Showing posts with label Qualcomm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Qualcomm. Show all posts

Thursday, September 24, 2015

The homework gap is real - what can we do about it?

Last school year we teamed up with our friends at Qualcomm at Alvin Dunn Elementary School in San Marcos, California, to launch a tablet program to study and close the "homework gap" - a term coined by the FCC to describe the problem that students face when they are unable to complete schoolwork due to lack of Internet access at home. Through this study, participating students received tablets with data plans - a transformative experience for those affected by the homework gap. Yesterday our study was featured on WIRED - check out the preliminary data that was featured in the article:

  • Among the students who were previously affected by the homework gap, 96 percent said having at-home access made them better learners.
  • 84 percent of all the students surveyed said they were using the device to write papers and complete homework assignments at home.
  • After receiving tablets with data plans, students reported increases in confidence and collaboration with their peers.
  • More than half of the students said home Internet access has made them more interested in what they were learning.

For Julie Evans, this data isn't surprising - there have been similar impacts in schools across the country that have provided students Internet access at home. "At-home access facilitates the opportunity to be self-directed learners, and to take what they’re learning in school and extend it,” Evans says. “The idea of instilling in these students a desire for lifelong learning, and the resourcefulness to know how to go pursue that is something that transcends just learning algebra.”

With the homework gap becoming increasingly relevant, it's interesting to see what connectivity can do for students. Interested in learning more about our study with Qualcomm? Read the article on WIRED, "Schoolkids Don’t Just Need iPads. They Need Data Plans" by Issie Lapowsky.

This year our Speak Up surveys feature questions about the homework gap. Is your school or district working to close the homework gap? Let us know by participating in Speak Up 2015 - open from October 1st through December 18th, 2015. Click here to register.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Last Chance to Register for the Making Learning Mobile 2.0 Webinar!

Landing_Page_for_MLM-7.jpg

Time is running out! Don't miss this last opportunity to register for our webinar. Join executive leadership Michael Flood from Kajeet and Julie Evans from Project Tomorrow for a webinar on Wednesday, February 18 at 4 PM EST. This event will focus on the findings of a two-year long research study which took an in-depth look at the impact of 1-to-1 tablet implementation in elementary and middle schools. The project was sponsored by Kajeet with funding from Qualcomm’s Wireless Reach Initiative. Find out more about:

  • Increased student engagement in lessons which resulted in higher scores
  • Teacher adaptation to Mobile Learning which led to increased student reading and writing fluency
  • At-home Internet access led to higher student/family engagement, contributing to academic success
  • Detailed explanation of how Kajeet is working on bridging the digital divide


Date: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015
Time: 4:00 PM EST

Problems Registering?
Please contact Ayesha Lodhi at alodhi@kajeet.com for assistance.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

February 18th Webinar: Learn How Technology is Improving the Classroom Experience

Join executive leadership Michael Flood from Kajeet and Julie Evans from Project Tomorrow, for a webinar on Wednesday, February 18 at 4 PM EST. This event will focus on the findings of a two year long research study which took an in-depth look at the impact of 1-to-1 tablet implementation in elementary and middle schools. The project was sponsored by Kajeet with funding from Qualcomm’s Wireless Reach Initiative. Find out more about:

  • Increased student engagement in lessons which resulted in higher scores
  • Teacher adaptation to Mobile Learning which led to increased student reading and writing fluency
  • At-home Internet access led to higher student/family engagement, contributing to academic success
  • Detailed explanation of how Kajeet is working on bridging the digital divide


Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Time: 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Problems Registering?
Please contact Ayesha Lodhi at alodhi@kajeet.com for assistance.

Friday, February 6, 2015

Project Tomorrow featured in The Journal

Earlier this week, Project Tomorrow, Kajeet, and Qualcomm's Wireless Reach Initiative were featured in Dian Schaffhauser's "Internet Access as Vital as Devices to Boosting the Learning Experience" in The Journal. The article discusses the results from our three-year study at Falconer Elementary School in Chicago, IL, which were published in our Making Learning Mobile 2.0 Report. Read an excerpt from Schaffhauser's article below:
 "Within the school 127 fifth grade students and their four teachers were outfitted with Samsung Android tablets and SmartSpots for personal use. Just over a third of the students told the researchers that they didn't have access to high-speed Internet at home. 
As part of the study, the four teachers also received 56 hours of professional development, coaching and mentoring 'to increase their effectiveness with using the tablets for instruction.' Because this was the second year of the study, the researchers initially thought the educators would have a greater 'comfort level' in their use of the device and online tools within their instruction. However, staffing changes meant that only two of the original four were part of the fifth grade class in the second year, which meant half the teacher team still had a learning curve. Yet, noted the report, 'The teachers' strong commitment to professional development and their willingness to incorporate new strategies and resources into their classroom is a hallmark of a successful and maturing mobile learning project.'"
Interested in learning more about the Making Learning Mobile study? Read the Journal's article, "Internet Access as Vital as Devices to Boosting the Learning Experience" by Dian Schaffhauser, and check out the Making Learning Mobile 2.0 Report.

THE Journal is dedicated to informing and educating K-12 senior-level district and school administrators, technologists, and tech-savvy educators within districts, schools, and classrooms to improve and advance the learning process through the use of technology. Launched in 1972, THE Journal was the first magazine to cover education technology. THE Journal is the leading resource for administrative, technical, and academic technology leaders in K-12 education.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Speak Up News, January 2015

Happy New Year! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. This past survey period brought in record-breaking numbers, with a total of 521,861 surveys taken by 431,238 students, 44,299 teachers, 4,326 administrators, 35,342 parents, and 6,656 members of the community! Although Speak Up 2014 is over, we still have exciting news and events to look out for. Keep reading to learn more!
In this newsletter, you will find information regarding...
▪ Speak Up 2014 data release: Your survey results are in and will be released on February 4th!
▪ Speak Up America winners: We are thrilled to announce the Speak Up America winners of classroom grants, conference registrations, and more!
▪ Making Learning Mobile: The results from our two-year-long study on mobile learning with Kajeet are in!
▪ Speak Up on the go! Learn more about upcoming presentations with our CEO, Julie Evans. 

Happy reading! Feel free to share your thoughts with us on FacebookTwitter, and our Blog.

-The Project Tomorrow team

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Speak Up 2014

Data will be released on February 4th!

Thank you to the 431,238 students, 44,299 teachers, 4,326 administrators, 35,342 parents, and 6,656 members of the community who participated in Speak Up 2014. We are thrilled to release the survey data on February 4th! Be on the lookout for more information closer to the release date. In the meantime, check out the preliminary data we pulled during Speak Up America week:

Preliminary data

Last month we pulled special snapshots of preliminary data for students, parents, teachers, librarians and principals. Each day during Speak Up America Week we released a special video infographic on new Speak Up findings. Check out each snapshot below:
▪ Teachers
▪ Parents
▪ Students
▪ Librarians
▪ Principals
Click here to view all the snapshots.
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Speak Up America

Last month, over 85,000 students, parents, educators, administrators, and community members participated in Speak Up America 2014! In its second year, Speak Up America celebrated past and present participants with opportunities to win classroom grants, free conference registrations, and more. We are thrilled to announce the winners below:
Onslow 2
Southwood Elementary
Newington Schools

Photo and video challenge winners

Speak Up for America Photo Challenge Winners
▪ Hunters Creek Middle School from Onslow County, NC
▪ Southwood Elementary School from MSD of Wabash County, IN
▪ Martin Kellogg Middle School from Newington Public Schools, CT


Speak Up for America Video Challenge Winners
▪ Saint John XXIII Catholic School from Scottsdale, AZ
▪ Escola Antoni Gaudi from Barcelona, Spain


Conference registration winners

ISTE 2015 Conference and Expo

  • Shelby County School District, AL
  • Wake County Public School System, NC
TCEA 2015 Conference & Exposition

  • Mission Consolidated Independent School District, TX
CUE 2015 Annual Conference

  • Clark County Schools, NV 
  • Anaheim City School District, CA
NETA 2015 Spring Conference

  • Mullen Public Schools, NE
NCCE 2015 Conference

  • Lakeside High School from Nine Mile Falls School District, WA
BbWorld 2015

  • Klein ISD, TX
2015 iNACOL Blended and Online Learning Symposium

  • Albemarle County Public Schools, VA

BrainPOP classroom certificate winners

▪ Bradie M Shrum Elementary from Salem Community Schools, IN
▪ Magma Ranch K-8 School from Florence Unified School District, AZ


Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to everyone who participated in Speak Up America! Learn more about the week long event here.
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Making Learning Mobile

The Making Learning Mobile 2.0 study, sponsored by Kajeet with funding fromQualcomm's Wireless Reach Initiative and Project Tomorrow, takes an in-depth look at the impact of 1-to-1 tablet implementation, including Internet access outside the classroom, with students from Chicago Public Schools. For the past two years, Project Tomorrow has worked with Kajeet to assess the impact of mobile devices on teaching and learning, and the results are in!

Results from the Making Learning Mobile study

▪ The school-issued tablet increased at-home Internet access for this cohort of students by 53%. This is especially significant given the persistence of the digital divide in home Internet access within our communities.
▪ The teachers felt more comfortable and assigned more reading and writing homework because the students had home Internet access. This resulted in increased reading and writing fluency, which is especially important for English Language Learners.
▪ 60% of the students agreed their reading increased because of their personal access to the tablet and the Internet; 60% noted they did more writing this school year than in previous years and that the tablet helped them improve their writing skills.

Interested in learning more? Download the report, and don't miss our webinar with Kajeet on Wednesday, February 18th at 4pm EST - click here to register.
Kajeet
QC
PT
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Speak Up On the Go!

Upcoming presentations

8 Essentials for Mobile Learning
District leadership workshop
San Marcos, CA
Friday, January 23rd
Sneak Peek at Speak Up 2014 Findings
Marketing Boot Camp at TCEA
Austin, TX
Tuesday, February 3rd
The Current Pulse on Ed Tech
NASSP Conference
San Diego, CA
Friday, February 20th
Workshop: Designing, Implementing and Evaluating Gender-Sensitive Mobile Learning Projects in Educational Settings
UNESCO's Mobile Learning Week
Paris, France
Monday, February 23rd
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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 FacebookTwitterInstagramand 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.
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Monday, September 1, 2014

There's still time to pick your panels for SXSWedu 2015!


We need your help! Julie Evans is featured in two proposals for SXSWedu 2015's Panel Picker, where educators can cast their votes for the most compelling ideas and ultimately shape the conference line-up. Voting ends on September 5th so make sure to give our sessions a "thumbs up" before time is out - you'll need to create a SXSW username and password if you don't already have one, but the process is simple and free! Learn more about the sessions below:
  1. Paying it Forward: Leveraging Today's Female Voices
    • This panel brings together female change agents intentionally gathered from across the ed tech space to examine the unique role women play at this nexus of education and technology. Research has demonstrated that the today’s young girls and women need role models in technology fields to develop self-efficacy in these fields. Whether you are examining how to further your own voice, grow your PLN, or mentor the next great generation of female ed tech leaders, this is a “must attend” conversation.
    • Vote for this session here
  2. Learning My Way: Anytime, Anywhere, Anyplace
    • Giving students 24/7 access to learning materials can dramatically improve education outcomes as proven in 40+ pilot projects. However, data shows that up to 30% of U.S. households have no access to high-speed broadband at home, and in some districts it’s as high as 70%. This causes many students to power down after school. We need a viable solution to address the gaps for those students without access. Learn about new mobile-centric solutions to enable safe and affordable 24/7 learning.
    • Vote for this session here
Don't forget - voting ends this Friday on September 5th!

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Pick Your Panels: Vote Us Onto the Official SXSWedu Line-Up

We need your help! Julie Evans is featured in two proposals for SXSWedu 2015's Panel Picker, where educators can cast their votes for the most compelling ideas and ultimately shape the conference line-up. Voting ends on September 5th so make sure to give our sessions a "thumbs up" - you'll need to create a SXSW username and password if you don't already have one, but the process is simple and free! Check out the second session below:

Session two - Learning My Way: Anytime, Anywhere, Anyplace

Giving students 24/7 access to learning materials can dramatically improve education outcomes as proven in 40+ pilot projects. However, data shows that up to 30% of U.S. households have no access to high-speed broadband at home, and in some districts it’s as high as 70%. This causes many students to power down after school. We need a viable solution to address the gaps for those students without access. Learn about new mobile-centric solutions to enable safe and affordable 24/7 learning.



Additional Supporting Materials


Questions Answered

  1. Communicate how mobile technologies of the future can solve and enhance a new learning experience to help ensure today’s students are well prepared to be tomorrow’s innovators, leaders and engaged citizens of the world.
  2. Start a conversation around new mobile-centric solutions to enable safe, affordable, and equitable 24/7 learning.
  3. Learn how 24/7 access to their learning materials gives students, teachers and tutors the ability to improve education outcomes - and what you can do to diminish the digital divide in your area.

Speakers

Organizer

Catherine Baker Qualcomm
Don't forget - voting ends on September 5th!