Project Tomorrow: Speak Up

October 23, 2008 |  Tagged , | 1 Comment

Julie Evens came to the CTAP Coordinating Council to share about Project Tomorrow’s Speak Up day, an annual national survey. Noticing a digital disconnect between teachers and students, they created an annual survey to collect student data which could facilitate discussions.

Core questions include learning and Teaching with Technology, Web 2.0 in Education, 21st Century Skills, Emerging Technologies (mobile devices, gaming, and online learning), and Designing the 21st Century School.

Key findings from the 2007 survey.

The digital disconnect is alive and well, between students and teachers, between girls and boys, and between older and younger students. There are fundamental differences between the grades, due that a critical mass of classrooms didn’t have Internet connectivity until 2002.

What do kids do?

Online and computer gaming, downloading music, communications, and maintaining a personal web site.

What technologies are nearing a tipping point?

Virtual worlds (25% of CA students in grades 3-5 participate–Club Penguin), video creation/sharing (20% HS students), and remixing content (19% of CA middle school students).

What are Teachers Doing?

Email/IM, creating PowerPoints,

Asked of students: What technology do you use for homework?

Writing, research, checking grades, emailing classmates, and creating presentations.

What do students consider the top five technology obstacles?

Filters and firewalls, rules against using technology, slow internet access, inadequate comptuers, and teachers limited technology use.

What do students say would make it easier to use technology?

Letting them use their own devices, giving them unlimited Internet access, access to school projects, and access to tools to communicate with classmates.

Key Trends

Multiple computers in teh backpack

Embracing and adapting new technologies

Anytime, anyplace computing

Self directed learning

Belending informal and formal

Everyone becomes a content developer

The number one trend is the Free Agent Learner.


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1 Comment so far

  1.    Joe on October 23, 2008 5:24 pm

    This project is great for facilitating those what-we-are-doing vs. what-we-should-be-doing conversations. I also think the data is a real eye opener for educators who aren’t currently affiliated with education technology. Any information about the differences in student populations, such as computer use amongst low and high SES students?

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