In 2006, more than 250,000 students, teachers and parents responded to the NetDay Speak Up survey, sharing their views of educational topics important to the K-12 community. Amongst the topics explored, survey questions covered numerous areas of e-Learning, including online learning, digital media and social networking.
Blackboard and Project Tomorrow, a national nonprofit education group based in Irvine, CA, compiled the survey results, added further insight provided by educators during direct interviews, and recently released a report titled “Learning in the 21st Century: A National Report of Online Learning.” This 11-page report includes valuable information from over 3,000 schools nationwide and, specifically, their views of online learning.
While compiling research for this report, we found that as the use of computing and networking technologies proliferates in K-12 schools and across districts, educators increasingly incorporate online tools and resources into their curricula—some teachers and instructors even replace traditional classroom interaction with “virtual” courses that take place entirely online. The findings included in “Learning in the 21st Century” underscore the critical and ever-expanding role online learning plays in efforts to increase student and teacher achievement.
At the National School Boards Association Technology + Learning Conference (NSBA T+L) in Nashville last month, Blackboard and Project Tomorrow hosted a panel of experts to discuss the findings. Panelists included:
- Shawn Morris, Coordinator, eSchool, Wichita Public Schools
- Sheryl Abshire, District Administrative Coordinator of Technology, Calcasieu Parish Public Schools
- Kathy Rains, Director of Technology, Madison City School Districts
A podcast of the discussion is available to download.
I strongly encourage you to read the report and listen to the podcast, to learn more about how the K-12 community is engaged in online learning.
Then, please visit the Speak Up Blog to share your own experiences with online teaching and learning, and pose to the community any questions you may have. Just look for the posting on “Learning in the 21st Century: A National Report of Online Learning.”
And invite colleagues to join the conversation – the more voices in the conversation, the more we’ll all learn.
Finally, don’t just read and listen—contribute! The Speak Up 2007 survey is now officially open. Sign your school up for the survey, and then invite your colleagues, students and their parents to participate by e-mailing a simple invitation to them. For example (feel free to copy and paste):
Students, Parents, Teachers & School Leaders Speak Up!
Open October 15 – December 15, 2007Now in its fifth year, Speak Up is a national online survey in which students, parents, teachers and school leaders can participate in the conversation about key educational topics at the local, state and national levels.
Participating schools and districts will receive free, online access to their results in January 2008. Since its inception, this project has collected the views of more than 850,000 K-12 students, teachers and parents from all 50 states.
To learn more about Speak Up, visit www.tomorrow.org/speakup.
I hope to see you and your school included in the 2007 survey results!
Shana Glenzer
Senior Manager, K-12 Marketing Programs
