VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

Speak Up Survey

Speak Up Survey Closes Soon

Do you hear what I hear?

Speak Up and make our voice as big as the sea! The Speak Up Research Project for Digital Learning has been collecting data about technology in education since 2003 and providing a voice to students, educators, parents, administrators and community members. This data is used by education, business and policy leaders to inform decisions about federal, state and local education programs and funding.

Speak Up is a free service the provides access to key stakeholder views and ideas about technology in education. The research project is a free and effective way to amplify student voice, inform decision making among leadership, ensure stakeholders a means of involvement, increase community member engagement and did I mention it is free.

Current topics covered in the survey and research project range from teaching and learning with technology, blended learning models, to STEM, coding, gaming, data privacy, digital literacy and citizenship as well as college and career readiness.

Last year the survey reached nearly 406,000 participants from over 11,000 schools representing over 3200 districts. This year,we need your help! With little over a month to go, we are not yet at the halfway mark for number of participants. Virginia’s schools need to be represented and join the conversation. So come on VSTE members! Speak Up!

District/School registration for Speak Up 2018-19 is ongoing! Get started now! Surveys are open for participation until January 31, 2019. To learn more about Speak Up and register to get your schools’ free data, visit tomorrow.org/speakup/registration. To have your voice heard, share your thoughts on technology and learning and be part of the conversation (at the local, state and national level)! Take the 20-minute, confidential survey now at speakup.tomorrow.org/

Smiling Man in Blue Shirt


Rod Carnill is Vice Chair of the VSTE Board of Directors and Chair of the Advocacy Committee.

Speak Up Webinar, Tuesday, November 13, 2018

The Speak Up Research Project for Digital Learning – the free research tool districts use to learn what students, educators, parents and the community have to say about education issues – is open for participation now through the end of January 2019. This year, Speak Up is offering a number of new options including a Mobile Learning Impact Snapshot tool and a Teacher Professional Learning Snapshot tool.

Project Tomorrow is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, November 13th at 3:30pmET/12:30pmPT to introduce districts to these new Snapshot tools covering how they can be used and what to expect. And, they will save time to answer your questions during the webinar. Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/6791b89b877f94037510d14dfea9e911

The Mobile Learning Impact Snapshot - While there has been huge growth in technology investments in schools, relatively few schools or districts have conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of all of these mobile devices in the classroom. Building on more than a decade of evaluation studies and insights from Speak Up, this new Snapshot is a research-based tool designed to help school leaders get beyond just “student engagement” as a level of success (or failure) of their mobile learning initiatives to better explain the ROI of their investments. This tool offers every school and district an easy and cost effective (free!) way to assess the impact of their mobile learning projects.

The Teacher Professional Learning Impact Snapshot - The top issue facing school principals today – relative to the use of technology within learning – is how to motivate and train their teachers to change their instructional practices to more seamlessly integrate technology into instruction. While teachers are using more digital content than ever before and have greater access to digital tools including mobile devices in their classroom than ever before, there still is a gap between usage and effectiveness. And, teachers tell us they need and want more professional learning experiences to be able to use technology more effectively. This new Snapshot tool allows administrators to learn more from their teachers about their preferences and interests in professional learning experiences to support more effective use of technology.

This year, schools and districts can choose to 1) participate in Speak Up by selecting one of our annual question decks (current or longitudinal) as needed to collect feedback from their students, staff, parents and/or community, 2) use one or both of these new Snapshots as stand-alone tools or 3) use all the Speak Up tools: annual Speak Up questions, Mobile Learning Impact Snapshot and Professional Learning Impact Snapshot.

Learn more about Speak Up and get started today!

Speak Up Survey Deadline Extended…Plus, Prizes Available

orange rectangle advertising speak up surveyThe deadline for completing the Speak Up Survey has been extended to January 26, 2018. Don't miss your opportunity to collect valuable information about how your stakeholders are using technology for learning in and out of school.

In addition, two new opportunities to win have been added this week:

2 NEW opportunities announced this week!

  • Teachers can enter to win a $250 Amazon gift card for classroom supplies, in addition to being eligible for a free registration to ISTE 2018!
  • Communications officers can enter to win a $250 grant towards any 2018 professional conference of their choice.

Entry options for these prizes have been added to the end of the teacher and communications officer surveys (identifying information will not be connected to the surveys, keeping responses confidential). Anyone who had already completed the survey and wants to be considered for the prizes, just has to complete this form to enter.

A final question has also been added to the surveys for librarians (to win a registration AASL's National Institute) and administrators (to win a registration to ISTE 2018 or AASA's National Conference on Education).

Project Tomorrow also sponsors several video and design challenges. Their deadlines have also been extended.

Is Your Vision 2030?

Logo for Speak Up SurveyToday’s Kindergarteners will graduate from high school in the year 2030. That’s right 2030...As we reflect on the changes that have taken place over the last 10 years, what do you think we can expect in the next 12 to 13 years? How might we begin to prepare today’s Kindergarten students for their post public school endeavours?

We need to begin by assessing the current needs and desires of school age children their parents, their teachers and building administrators.  Then we need to make sure elected officials and education leaders at the local, state and federal levels understand the landscape of today’s classrooms in order to begin to shape the outlook of tomorrow’s schools. How might they come by the information needed to take on such a task? Participating in Project Tomorrow’s Speak Up National Research Project is a good first step. The Speak Up survey has had over 5 million participants since it began in 2003. This past year nearly half a million students participated across the United States representing all 50 states, over 2400 districts and 6300 urban, suburban and rural schools.

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.  Project Tomorrow believes that by supporting the innovative uses of science, math and technology resources in our K-12 schools and communities, students will develop the critical thinking, problem solving and creativity skills needed to compete and thrive in the 21st century. http://www.tomorrow.org/

VSTE’s vision is to be an influence in technological innovation in education and be recognized as an agent of change across the Commonwealth.  In Virginia last year, Albemarle County (8070 students) and Frederick County Public Schools (5379 students) led the way in overall participation. Fairfax County Public Schools was recognized for their level of parent participation.  This is all well and good for those participating school divisions. The problem is that Virginia is incredibly diverse and there are many more voices that need to be heard, schools that need to be represented, stakeholders that need to participate in Speak Up 2017. Everyone can participate but it takes one person from a school division to register participation and have teachers, administrators, students, parents and community members from their locale to be included, recognized, heard.

Be that person for your school division. It doesn’t require a signature or a vote, just a few minutes of your time to create an account, a few hours time to raise awareness and then about four months to get the final results and collect the data you need to inform district technology plans, budgetary decisions and professional development. Be the person that helps your school division prepare for the future and assure that the class of 2030 is future ready.

Register your school division today.
http://www.tomorrow.org/SpeakUp/Virginia.html

 

Rod Carnill is Vice Chair of the VSTE Board of Directors and Chair of the VSTE Advocacy Committee. He serves as the Supervisor of ITRTs for Frederick County Public Schools. 

 

 

 

 

Virginia Students Featured at Speak Up Congressional Briefing

I was fortunate to attend a special event to share the results of the Speak Up 2016 survey, http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/speakup_congress.html.  This is a survey published by Project Tomorrow, http://www.tomorrow.org/ , It is an online tool that  gives students, educators, administrators, and parents an opportunity to provide feedback about the use of technology for learning. The data from this survey has helped many districts develop and implement new strategies to address the needs of all learners and  prepare them for their future.  I have always been impressed with Julie Evans, CEO Project Tomorrow,  She has been such a strong advocate for technology in education.  She is a true believer in the positive impact of technology on learning. I would encourage you and your division to participate in the 2017 Speak Up Survey opening on October 16. You can access the survey here: http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/

At this event, we heard from students about their experiences with technology and why it is important for them to have ubiquitous and equitable access.  One student shared that their one-to-one program has provided equal opportunities to all students providing them an “equal start to the future of their education, because we live in a digital world.”  She  mentioned that they are able to use  all of the tools that adults use in their work environment.and  shared  the importance of collaborating with her peers.  During one project, she got to know other students in her class as they worked together on a project.  She shared that members of the group had ideas that she never would have thought of on her own.

If given the opportunity, students will go beyond the standard and far beyond our expectations. How can we empower our students, take them seriously and trust and support their thoughts about their own learning? The students on the panel all described the learning environment at their schools as one that

  • gives them a chance to be heard
  • promotes having a strong foundation that they can further build upon - referring to learning how and when to use technology resources to demonstrate their learning
  • encourages collaboration
  • exposes students to new tools, resources, and ways of thinking

All of these students were confident and well spoken about their school experience. They were able to articulate what they need from school and why their school works.  I have to guess that these schools have created that culture of trust that we have heard about so often.  It is easy to see when it works, but not an easy thing to develop. But I do know that  giving students that voice, the ability to be heard and a part of the conversation about  their learning is a very important step in the process.

Diane Harazin is a member of the VSTE Board of Directors and Supervisor of Instructional Technology for Prince William County Schools.