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8/8/2019 Speak Up 2009 Unleashing The Future
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SpeakUp2009
UnleashingtheFuture:Educators“SpeakUp”abouttheuseofEmergingTechnologiesforLearning
ProjectTomorrow,2010 [1]
Overview
Technology has enabled students to have greater access to vast array of resources, classes and experts;
empowering students to become “Free Agent Learners” who are creating meaningful personalized learning
experiences24/7outsideofthetraditionalclassroomandschoolstructure.
In the report Creating our Future: Students Speak Up about their Vision for 21st Century Learning, Project
Tomorrow(2010)outlinedcompellingevidencethatstudentsareusingtechnologytotakeresponsibilityfortheir
own learning, often times bypassing traditional educational settings. As “Free Agent Learners,” students use
technology to personalize their learning experience to meet their individual learning styles and interests.
Students,however, arealso interestedin incorporating thesetypesoflearning experiencesin their classroom.
Thestudentssharedavisionfor21stcenturylearningthatincludesthesethreeessentialelements:
Social-based learning – students wantto leverage emerging communications and collaboration tools to
createandpersonalizenetworksofexpertstoinformtheireducationprocess.
Un-tethered learning – students envision technology-enabled learning experiences that transcend theclassroom walls and are not limited by resource constraints, traditional funding streams, geography,
communityassetsoreventeacherknowledgeorskills.
Digitally-richlearning–studentsseetheuseofrelevancy-baseddigitaltools,contentandresourcesasa
keytodrivinglearningproductivity,notjustaboutengagingstudentsinlearning.
With the Speak Up Project in 2009, we endeavored to better understand how educators are responding to
students’interestinanewparadigmforlearningandhowtheymayalreadybeleveragingtechnologytofacilitate
digitally-richlearningenvironmentswherestudentshaveopportunitiestolearncollaboratively,withclassmates
or experts, anytime or anywhere. This report explores the views of teachers, principals and future teachers
collected during Speak Up 2009 and highlights how they use, and aspire to use, emerging technologies forteachingandlearning.
SpeakUp2009revealsthattheeffectiveintegrationoftechnologywithininstructionisimportanttobothdistrict
administrators and principals. Overwhelmingly, over 90 percent agree that the effective implementation of
instructional technology is important/extremely important to their mission. In fact, over one-half of district
administratorsreportthattheuseoftechnologywithininstructionisoneoftheirmostsignificantchallenges;the
type that ismost likely “to wake them up in the middle of the night.” In response to this priority, district
administratorsarebeginningtobuildaninfrastructurethatwillenableteachers(andstudents)tocreatesocially-
based,un-tethered, digitally rich learning environments. Supporting this vision, thetop technology tools that
administratorsbelievehave thegreatestpotential toenhancestudent achievementinclude: collaboration and
communications tools, mobile computers (such as laptops and netbooks) for every student, online classes,
campuswideInternetaccess,digitalmediatoolsandinteractivewhiteboards.
However,realizingthisvisionisnotwithoutchallenges,administratorsstruggletodevelopeffectivepoliciesthat
enablestudentstogaingreateraccesstolearningresourcesbeyondtheschoolwalls,andtosecurethefundingto
purchase technology, provide professional staff development and offer long-term curriculum and technology
support.
8/8/2019 Speak Up 2009 Unleashing The Future
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SpeakUp2009
UnleashingtheFuture:Educators“SpeakUp”abouttheuseofEmergingTechnologiesforLearning
ProjectTomorrow,2010 [2]
Itis,therefore,essentialthatschoolsanddistrictscontinuetomakeinvestmentsintechnologyastheSpeakUp
datarevealsnewattitudesandvaluesabouttheimpactoftechnologyonboththelearnerandtheteacher.While
manyteachersareusingdigitalmediatools(66percent),digitalresources(46percent)andgames(42percent);
theyarelackingaccesstomobilecomputersordevicesforeverystudentandconsistent,reliableInternetaccess
intheirclassroom.
Teachers tellusthatasaresultofusingtechnologyin theclassroomstudentsaremoremotivatedto learn(51
percent), apply their knowledge to practical problems (30 percent) and take ownership of their learning (23
percent).Teachersalsoreportthatbyusingtechnologystudentsaredevelopingkey21stcenturyskillsincluding
creativity(39percent),collaboration(30percent)andskillsinproblem-solvingandcriticalthinking(27percent);
thus,effectivelypreparingthemforfuturesuccessintheworkplaceandtheglobalsociety.Teachersalsosee
changesintheirteachingpracticeasaresultoftechnologyintegrationwithininstruction.Overone-thirdofthe
teacherstellusasaresultofclassroomtechnologytheyaremorelikelytoencouragestudentstobeself-directed,
facilitatestudent centered learning andcreatemore relevant andinteractive lessons. Thelearningexperience
becomes more meaningful for the student as teachers have new found time to differentiate instruction (31
percent) to a greater degree, and have more access to information about how their students are doing
academically(29percent).
Sincefall2003,SpeakUphasdocumentedhowstudentsembracetheuseof technologyoutsideofschool,and
theirdesiretousethesametechnologytolearn.Technologyhasenabledstudentstopersonalizetheirlearning,
collaboratewiththeirpeers,takeclassesonline,andlocateexpertsorresourcestogainabetterunderstandingof
asubjecttheyarestudying.Perhaps,itistimethatwelistentoourstudentsandutilizethetechnologytocreate
opportunities that will challenge and stimulate them while nurturing their love for learning. By thinking
strategically,updatingourpoliciesandleveragingthepotentialresourcesaffordedthroughthecurrentnational
andstatefundingstreamswehaveauniqueopportunitytore-engagestudentsintheirlearning.Thisreport,
servesasacompaniontoCreatingourFuture:StudentsSpeakUpabouttheirVisionfor21stCenturyLearning,andhighlightstheviewsof1,987futureteachers,38,642teachersand3,890principalsand633districtadministrators
collectedduringSpeakUp2009.
AbouttheSpeakUpNationalResearchProjectandSpeakUp2009
Speak Up is a national initiative of Project Tomorrow, the nation’s leading education nonprofit organization
dedicatedtoensuringthattoday’sstudentsarewellpreparedtobetomorrow’sinnovators,leadersandengaged
citizens.Sincefall2003,theannualSpeakUpNationalResearchProjecthascollectedandreportedontheviews
ofover1.85millionK-12students,teachers,administratorsandparentsrepresentingover23,000schoolsinall50
states. The Speak Up data represents the largest collection of authentic, unfiltered stakeholder input on
education, technology,21st century skills, schoolsof the future andscienceandmath instruction. Education,businessandpolicyleadersreportusingthedataregularlytoinformfederal,stateandlocaleducationprograms.
Demographicsofreportingsample
In fall 2009, Project Tomorrow surveyed 299,677 K-12 students, 26,312 parents, 38,642 teachers, and 3,947
administratorsrepresenting5,757schoolsand1,215districtsincludingpublic(97percent)andprivate(3percent)
schools. Schools from urban (38 percent), suburban (31 percent) and rural (32 percent) communities were
represented.Overone-halfoftheschoolsthatparticipatedinSpeakUp2009wereTitleIeligible(anindicatorof
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SpeakUp2009
UnleashingtheFuture:Educators“SpeakUp”abouttheuseofEmergingTechnologiesforLearning
ProjectTomorrow,2010 [3]
studentpopulationpoverty)and42percenthavemorethan50percentminoritypopulationattending.TheSpeak
Up2009surveysforK-12stakeholderswasavailableonlineforinputbetweenOctober18,2009andDecember
18,2009.
TheK-12surveysincludedfoundationquestionsabouttheuseoftechnologyforlearning,21stcenturyskillsand
schoolsofthefuture,aswellasemergingtechnologies(onlinelearning,mobiledevicesanddigitalcontent),mathinstructionandSTEMcareerexploration.Inaddition,educatorssharedthechallengestheyencounterintegrating
technologyintotheirschoolsanddistricts.
For the first time, Project Tomorrow also surveyed 1,987 college students enrolled in teacher preparation
programs.SpeakUpforAspiringTeacherswasopenforinputNovember4th
,2009throughFebruary14th
,2010.
Participating college students represented seventy-one different colleges with 69 percent of the students
reportingthemselvesasundergraduatesineducationorrelatedmajorsorteacherpreparationprogramsand31
percentin graduate programs. Of theparticipatingcolleges, 89percentwere 4-yearpublic institutions and6
percentwere4-yearprivateinstitutions.
TheSpeakUpsurveysforaspiringteacherssoughttocollecttheviewsofthenextgenerationofteachersonthe
roleoftechnology intheirpersonallivesaswellaswithintheirpreparationprograms,andtheiraspirations for
usingtechnologyintheirfutureclassrooms.Webelievethatthedatafromthisstakeholdergroupisimportantto
the national discussion on how to effectively create new classrooms and learning spaces that will prepare
studentsforfuturesuccess.
Thedataresultsareaconveniencesample;schools,districtsandcollegesself-selecttoparticipateandfacilitate
thesurvey-takingprocessfortheirstudents,educatorsandparents.Allschools,districtsorcollegesintheUnited
Statesareeligible toparticipate intheannualresearchproject. Tominimizebias inthesurveyresults,Project
Tomorrowconductssignificantoutreachtoensureadequateregional,socio-economicandracial/ethnic/cultural
distribution. To participate in Speak Up, organizations register to participate, promote the survey to their
constituentsandscheduletimefortheirstakeholderstotakethe15-minuteonlinesurvey.StartinginFebruary
2010, all participating organizations receive free, online access to their data with comparative national
benchmarks.StafffromProjectTomorrowsummarize,analyze,andverifythenationaldatathroughaseriesof
focusgroupsandinterviewswithrepresentativegroupsofstudents,educatorsandparents.
This reporthighlightstheviewsof1,987futureteachers,38,642 teachers and3,890principalsand 633district
administrators collected during Speak Up 2009, and include comparative K-12 student data findings where
appropriate.
Creatingavisionfor21stcenturylearningOverwhelming , district administrators (90 percent) and principals (92 percent) report that the effective
implementationofinstructionaltechnologyisimportant/extremelyimportanttotheirmission.Furtheranalysis
revealsthatdistrictadministrators(60percent)aremorelikelythanprincipals(55percent),teachers(38percent)
orfuture teachers (38percent)tobelievethe integrationof instructional technology isextremelyimportantto
theirdistrict’scoremission.
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SpeakUp2009
UnleashingtheFuture:Educators“SpeakUp”abouttheuseofEmergingTechnologiesforLearning
ProjectTomorrow,2010 [4]
Over one-half ofdistrict administrators reported that theuse of technologywithin instructionwasoneof the
challengesmostlikelyto“wakeyouup”inthemiddleofthenight,justbelowadequatefunding(66percent).By
comparison,principals reported studentachievement (55 percent) andadequate funding(51 percent) as their
twotopchallenges.Integratingtheuseoftechnologywithininstructionrankedseventhontheprincipal’slist(out
of21challenges),suggestingthat district administrators aresetting thepace andvision forthe integrationof
technologywithintheirdistrict’sschools.
To gain a better understanding of the administrator’s vision for learning, the Speak Up survey asked
administrators to reflect on Clayton Christensen’s predictions about teaching and learning, from the book
“DisruptingClass:HowDisruptiveInnovationWillChangetheWaytheWorldLearns,”andtosharetheirvisionfor
2019.“Whatwillteachingandlearning look likeinyourschoolordistrictin2019?Whattechnologieswillbe
pervasive?Will therole of theteacher bedifferent? Will students have different expectations for learning
experiences?Whatareyoudoingtodaythatcanhelppositionyourschoolordistricttobesuccessfulin2019?”
Interestingly,administratorspaintedavisionverysimilartowhatweheardfromthestudents:
“In2019,Ipredictthatschoolswillbebeyondtheboundariesoffourwalls.Allstudentsingrades2-12willhavelaptopsordevicesthatwillallowanyhardsurfacetobecomeacomputer.Anytime,anyplacelearningwillbethenorm.
Printedmaterials,suchastextbooksandlibrarybookswillbereplacedwithdigitalreadersthatcanhold
thousandsofbooks.”CTO/CIO/TechnologySupervisor(AL)
“Cellphones(ortheirreplacements)willbeusedintheclassroom.Teacherswillhavemoretechnologyattheirdisposaland
textbookswillberare.”Principal(AL)
“Teachingwillgobeyondschoolwallsandinvolvesexplorationaroundtheworldviatechnology…” Principal(AL)
“Ibelievethateducationwillfinallyevolveintoaninteractivelearningprocess.”Principal(TX)
Infact,whenaskedtodesigntheultimateschoolofthefuturethereareseveralsignificantsimilaritiesinthetopfivepicks for middle and high school students, principals and district administrators (see Table1). Common
elementsincludecommunicationsandcollaborationtoolsandmobilecomputersforeverystudent.While,online
textbooksdidn’tmakethetopfivelistforprincipalsordistrictadministrators,demandforonlinetextbooksasa
potentialtool fordrivingincreasedstudentachievementincreasedfrom39percentin SpeakUp2008to about
one-halfofadministratorsinSpeakUp2009.Likewise,onlineclassesareatoppickfordistrictadministrators(58
percent)withonlyaslightlylowerrankingontheprioritylistofprincipals(44percent)andstudents(50percent).
Studentscontinue toseethepotentialtransformativeimpactofgamesandvirtualsimulations forlearningand
tellusthatthesetoolshelpthemconnectcontentwiththerealworldandgivethemopportunitiestoapplytheir
knowledge,testtheirassumptionsandtakerisksinasafeenvironment.Bycomparison,onlyaboutone-quarter
ofthedistrictadministratorsandprincipalsselectedgamesandsimulationsforinclusionintheirultimateschool.
8/8/2019 Speak Up 2009 Unleashing The Future
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SpeakUp2009
UnleashingtheFuture:Educators“SpeakUp”abouttheuseofEmergingTechnologiesforLearning
ProjectTomorrow,2010 [5]
Table1:Toptechnologypicksfortheultimateschool
MiddleandHighSchool
Students
Principals District
Administrators
Communicationstools(61%) Interactivewhiteboards(60%) CollaborationTools(67%)
Digitalmediatools(60%) Mobilecomputerforevery
studentsuchaslaptop,mini-
notebook,tabletPC(58%)
Mobilecomputerforeverystudent
suchaslaptop,mini-notebook,
tabletPC(66%)
Onlinetextbooks(58%) Communicationstools(55%) OnlineClasses(58%)
Mobilecomputerforevery
studentsuchaslaptop,mini-
notebook,tabletPC(57%)
DigitalMediaTools(54%) CampuswideInternetAccess(57%)
Gamesorvirtual
simulations(56%)
Collaborationtools(51%) Interactivewhiteboards(55%)
Asprincipalsanddistrictadministratorsworktowardgreaterintegrationoftechnologyintoclassroominstruction,
their primary challenges include funding to acquire new technologies (55percent) or update the technology
infrastructure (45 percent), staff professional development (46 percent) and on-going technical support (32
percent).Districtadministrators(31percent)andprincipals(23percent)includeddatacollectionandreporting
requirementsontheir“topfivelist”ofchallenges.Roundingout the“topfive”wereassessmentof technology
skills (35 percent) for district administrators, while principals selected evaluating emerging technologies for
classroomuse(24percent).Giventhecurrentlandscape,howdoadministratorsmovefromtheircurrentstateto
realize their new vision for 21st century learning? Let’s explore this further through the essential elements
envisionedbythestudentsandreportedin“CreatingourFuture:StudentsSpeakUpabouttheirVision for21st
CenturyLearning”:social-basedlearning,un-tetheredlearninganddigitallyrichlearningopportunities.
8/8/2019 Speak Up 2009 Unleashing The Future
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SpeakUp2009
UnleashingtheFuture:Educators“SpeakUp”abouttheuseofEmergingTechnologiesforLearning
ProjectTomorrow,2010 [6]
EssentialElement1:Social-basedlearning
Studentswanttoleverageemergingcommunicationsandcollaborationtoolstocreate
andpersonalizenetworksofexpertstoinformtheireducationprocess.
Administrators“SpeakUp”aboutlearningin2019…
“Teacherswillbefacilitators,helpingstudentswithfindinginformationandcollaborativegroupsforlearning.
Studentswillbeconstructingtheirownlearningbasedonexperience,researchandcollaborationusingtools
thatwilldoawaywithwallsandphysicalbarriers.”
Librarian(TX)
Studentscontinuetotellususingtechnologytocommunicateandcollaboratewiththeirclassmatesandteachers
helpsthemlearnandenhancestheirexperience.Technologyhasenabledstudentstoreachoutbeyondthe
boundariesoftheirtraditionalcircleoffriends,classroomandschooltoseeknewexpertstoaddtotheirlearning
network.Everadaptingtonewtechnologiesstudentshavemovedbeyondtheuseofemail,andprefertouse
communicationtoolsthatprovidemoreinstantaneousinteractionsuchasIMortextmessaging.Theyalso
communicateviatheirsocialnetworkingprofile,discussionboardsandonlinechats(ProjectTomorrow,2010). So
howpreparedareschoolstoprovideopportunitiesforsocial-basedlearning?
Areeducatorsinvestinginandusingtechnologytofacilitatecollaboration?
Facilitatingmeaningfulsocial-basedlearningrequiresasupportivetechnologyinfrastructure,accesstotechnology
(providedbythestudentorschool)andexplicitopportunitiesforstudentstocollaborate.Teachers(63percent),
principals (55percent) anddistrict administrators (54percent) agree that communications tools shouldbean
integralpartofa21stcenturyschool.Collaborationtoolssuchasblogs,socialnetworkingsites,orwikishavea
roleintheultimateschoolfordistrictadministrators(67percent)andprincipals(51percent);however,only27
percentof teachers agree at this time. While administrators envision thepotential for social-based learningenvironments, the Speak Up 2009 data suggests we’re not there yet. Teachers are still more likely to
communicatewiththeirpeersorstudents’parents(90percent)ratherthanstudents(34percent).Howeverit
shouldbenotedthataswehaveseenwithothertechnologies,teachers’personaluseoftechnologytoolsand
servicesoftenprecedestheincorporationof thesetoolsintoclassroomuse. Interestingly,in the2009datawe
noticedastrongincreaseinteachers’personaluseofsocialnetworkingsitesoutsideofschool.In2008,only15
percentofteacherstoldusthattheyregularlyupdatedasocialnetworkingsite;in2009,48percentarenowsocial
networkusers.
Do our future teachers hold promise for creating social-based learning environments? About one-quarter of
responding future teachers report they are learning, in their teaching methodscourses, how touse Internet-
based(Web2.0toolssuchas,blogs,wikis,socialnetworkinganddigitalmedia)toolsto facilitatecollaboration
betweenstudents.ItappearsfromtheSpeakUpdatathattheprimaryskillsbeingtaughtinthemethodscourses
arearoundtheuseofproductivitytoolssuchaswordprocessing,spreadsheetanddatabasetools(53percent).
8/8/2019 Speak Up 2009 Unleashing The Future
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SpeakUp2009
UnleashingtheFuture:Educators“SpeakUp”abouttheuseofEmergingTechnologiesforLearning
ProjectTomorrow,2010 [7]
Howdowegetthere?
Effectiveuseofsocialbasedlearningdependsuponasolidinfrastructureandappropriatepoliciesthatleverage
thepotentialofthesetoolstoimproveteachingandlearningopportunitiesforall.Echoingstudents’frustrations
about technology use at school, teachers also report their use of technology is circumvented by filters and
firewalls(45percent),lackofcomputersortechequipment(41percent)andsloworinconsistentInternetaccess(37percent).
EssentialElement2:Un-tetheredlearning
Studentsenvisiontechnology-enabledlearningexperiencesthattranscendtheclassroomwalls
andarenotlimitedbyresourceconstraints,traditionalfundingstreams,geography,
communityassetsoreventeacherknowledgeorskills.
Administrators“SpeakUp”aboutlearningin2019…
“Studentscanlearnanywhere,home,schoolorontheroad.”
DistrictAdministrator(KY)
Studentsarealreadyusingmobiledevices(suchascellphones,SmartPhonesandMP3players)topersonalize
their learning as they look up information on the Internetor access online textbooks, collaborate with their
classmates, take notes, record lectures or video class presentations or experiments, or even play educational
games–allwithoutbeingtetheredtoaclassroomoracomputerlab.Studentsalsoareusingmobiledevicesto
enhancetheirpersonalproductivityastheycommunicatewithclassmatesandtheirteachers,receivereminders&
alertsabout tests andprojects, organize schoolworkor create/share documents ormedia (Project Tomorrow,
2010).Yet,despitetheincreasinglywidespreadaccessthatstudentshavetothesemobiledevicesandstudents’
aspirations to use them within a wide range of learning situations, students continue to find resistance fromteachersandadministratorsabouttheapplicabilityofsuchdevicesat school. Middleandhighschoolstudents
reportinSpeakUp2009thatthe#1obstacletousingtechnologyatschoolis“Icannotusemyowncellphone,
SmartPhoneorMp3player.”Thisisinstarkcontrasttopreviousyears;sinceSpeakUp’sinceptionin2003,the
primaryobstaclereportedbystudentshasbeen“schoolfiltersandfirewallsthatblockwebsitesthatIneed.”This
significantchange is illustrative of both thestudents’ increased access to thedevicesbut also thevalue that
studentsareplacingonsuch“computersinthepocket”asalearningtool.
Revolving around this discussion about theappropriate useof both mobile devicesandmobile computers at
schoolisalargerissueofInternetandnetworkaccess.
Openingthegatestocampus-wideInternetaccess
Aseducatorsmovetowardsaddressingstudents’desiresforun-tetheredlearning,administratorshavetobalance
thecompetingdemandsofprovidingmeaningfulInternet-basedlearningexperienceswithparents’demandsand
federalandstateguidelinesforensuringstudentsafetyontheInternet.Principalsanddistrictadministratorsare
equallyconcernedwith thedistrict’scurrent cell phone policies(55 percent), Internet safetyandthe district’s
subsequentliability(45percent)andcreatingacceptableusepolicies(30percent).
8/8/2019 Speak Up 2009 Unleashing The Future
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SpeakUp2009
UnleashingtheFuture:Educators“SpeakUp”abouttheuseofEmergingTechnologiesforLearning
ProjectTomorrow,2010 [8]
Unleashinglearningwithmobiledevices
Overalldistrictadministratorsaremorelikelythenprincipalsorteacherstorecognizethevalueofusingmobile
devices for learning (Figure 1). The primarybenefit citedby all audiences is increased student engagement;
however, district administrators,principalsandteachers tovaryingdegrees recognize that mobiledevicesalso
supportsocialbasedlearningbyenablingpersonalizedlearningandhelpingstudentsdevelopworkplaceskillsincollaboration,teamwork,andcommunications.
Figure1:Educators'SpeakUpaboutperceivedbenefitsofusingmobiledevicesforinstruction
Implementingmobiledevicesintoinstructionhasthepotentialtoserveatwo-foldpurposebymeetingboththe
needsof studentsand,atthesame time,helping todevelopteachers’capacity tofurtherintegratetechnology
intotheclassroom.First,usingmobiledevicesprovidesanopportunityforadministratorstoextendtheschool
day;therebymeetingthestudents’desiretolearnanytimeor anywhere. Secondly,investinginmobiledevices
has the potential to help teachers develop their own technical skills, and improve communications and
productivity (Figure2). Ifeducators are supportive ofusingmobiledevices for learning, thenwhatis stopping
them?
8/8/2019 Speak Up 2009 Unleashing The Future
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SpeakUp2009
UnleashingtheFuture:Educators“SpeakUp”abouttheuseofEmergingTechnologiesforLearning
ProjectTomorrow,2010 [9]
Figure2:Mobiledevicesbenefitstudentsandteachers
Mobiledevicesarereadilyavailable,whyaren’ttheybeingusedforinstruction?
Over 50percent ofmiddleschoolandhigh schoolstudentsinclude mobilecomputers, such asa laptop,mini-
notebook,or tabletPC,in thelistof technologytools fortheirultimate school.Eventhougheducatorsseethe
valueofintegratingmobiledevicesintoinstruction,onlya fewteachersarecurrentlyusingmobiledevices (10
percent)oralaptop,mini-notebookortabletPC(14percent)toenhancestudentachievement.However,when
weasked theaspiring teachers toenvisiontheir futureclassroom andtechnology use, the next generationof
teachersaretwiceaslikelytoseethemselvesincorporating mobiledevices suchascellphones,PDAs,orMP3
players(24percent)andthreetimesaslikelytoincludelaptops,mini-notebooksortabletPCs(49percent)intheir
futureclassrooms. Students’demand forthe integrationof mobile computers anddeviceswithininstructioncontinues to grow. Yet, the majority of teachers and future teachers do not have the experience or skill to
effectivelyintegratethesedevicesintoinstruction;highlightingtheneedtoinvestinprofessionaldevelopmentto
ensure that a solid foundation is created in order to realize the students’ vision for un-tethered learning
experiences.
Whiledistrictadministratorsaresupportiveofintegratingmobiledevicesintotheclassroom,boththeteachers’
(76percent)andprincipals’(44percent)perceptionthatmobiledeviceswillbeadistractionmayinfluencethat
vision and subsequent implementation efforts. Furthermore, while students value the interactivity and
accessibilityof contentandtheirpeers throughthedevices,teachersareconcernedthatthesehighlyengaging
andcompellingdevicesmaycausemoredistractionsthanbenefitsandfearthatstudentswillsurftheInternet,textfriendsorplaygames(seeTable2).
8/8/2019 Speak Up 2009 Unleashing The Future
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SpeakUp2009
UnleashingtheFuture:Educators“SpeakUp”abouttheuseofEmergingTechnologiesforLearning
ProjectTomorrow,2010 [10]
Principalsreport theprimarybarrierto implementingmobiledeviceswithininstruction isthepotentialtheftof
thedevicesatschool. Bothprincipalsanddistrict administratorsareequallyconcernedwithnetwork security,
andteachers’ lackofexperience inusingmobiledevicesforlearning.Teachersandprincipalshavea significant
differenceintheirperceptionsabouttheteachers’abilitytointegratemobiledevicesintoinstruction.Aboutone-
halfoftheadministratorsareconcernedthatteachersdon’tknowhowtoeffectivelyusemobiledeviceswithin
instructioncomparedtoonly24percentofteacherswhosharethatsameview.Districtadministratorsareslightly
moreconcernedthanprincipalsaboutstudentshavingaccesstomobiledevices.
Howwillwemeetstudents’demandforonlinelearning?
Studentinterestinonlinelearninghasexplodedoverthepastfewyearsandalmostthree-quartersofhighschool
studentsreporttheyknowsomeone(afamilymemberorfriend)whohastakenanonlineclass.SpeakUp2009
revealsthathighschoolstudentshaveawiderangeofexperiencewithonlineclasses,includingclasses:ledbya
teacher (13 percent), self-study (12 percent), or blended with a combination of online and face-to-face (8
percent).Thepercentofhighschoolstudentstakinganonlineclassforschoolandpersonalreasonsdoubledfrom
SpeakUp2008.Additionally,overone-thirdofhighschoolandmiddleschoolstudentswhohavenevertakenan
onlineclassalsoexpressinterestintakingone.
Table2:Educators’biggestconcernsaboutusing
mobiledevicesatschool
Reason
Teachers
(n=34,280)
Principals
(n=2,893)
DistrictAdministrators(n=535)
Studentswillbedistracted 76% 44% 34%
Notallstudentshavethemobiledevices(digital
equity)
62% 48% 52%
Concernedthatstudentswillcheatusingthe
devices
33% N/A N/A
Teachersdon’tknowhowtoeffectivelyusethe
deviceswithininstruction
24% 51% 54%
Needcurriculumtosupporttheuseofmobile
devices
23% 37% 39%
Concernswiththeftatschool N/A 56% 40%
Currentdistrictcellphonepolicies N/A 56% 55%
Concernsaboutnetworksecurity N/A 54% 56%
Source:SpeakUp2009,©ProjectTomorrow2010
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SpeakUp2009
UnleashingtheFuture:Educators“SpeakUp”abouttheuseofEmergingTechnologiesforLearning
ProjectTomorrow,2010 [11]
Onlinelearningisakeycomponentofthestudents’visionforanun-tetheredlearningenvironment.Yet,many
studentstellusthattheprimarybarrierstoactuallytakinganonlineclassarealackofinformationaboutavailable
classesandthelogisticalstepsfortakinganonlineclass.Simply,studentsneedhelpintranslatingtheirinterestin
onlinelearningintoimplementationandmanyarelookingforassistanceinthisfromtheirschool.Andwhile
studentinterestinonlinelearningcontinuestoincrease,administratorsreporttheirprimaryaudienceforonline
classes continues to be teachers (55percent) followed then by students (49percent) and administrators (32
percent).Althoughtheprimaryfocusforonlineclassesisstillteachers,therewassubstantialgrowthsinceSpeak
Up 2008 in the number of administrators who reported they are providing online classes for students (103
percent),administrators(66percent)andteacher(21percent).
Even though student interest continues to increase and administrators seek opportunities to provide online
classesthenumberofteacherswhoareinterestedinprovidingonlineclassesisnotkeepingpacewithdemand.
Funding, Internet access and the capacity of the classroom teacher are the primary barriers cited by
administrators to implementing online learning. Interestingly, for almost one-quarter of the responding
administratorsonlinelearningisnotafundingpriorityintheirdistrictandoverone-thirdreporttheyarelimited
by state funding. Internet access continues to surface as a barrier to implementing online classes by both
principals(24percent)anddistrictadministrators(16percent).
Ingeneral,districtadministratorsaremorelikelytobeconcernedthanprincipalswiththeirstaff’sabilitytoteach
onlineclasses(30 percent) orusethe tools (26percent) aswell as theavailability ofstandards-aligned online
curriculum(19percent)ortheexpertisetocreateonlineclasses(24percent).
Further aggravating the situation is the fact that few classroom teachers have taught a 100%online class (5
percent)ortaughtinablendedonlinelearningsituationwhichincludesbothonlineandface-to-facecomponents
(4 percent). Despite the lack of experience in teaching online classes, an additional one-quarter of current
teachersareinterestedinteachinganonlineclass.Butisthatenoughtomeetthestudents’increasinginterestin
onlinelearning? Whowillanswerthestudents’demandforonlinelearning? Howwilladministratorsheedtheir
students’visionforonlinelearning?Willtheydeveloptheirexistingteachers’capacitytoteachonlinecoursesor
looktotheirnewestrecruits?
Aspiringteachersprovideanotheropportunityforschooldistrictstomeetthepent-upstudentdemandforonline
classes. Aspiring teachers (21 percent) viewonlineclassesand learning management systems(44 percent) as
viableoptionsforenhancingstudentachievement. Likewise,overone-half oftheadministratorswantaspiring
teacherstohaveexperienceparticipatinginanonlineclassbeforetheycompletetheircertificationprocess.At
thispointlessthanone-quarteroftheadministrators,however,sayitisimportantforaspiringteacherstohave
theskillstoteachanonlineclassandonly4percentofaspiringteachersreporttheyarelearninghowtoteach
onlineclasses intheirmethodscourses.Unlesseducators’investindevelopingboththeexistingandaspiring
teacher’s interest and capacity to facilitate online classes, demand will continue to outpace supply in the
traditionalK-12setting.
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EssentialElement3:Digitally-richlearningexperiences
Studentsseetheuseofrelevancy-baseddigitaltools,contentandresourcesasakeytodrivinglearning
productivity,notjustaboutengagingstudentsinlearning.
Administrators“SpeakUp”aboutlearningin2019…“Theavailabilityandeffectiveuseofdigitalresourceswillbeanintegralpartofeachclassroom
andthecurriculum.Itisstillnewandthelearningcurveissteep.
By2019,Iexpectthatitwillbearoutinepartoftheinstructionalprocess.”
ElementarySchoolPrincipal(CA)
Today’sstudentsareimmersedintheuseofdigitalmediatoolsandcontentathomeandschool.Atschool,the
SpeakUpdatarevealsthatstudentsprefertouseawiderangeofdigitalmediatoolstocreateslideshows,videos
orwebpages,aswellas learn througha digitally rich curriculumthat incorporates educationalgames,virtual
experimentsorsimulationsandin3Dvirtual realityworlds. Whendesigning theirultimate schoolbothmiddle
andhigh school students includedigital media tools (60percent),digital resources (51percent) andgamesorvirtualsimulations(60percentand52percentrespectively).
Aboutone-halfofthedistrictadministratorsandprincipalsconcurthatdigitalmediatools,digitalresourcesand
onlinetextbookshavethegreatestpotentialtoincreasestudentachievement.However,onlyabout25percentof
administratorsagreethatgamesorvirtualsimulationsarea“must-have.”
Whatdigitalresourcesarebeingusedintheclassroom?
Asmorestudentscontinuetoseekopportunitiestousedigitallyrichcurriculum,theSpeakUpdataillustratesthat
for teachers their primaryuseofdigital resources is through teaching aides (66percent) or software tohelp
studentsdevelopskills in reading, writingand math (46 percent). Less thanone-quarter of the teachersareeffectivelyleveragingthepowerofdigitalresourcesbyusinggame-basedenvironments,podcastsorvideo,real-
timedata(suchas:population,weather,NASA,GOOGLEEarth,GIS)andsoftwaretohelpstudentsdevelophigher-
order thinking skills. Even fewer teachers areutilizing animations (17percent), simulations (12percent) and
virtuallabs(6percent)intheirclassrooms.Inthecontextofthenationaldiscussionabouthowtoeffectivelyignite
anewgenerationofscientists,engineersandtechnologists,itisespeciallyconcerningthatmanyteachersarestill
noteffectivelyleveragingthese21stcenturytoolstocompensateforinadequatelabequipmentortoolstoteach
inquiry-basedscience.
Ourfutureteachersarelearningtechniquesforincorporatingdigitalmediabothformallythroughtheirmethods
classes,andinformally,as theyobservetheirprofessorsteach(68percent)andstudyK-12teachers’useofthetoolsinactualclassrooms(76percent).Whenaskedwhich experienceswouldbestpreparethemtoteachina
21stcentury classroom, the college students’ top five picks include learning how to use technology to
differentiateinstructionforstudents(75percent),incorporatingdigitalresourcesinalesson(68percent),locating
and using electronic teachingaides (67 percent), creating and utilizing videoorpodcastswithin a lesson (57
percent)andusingelectronicproductivitytools(57percent).Aboutone-quarterexpressinterestinlearninghow
toincorporatemobiledeviceswithininstruction,usingsocialnetworkingsitesorsocialnetworkingtoolstoteach.
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TheSpeakUpdatarevealsadisconnectbetweenthestrategiescollegestudentsarelearningintheirteaching
methods classes and the technology that teachers are currently using in the classroom to enhance student
achievement(Figure3).Currently,ourfutureteachersarebeingtrainedtousewordprocessing,spreadsheetor
databasetools (53 percent), createmulti-mediapresentations (44 percent), andfind digital resources such as
videos,podcastsordigitalimagestoincludeinalesson(40percent).
Figure3:Shouldweprepareouraspiring teachers tousethesametechnologiesbeingused intheclassroom
todayorforafuturevision?
Toalesserdegree,thesesamecollegestudentsarealsolearningtocreateelectronicportfoliosofstudentwork
(31percent),createvideos,podcastsorwebsitestoteachatopic(28percent),anduseanimations,simulationsorgameswithininstruction(19percent).Additionally,throughtheircoursework,thesefutureteachersinteractwith
online curriculum (49 percent), online textbooks (40 percent), animations (21 percent) and simulations (15
percent). Less than 10 percent of our future teachers are experiencing the value of using game-based
environmentsorvirtuallabsintheirmethodscourses.
Inspiteofthelackofformaltrainingintheirteacherpreparationprogramsabouthowtoeffectivelyincorporate
games,virtualsimulationsoranimations, thisnew generationof teachers continues toseethe valueof these
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tools andaspires to include them in their futureclassrooms; highlighting how their ownpersonalexperience
servesasamodelforthepotentialpossibility.
When designing their ultimate school, futureteachers aremore likely than theveteran classroom teachers to
includedigitallyrichresourcesintotheirclassrooms(Table3).Acrosstheboard,thesefutureteachersaremore
likely than existing classroom teachers to desire digital media tools, digital resources such as, databases,electronic books, animations, or videos, and flip cameras in their classrooms. Future teachers also envision
games, virtual simulations and video conferences or webinars in their classrooms. This new generation of
teachers isalsofivetimesmorelikely touseelectronicportfoliosfor theirstudents;onceagain,illustratingthe
naturalaffinitytheyhavetowardstechnologythatwillenablethemtocreatedigitallyrichlearningexperiences.
Howaredigitalresourcesbeingevaluated?
Administratorsandteachersevaluatethequalityofresourcesusingavarietyofcriteriaincludingwhopublished
thedigitalcontent,whorecommendedthedigitalresources,expectedstudentoutcomesandprice.Teachersare
most likely to select digital resources created by a practicing teacher (Figure 4). Principals and district
administratorsplacea greatervalueoncontentthatisdevelopedby anorganizationrecognizedforitscontent
expertise,suchastheNationalScienceFoundationoruniversitiesthanteachersdo;principalshavethestrongest
preference for resources steeped in content expertise. Information about student achievement and teacher
“approved”statusareimportanttobothdistrictadministratorsandprincipals.
Figure4:Teacherspreferusingdigitalresourcescreatedbyotherteachers
Teacherscontinuetorelyon“wordofmouth”whendeterminingwhichdigitalresourcestoincorporateintotheir
instruction, over 40percent dependonreferrals from colleagues followedby recommendations from certified
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education membership associations (27 percent), education blogs or websites (20 percent) or their state
departmentofeducation(19percent).
Barrierstoimplementingdigitalresources
As digital resources become more widely available administrators are less concerned about locating free
appropriatedigitalresources(9percent)andmoreconcernedwithtrainingteachersabouthowtoeffectivelyuse
digitalresources(43percent),providingcomputers(35percent),andsecuringfundstopurchasedigitalmaterials
(30percent).Districtadministratorsarealsoconcernedthattheydonothavethestafftoidentifyorcreatedigital
resourcesthatmeettheirstandards.
Howdowegetthere?
Althoughteacherscontinuetoreportbarrierstousingdigitalresources,wearebeginningtoseeinourSpeakUp
2009datafindingsthatteachersarestartingtotransformtheirvisionfor21stcenturyclassroomsintoareality.
InSpeakUp2009, teachers reported using digitalmedia tools (66 percent),digitalresources (46percent) and
games(42 percent) toenhance studentachievement. Bycomparison, in2008 when teacherswere askedto
design their ultimate school and identify technology that would hold the greatest potential for student
achievement,only32percentchosedigitalmedia,35percentchosedigitalresourcesand21percentidentified
games.Thissignificantyeartoyeargrowthfromvisiontoimplementationindicatesthatteachersareopentothe
ideaofincorporatingmoredigitallyrich learningexperiencesintotheirclassrooms–andalsothat theusageof
thesetoolsbystudentsinschoolandathomemaybedrivinggreateradoptionbytheteachers.
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EndingThoughts
Meetingstudents’desiresforsocially-based,un-tethered,digitallyrichlearningexperiencesrequireseducatorsto
addressheadonkeyinfrastructureandfundingchallenges,policiesaroundtechnologyuseandinparticular,the
useofstudents’personaldevices,andtheongoingneedfornewapproachesfortrainingteachers,bothin-service
andpre-service.Similardiscussionsabouthowtomeetthesechallengesaretakingplacethroughoutthecountry
fromthehallsofCongresstolocalschoolboardmeetings.
Campus wide interactive Internet access is at
the cornerstone of the new student vision for
learning,supportedbytheabilityforstudentsto
access their work and classroom resources
anytime and anyplace. To fully implement the
vision however, teachers need meaningful
opportunities to learn how to effectively
integrateemergingtechnologiessuchasmobile
devices, online learning and digital resources
andexplorenewstrategiesforusingtechnology
to facilitate collaboration amongst their
students. Additionally, it is equally important
thatschools,districtsanduniversities(including
schools of education) collaborate to identify
effective digital resources that will not only
engage students in learning and enhance
student achievement but also, utilize the
technology to transform teaching practices for
greaterimpactandproductivity.
As administrators develop their strategic plans
and evaluate alternatives for investing in
technology,itisalsoimportanttoconsiderthe
voiceofthecollegestudentswhoarecurrently
enrolled in teacher preparation programs.
Perhaps, because they too grew up as digital
natives,thisnewgenerationofteachersbringsa
different set of experiences and perspectives.
These budding professionals appear to be
poised to leverage a wide range of emerging
technologies within their future classrooms
(Table 3); however, their formal training
highlightsaneedtoprovideadditionalguidance
tohelpthemeffectivelyleveragethetechnology
forlearning.Thesefutureteachersrecognizethe
Table 3: Key technology tools for facilitating 21st century
learning
Future
Teachers
(n=1,729)
Teachers
(n=35,964)
Principals
(n=2,462)
Social-basedLearningCollaborationtools 82% 27% 51%
Communications
tools
67% 63% 55%
Virtualoronline
whiteboard
37% 6% 29%
Un-tetheredlearning
Campuswide
Internetaccess
82% 80% 47%
Mobilecomputerfor
everystudent
(laptop,mini-
notebook,tabletPC)
49% 14% 58%
Mobiledevices(cell
phones,PDA,MP3
player)
24% 10% 34%
Onlineclasses 21% 10% 44%
Digitallyrichcurriculum
Digitalmediatools 79% 66% 54%
Digitalresources 59% 46% 42%
Electronicportfolios
forstudents
54% 10% 49%
Games
52% 42% 25%
includes
virtual
simulations
Onlinetextbooks 43% 19% 47%
Virtualsimulations 27% 5% N/A
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importanceofusingtoolsforfacilitatingsocialbasedlearning,suchascollaborationandcommunicationstoolsor
virtual whiteboards. They also recognize that campus wide Internet access and mobile computers are a
requirementtoprovidingun-tetheredlearning.Lastly,theyrecognizethatteachingaidesandvideosareonlyone
aspectofdigitalcontentandthatwewilltrulyunleashlearningandcreatemorerobust,meaningfulexperiences
forstudentswhenweusegames,onlinetextbooksorvirtualsimulations.Finally,theyarelookingatassessment
innewanddifferentwaysthroughelectronicportfolios.
While, these future teachers have a desireto integrate thetechnologytosupportsocially-based,digitally rich
curriculumintheirclassroom,theyareprimarilybeingtaughttousetechnologyforwordprocessing,spreadsheet,
databasetoolsormulti-mediapresentations.Lessthan25percentofthesefutureteachersarebeingtaughtcore
skills which will enable them to leverage the power of technology for student achievement with online
assessments, theuse of student achievement data to inform instruction,or facilitate collaboration amongst
studentsusingInternet-basedtools(suchasblogs,wikisorsocialnetworkingtools).Evenfewerarelearninghow
toteachonlineclasses(4percent).
Aswecontinueourlocalandnationaldiscussionsaboutcreatinglearningenvironmentsthatwillengagestudentsand enhance student achievement, perhaps we should begin to ask: are our schools and districts ready to
accommodatethedesiresthat this nextgenerationofteachershavefor truly21st century,technology-enabled
andempoweredclassrooms?
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© Project Tomorrow, 2010
http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/
http://twitter.com/SpeakUpEd
Special Thanks to our Speak Up 2009 Sponsors:
Blackboard Inc.
CDW-G
K12 Inc.
Schoolwires
SMART Technologies
Wimba