Tomorrow’s News Today: Speak Up Summer Planning Series

An item from the folks behind the Speak Up survey.

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May 8, 2024

preparing students of today to be innovators, leaders, and engaged citizens of tomorrow

Listening to the perspectives and needs of educators fosters a supportive and effective learning environment. Let’s make Teacher Appreciation Week an opportunity to listen to the voices of teachers. This is just one of the ways that we strive to make the Speak Up Survey an invaluable tool for school and district leaders. (Keep reading for our list of 7 Ways to Leverage Your Educators’ Data)

are you an educator? We would love to include your voice in our national story!

By participating in Speak Up, you contribute to a nationwide conversation on the challenges and opportunities facing educators today. Your feedback helps policymakers, administrators, and educational leaders understand the needs of teachers like you, enabling them to make informed decisions that benefit students and educators alike. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to improving education! Click here to preview the Educator Survey Please know that all your responses are secure and kept confidential.

take the survey!

are you a school or district leader?

Take just 2 minutes to set up your own Teacher Speak Up efforts, as we have simplified sharing Speak Up with your educators at the district level: Share the Speak Up Educator Survey link with your teachers: https://projecttomorrow.questionpro.com/SUEducator Have some fun with it and designate a Teacher Speak Up Day for your district! Bonus: use these promotional resources to share your Teacher Speak Up efforts with your educators: Promoting the Educator Speak Up Survey Let us know who to send the data to and begin using your district-level data to kickoff your summer planning efforts! If you would like school-level data, please contact us to receive customized survey links.

how to use your educator Speak Up data at the end of the school year

check out our blog post for details and question alignment

partner spotlight

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, our partner spotlight goes to the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA), a member-based organization devoted to advancing technology in education. For Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6-10, educators worldwide can become TCEA members for absolutely FREE!  So, what do you get when you sign up? An Online Community that offers answers, idea exchanges, and support 30-minute weekly Lunch and Learns on the latest tools, trends, research, and strategies A Resource Library with three years of recorded learning on a variety of topics A forever-free TCEA membership Learn more about becoming a TCEA member for FREE this week

Thank you from the Project Tomorrow team! Julie, Michelle, Ian, Sam, Irene, & David

Copyright (C) 2024 Project Tomorrow. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in through interaction on our website or at an event. Our mailing address is: Project Tomorrow 3943 Irvine Blvd # 416 Irvine, CA 92602-2400

Download the latest Speak Up Report Today! 📈

An item from the folks behind the Speak Up survey.

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April 29, 2024

Unfinished Business: Understanding the Digital Access Divide in American Schools Key findings from the 2022-23 Speak Up Research Project Available to download today!

In support of the release of the first new National Educational Technology Plan in 7 years, Project Tomorrow, in collaboration with Spectrum Enterprise®, is creating a new series of reports to be released in 2024 that examine each of the three digital divides through the lens of the Speak Up Research findings. In this first report in the special series, we examine the state of the digital access divide in America’s classrooms through the eyes and experiences of K-12 teachers and students.

Download the full report today!

Copyright (C) 2024 Project Tomorrow. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in through interaction on our website or at an event. Our mailing address is: Project Tomorrow 3943 Irvine Blvd # 416 Irvine, CA 92602-2400

Tomorrow’s News Today

An item from the folks behind the Speak Up survey.

View this email in your browser

April 10, 2024

preparing students of today to be innovators, leaders, and engaged citizens of tomorrow

a note from julie

For over two decades, Project Tomorrow has gathered the authentic voices of teachers through our Speak Up surveys. These surveys have served as a vital tool in understanding the challenges teachers face and gathering the data to make changes. Given this background, I found the latest Pew Research study, “What’s It Like To Be a Teacher in America Today?” relevant, as it sheds light on the significant daily struggles teachers face. Both the Speak Up research and the Pew study serve as urgent reminders that action is needed to address these challenges and rebuild teachers’ confidence in the education system. April is the best time for your schools and district to participate in Speak Up. And a great time right before Teacher Appreciation Week in May to listen to the ideas of your teachers about how to improve learning for all students. Use your Speak Up data for your summer planning for the 24-25 school year. Julie

new Speak Up report released. . . in collaboration with Spectrum Enterprise

In support of the release of the first new National Educational Technology Plan in 7 years, Project Tomorrow, in collaboration with Spectrum Enterprise®, is creating a new series of reports to be released in 2024 that examine each of the three digital divides through the lens of the Speak Up Research findings. In this first report in the special series, Unfinished Business: Understanding the Digital Access Divide in American Schools, we examine the state of the digital access divide in America’s classrooms through the eyes and experiences of K-12 teachers and students. Report released at the 2024 Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) Conference!

download the full report!

gen AI survey: contribute to a national study on generative AI in education

AI is a hot topic for educators as they work toward understanding the challenges and opportunities presented by this emerging new technology. Many decisions are being made on behalf of educators in regards to the use of AI in schools. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to have the educator voice represented in those decisions?

add my voice to the conversation!

Project Tomorrow is working with Advanced Learning Partnerships, the Los Angeles County Office of Education, and Arizona State University to explore key issues with the potential use of Generative AI in K-12 Education. With these partners, we currently are collecting feedback from school and district leaders like yourself about your views on AI in Education. Be part of this discussion by completing this quick 15 minute survey. Don’t let the tech industry define what AI will be in education – let’s work together to use real data from real educators to inform new policies and programs. Surveys are open through May 31!

send me a custom link!

partner spotlight

Advanced Learning Partnerships (ALP) This month we would like to highlight one of our newest partners, Advanced Learning Partnerships (ALP). Together we have launched the latest Speak Up Snapshot Survey: GenAI in K-12 Education. Advanced Learning Partnerships is a consulting firm led by learners, in the service of learners. Equal parts partner, designer, and change agent, ALP offers a highly customized, systems-oriented approach recognized for creating effective and sustainable learning models. Learn more about ALP’s collaborative and innovative systems approach to Generative AI in Education: https://alplearn.com/ai-for-learners/

Thank you from the Project Tomorrow team! Julie, Michelle, Ian, Sam, Irene, & David

Copyright (C) 2024 Project Tomorrow. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in through interaction on our website or at an event. Our mailing address is: Project Tomorrow 3943 Irvine Blvd # 416 Irvine, CA 92602-2400

Tomorrow’s News Today

An item from the folks behind the Speak Up survey.

View this email in your browser

March 13, 2024

preparing students of today to be innovators, leaders, and engaged citizens of tomorrow

a note from julie

District leaders often ask me: “Julie, what is the best way for my district to do Speak Up?”   That is a great question – and I am always happy to share our experience after 20 years of Speak Up plus what we hear from the hundreds of K-12 districts that use Speak Up to inform their plans and initiatives each year. Now I will share my answer with you too!   Julie’s 5 Easy Steps for Using Speak Up to Inform Your District Planning   Identify 5-8 questions on the Speak Up surveys that will provide you with valuable insights into the views and aspirations of your stakeholders. Topics this year include Gen AI, communications, teacher PD, parent concerns, digital access equity, obstacles to tech use in school, benefits of tech, digital citizenship, new learning models, and measuring effective use. Pick your stakeholder audience(s) to participate in Speak Up – Whose feedback would be most valuable right now?  Options:  Students (K-2), (Gr 3-5), (Gr 6-8), (Gr 9-12), Parents/Families, Classroom Educators, Building Leaders.  Optimize your Speak Up value by selecting particular schools or going districtwide with the surveys. Target one week for your Speak Up survey completions.  Build momentum and interest around your district’s Speak Up Week in March, April, or May. Use your customized district survey link from Project Tomorrow and our promotion materials to maximize your district’s Speak Up participation. More submitted surveys increases your data validity. Worried about survey fatigue: clearly and transparently articulate to your stakeholders how you are going to use this feedback data to improve teaching and learning. Leverage your Speak Up data and interactive dashboard to stimulate new discussions, inform new plans, maximize your funding and investment decisions, and improve school-to-home communications. And get ready for all the accolades from your stakeholders – “You really care about us and listen to us!”   Don’t forget: using our Speak Up survey tools and data reporting is always a free service from Project Tomorrow. This is our nonprofit mission to help you. Let us help you.   Julie

3 Speak Up opportunities. . . to gain insights into your stakeholders & unlock the power of data

Speak Up 360: Tailored for K-12 students, parents, families, teachers, and school leaders, this comprehensive survey explores topics like new learning models and digital education. Speak Up Leader Survey: Aligned with the new National Educational Technology Plan (NETP), this survey is designed for district and school administrators, as well as K-12 technology leaders. The survey gauges your readiness to close the digital access, use, and design divides with a report card on your readiness to tackle equity in your district. Speak Up Snapshot Survey: GenAI Join educators, school leaders, and district administrators in exploring their perspectives on this quickly evolving issue.

NEW Speak Up leader survey

Is your district ready to address the equity challenges and/or implement the recommendations in the National Educational Technology Plan? We can help you answer that question with our new Speak Up Leader Survey. Encourage your district administrators and school building leaders to complete a 14-minute Speak Up Survey and we will send you a report card on your overall readiness to tackle digital equity in your district.

preview the survey get your survey link

Speak Up snapshot survey: GenAI

get the details About the Speak Up Snapshot Survey: GenAI Design: Can be taken by individuals or as a district through May 31, 2024. Audience: All district and school administrators, instructional coaches, specialists, and teachers are invited to participate. Confidentiality: All responses are confidential and collected anonymously. Time: It takes less than 14 minutes to complete. Format: Primarily multiple-choice questions with a few open-ended questions for narrative response. If you are in California, Michigan, or Virginia, please look for your state-specific survey link: https://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/genai/

Speak Up 360. . . the best time to Speak Up is spring!

get started today!

partnership spotlight

Speak Up Champion Sponsor, edWeb celebrated its 16th birthday on February 27, 2024! As a long-time sponsor and supporter of Project Tomorrow and the Speak Up Research Initiative, we want to congratulate the dedicated, hardworking edWeb team on their 16 years of serving the global education community — enabling educators to share their best ideas and practices to improve teaching and learning, student achievement, and school culture. Check out their edFocus March issue for more industry news and upcoming events! https://home.edweb.net/edweb-voice/

we are hiring!

Looking to join a creative, fun team environment in preparing students of today to be innovators, leaders, and engaged citizens of tomorrow? We are currently hiring for the following positions: Computational Thinking (CT) Project Manager (full-time) Research Analyst (part-time) Learn more & apply: https://www.tomorrow.org/about-us/jobs/

Thank you from the Project Tomorrow team! Julie, Michelle, Ian, Sam, Irene, & David

Copyright (C) 2024 Project Tomorrow. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in through interaction on our website or at an event. Our mailing address is: Project Tomorrow 3943 Irvine Blvd # 416 Irvine, CA 92602-2400

Thank you for your help on the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan

Just a reminder about these surveys.

Good afternoon,

If you have not done so already, this is a reminder that the two surveys mentioned are still open for your responses! OET is asking state and district education leaders to complete this survey to help us get a more complete picture of the field as well as how best ED can support this work. If you are a state or district leader, we invite you to click on the relevant link below and share the work from your space.

• District-Level Survey
• State-Level Survey

---

From: Chase, Zachary <Zachary.Chase@ed.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2024 3:37 PM
Cc: Song, Ji Soo <Ji.Song@ed.gov>
Subject: Thank you for your help on the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan

Hello,

On behalf of the Department of Education Office of Educational Technology, it is my great pleasure to share with you the release of the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan. As the lead on this project, I specifically want to thank you for your input as we developed the Plan. From your contribution and that of others, the focus of this year’s NETP is on closing the Digital Divide across three critical dimensions: The Digital Access Divide, the Digital Use Divide, and the Digital Design Divide.

• Digital Use Divide: This divide addresses the disparity in how students are engaged with technology in their learning. While some students actively employ technology to analyze, build, produce, and create, others are limited to using technology for passive tasks. The plan emphasizes the need to shift towards more dynamic and creative uses of technology in the classroom.
• Digital Design Divide: Recognizing the importance of professional development, this divide highlights the unequal access to training and support for educators in integrating educational technology effectively in their teaching practices.
• Digital Access Divide: Focusing on the foundational aspects of educational technology, this divide underscores the inequitable distribution of connectivity, devices, and digital resources. It also emphasizes the importance of digital health, safety, and citizenship skills.

As Dr. Beth Holland from our Technical Working Group wrote, “Most critically, this plan urges schools and systems to ensure that meaningful learning happens within the instructional core. This is bold guidance from the federal government, and I’m hopeful to see the effects of its implementation in the field.”

And, so, I invite you to read the plan you helped us create. You can find it at tech.ed.gov/netp.

Finally, this NETP has key recommendations at the state and district level for realizing the potential impact of technology in support of learning and teaching. Over the course of the next month, OET is asking state and district education leaders to complete this survey to help us get a more complete picture of the field as well as how best ED can support this work. If you are a state or district leader, we invite you to click on the relevant link below and share the work from your space.

District-Level Survey

State-Level Survey

Again, thank you for lending your voice and ideas to the development of the NETP. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Sincerely,

Zac Chase

Digital Equity Impact Fellow
Office of Educational Technology
U.S. Department of Education