Reasons Flipped Classrooms Could Change Education" by D. Frank Smith (EdTech Magazine). You can also learn more about flipped learning through Kathleen Fulton's book of the same name.

During the fall of 2014, over 521,865 K-12 students, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members participated in the 12th annual Speak Up online surveys facilitated by the national education nonprofit organization, Project Tomorrow© in conjunction with the Flipped Learning Network™.

For the third year in a row, specific questions were asked of teachers, librarians, and building and district administrators on flipped learning and the use of videos in the classroom. Educators and administrators weighed in on professional development when learning how to flip a class. Students lent their voices on flipped learning, videos as homework, and how (and how often) they use learning and social media tools. Click here to learn more.

CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) is the premier professional association for district technology leaders. For over two decades, CoSN has provided leaders with the management, community building, and advocacy tools they need to succeed. Today, CoSN represents over 10 million students in school districts nationwide and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education.