Category Archives: Innovation Awards

Finalists Announced for Innovation in Education Awards Honoring Schools, Educators and Students in Orange County

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The ten finalists for the 2014 Innovation in Education Awards have been announced! Since 2006, Project Tomorrow and the OC Tech Alliance have recognized outstanding education programs, educators and students for their innovative uses of science, math and technology with this award.

Finalists for this year’s awards are:
  • Innovative Schoolwide Program of the Year in Science, Math & Technology – distinguishing a public, private, or parochial school that demonstrates innovation with an outstanding, results-based schoolwide program
    • Jose Sepulveda Elementary School, Santa Ana Unified School District
Program: Science and Health Focus
    • Journey School, Capistrano Unified School District
Program: The Digital Media Literacy Project
    • El Dorado High School, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
Program: Digital Media Arts Academy
  • High Impact Teacher of the Year in Science, Math & Technology – acknowledging the influence of a great teacher in his/her use of science, math or technology to significantly impact student academic achievement
    • Ed Hernandez, Tustin High School, 9-12 Engineering/Math Teacher
    • Kevin Crossett, Huntington Beach High School, 9-12 AP Computer Science/CAD Engineering Teacher
    • Glen Warren, McPherson Magnet School, Technology Teacher Librarian
  • Emerging Student Innovator of the Year in Science, Math & Technology – recognizing eighth grade, freshman, sophomore, or junior high school students who are creatively using science, math and technology resources to solve a school or community problem
    • Samantha Langit, Aliso Niguel High School, 9th Grade (rising sophomore)
    • Helen Kim, Brea Olinda High School, 10th Grade (rising junior)
    • Siblings Aamna and Haleema Abbasi, Beckman High School, 11th Grade (rising seniors)
The 2014 Innovation in Education Award recipients will be announced at the 21st Annual High-Tech Innovation Awards Dinner on Thursday, October 9th, 2014 in Costa Mesa. The annual education focused segment is a partnership between Project Tomorrow and corporate sponsors, Emulex Corporation and Microsemi Corporation.

Congratulations to all of the finalists! Click here to learn more about the Innovation Awards, and click here to learn more about our partner, OC Tech Alliance. 

The Project Tomorrow Innovation in Education Awards

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Project Tomorrow, in partnership with the OC Tech Alliance, is calling for nominations from the Orange County community to recognize outstanding education programs, educators and students for their innovative uses of science, math and technology.  The Annual Innovation in Education Awards process is open to all public and private schools in Orange County, CA and nomination forms are available on Project Tomorrow’s website, http://www.tomorrow.org/programs/innovationawards.html. The 2014 Innovation in Education Award recipients will be announced at the 21thAnnual High-Tech Innovation Awards Dinner on Thursday, October 9th, 2014 at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. This year’s event also represents the 9th annual education focused segment, a partnership between Project Tomorrow and corporate sponsors, Emulex Corporation and Microsemi Corporation.
Project Tomorrow is seeking nominations in three categories this year:
  • Innovative Schoolwide Program of the Year in Science, Math & Technology – distinguishing a public, private, or parochial school that demonstrates innovation with an outstanding, results-based schoolwide program
  • High Impact Teacher of the Year in Science, Math & Technology – acknowledging the influence of a great teacher in his/her use of science, math or technology to significantly impact  student academic achievement
  • Emerging Student Innovator of the Year in Science, Math & Technology – recognizing current eighth grade or freshman, sophomore, and junior high school students who are creatively using science, math and technology resources to solve a school or community problem
“With the aim of creating a career-ready workforce and improving education, this awards process provides a unique opportunity to celebrate and showcase Orange County school programs and teachers which are cultivating 21st-century skills as well as the students who are putting these essential skills to use by developing innovative solutions to real problems,” says Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow’s CEO.  
Nominations for the 2014 Project Tomorrow Innovation in Education awards may be self-submitted or submitted by a district and/or school staff person. Organizations such as a PTA unit, parent advisory committee, or any youth based organization(s) are also eligible to nominate.  An independent review panel of local education and business leaders will select this year’s award recipients.
Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 30, 2014. Nomination may be submitted through the online application forms found at http://www.tomorrow.org/programs/innovationawards.html.

Fun Facts for Back to School

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The Class of 2017

What are the generational-specifics of the class of 2017?
Students of all kinds…pre-school,elementary, intermediate, high school, college, and graduate school have already hit the books, and others are preparing for their first days which will begin soon!
With each new school year, comes a new class of students with differing viewpoints and nuances than the students or the generation before it.
Beloit College in Wisconsin recognizes this, and conjures a document each year that lists the generational-specifics of each new college class year! 
Be sure to read the fun-filled document, and find out what information you also share with the Class of 2017!
Moreover, Beloit College also posts guides for administrators and educators who work with and interact with each new class year. Read those here! 
Happy Reading!
Remember to register for Speak Up 2013!
Don’t forgot to vote for Julie Evans’ panel at the SXSWEdu conference! Click the webtile below for more information: 
– The Project Tomorrow team

Around the Web Wednesday: Pt III

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Happy Wednesday to all of our followers, supporters, and blog readers!
Today marks the third installment in our Around the Web Wednesday series.

Check the Project Tomorrow blog every Wednesday for the Around the Web series! 
We hope you are enjoying reading up on the latest issues, discussions, and trending topics in education each week. If an article particularly speaks to you, please let us know!
Remember to register for tomorrow’s (8/29) free webinar hosted by Julie Evans and sponsored by DreamBox Learning, titled The Future of Personalized Learning in Elementary Schools. The webinar will take place from 3pm-4pm Eastern time. Registration and participation in this event is free! Click here to get started.
Don’t forget to vote for Julie Evans’ panel, ListenUp! SpeakUp! GameUp! A Game Data Discussion, at the SXSWEdu conference. Click the webtile below for more information.

Registration for Speak Up 2013 is LIVE on our brand new site! Click here to get started.

Do you have any fun or interesting Back to School Stories? Share it with us in the comments below! 

Happy Reading!
– The Project Tomorrow team
Around the Web Wednesday
1. Video Games to Strengthen Math & Science Skills: Read it here!

2. Q & A-Back to School with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan: Read it here!

3. MOOCs, MOOCs, MOOCs! Read it here!

4. Flipped Classrooms – Fit to Flourish! Read it here!

5. Superintendents Who Take to Twitter! Read it here!

6. Blended Learning or Classroom Training? Read it here!

7. How Businesses can Benefit from the “Flipped Classroom” Model: Read it here!

8. Guides for Educators & Administrators Regarding the College Class of 2017! Read it here!

9. The New Teacher Project: Read it here!

10. What Teacher Leadership Looks Like: Read it here! 

Exciting News & Events at Project Tomorrow

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Happy Monday to all our followers and supporters!
Below, you will find our Fall 2013 newsletter that highlights the latest exciting  news and events occurring at Project Tomorrow.
Be sure to read up on all the new changes, like the launch of our BRAND NEW website! Log onto to tomorrow.org to witness the new site for yourself! Please let us know what you think by commenting below, or on Facebook and Twitter.
In other related news, we are so thrilled to announce that our blog has reached over 2,000 page views! We are thrilled with your readership, and invite you to check back each day for new posts that will feature news and discussions concerning all things education related.
We would also like to apologize to those that tried to register for Speak Up 2013 earlier this morning. Due to the launch of our new site, you may have received an error message, or were simply unable to complete your request. We are happy to announce that registration is now up and running, and you may now register here. Thank you for your understanding. We appreciate all of you.
Don’t forget to vote for Project Tomorrow’s CEO Julie Evans’ panel ListenUp! SpeakUp! GameUp! A Game Data Discussion at the SXSWEdu conference in Austin, Texas, which, with your help, will be scheduled to occur in March 2014! 
Happy Reading!
– The Project Tomorrow team
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The end of Summer is upon us…

Which means the sun-filled days are dwindling, and Fall and the upcoming school year are quickly approaching!
With the beginning of Fall also comes a renewed sense of energy; as the weather shifts and the trees and plants around us sense a change, we also respond by gaining momentum from the newfound environment.
Here at Project Tomorrow, we have been busy prepping and planning for the upcoming season. In this newsletter you will find information regarding registration and the launch date of Speak Up 2013, the debut of our new website and blog, a news alert regarding the FCC and the E-Rate program, voting information regarding a SXSWEdu conference panel, thought-provoking reports and presentations by Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow’s CEO, and updates regarding Project Tomorrow’s Teacher Initiative Programs.
We hope you will welcome Fall with us, and enjoy reading about our latest ventures.
As always, please feel free to share with us your thoughts and comments.

Happy Fall!
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What is Speak Up?

Speak Up provides an easy way for students, parents and educators to participate in your local decisions about technology, as well as contribute to the state and national dialogue about educational technology. Since 2003, Project Tomorrow has collected the viewpoints of over 3 million students, educators and parents – the Speak Up dataset represents the largest collection of authentic feedback from these key educational stakeholders.

What schools/districts are saying about Speak Up:

“The South Carolina Virtual School Program looks forward to reviewing our Speak-Up survey responses every year, because it allows us to put a finger on the pulse of our students’ learning experiences. We are able to identify ways to expand and grow our program based on student feedback. The South Carolina Virtual School Program always focuses on the students’ open, written comments in the Speak-Up surveys, because this present students with the opportunity to openly express their thoughts, opinions, and suggestions about how we can adjust our program and adapt it to stay at the cutting edge in the growing field of online education.”
–Vicki Williams, South Carolina Virtual School Program, South Carolina
“The data collected through the Speak Up survey[s] was shared with key stakeholders in the district including parents, patrons, Board of Education, and the Technology Advisory Committee members. Each group found the data informative and helpful to them in their work.
–Kristy Sailors, Director of Educational Technology-Blue Valley School District, Kansas

What changes are being made for Speak Up 2013?

As a new feature this year (to simplify the registration process) all districts and schools, in the current NCES database, are automatically registered to participate in Speak Up.
To manage your school or district information and obtain free, online access to your school or district’s aggregated results, your registration must be activated with a primary/main contact by registering on our website.
As always, registration is not required, but recommended as you will be kept up to date with important Speak Up information. To Learn more about the benefits of designating a main contact please go to our site here, or see below:

Benefits of designating a Main/Primary contact:

1.Gain administrative access by assigning your district (or school) an organizational login password (administrative password), which allows you to update district or school contact information.
2.Assign individual student survey passwords to schools. (optional)
3.Assign school primary contacts to facilitate the survey taking process at the school level. (optional)
4.Have the ability to monitor district/school’s survey counts at any time through the main contact login.
5.View your district and school data once it becomes available (administrative password is required to view data results.)
6.Ensure confidentiality of your surveys with your students by assigning a survey “secret password” for students to use to take the survey.
7.Receive weekly emails with up to date participation numbers by school and/or district (option to opt out of emails during registration process).
8.Receive an email from Project Tomorrow when your Speak Up local data becomes available.
9.Keep up to date on other important updates during the survey process.

Types of Main/Primary Contacts:

1.District- Has access to all schools within the district. Will only need to assign one contact for the district. The district assigned passwords (administrative and survey) will work for all schools within that district.
2.School- Access to an individual school site. This is optional. Can assign individual school level passwords different from the district passwords (district passwords will work in addition to school level passwords).
3.Private School- Access to your individual school. If you would like to group a set of private schools to receive a grouped dataset much like the district level reports, please contact the Speak Up Team at speakup@tomorrow.org.
4.Organization – Please contact the Speak Up Team at speakup@tomorrow.org to help set up your registration.
5.International school- Access to your individual school. If you would like to group a set of schools to receive a grouped dataset much like the district level reports, please contact the Speak Up Team at speakup@tomorrow.org.

Registration Information:

To register, log onto our new website here.
If you prefer to have us register for you, please send us an e-mail to speakup@tomorrow.org with the following information:
1.The name of your district or school
2.Your State
3.Name, title, and email address of the main contact
4.A student survey password
5.An organizational login password (to view weekly survey counts and other important updates during the survey period)
We will then send you a follow up email with a PDF of your school list and passwords to confirm that your district/school has been registered.

Other new features of Speak Up 2013:

  • Educators and parents will not be required to enter a survey password.
  • Districts and/or schools will still need to assign a student level survey password to take the survey
  • New survey for Community members and Business Partners will be added to the survey deck

Questions? E-mail us at speakup@tomorrow.org

Speak Up 2013 Surveys will open October 2nd, 2013, and will run through December 20th, 2013!
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Make Sure to Log On and Witness All the New Changes!

We are pleased to announce the debut of our new website! Log onto www.tomorrow.org to see the new site for yourself. We hope you enjoy navigating all the new links, and that you find the information on the site to be useful and user-friendly. Please let us know what you think!
We want to give a special thanks to Judith Marciante, our website guru, for her diligence and hard work on putting together Project Tomorrow’s new website.
Moreover, we are excited to announce the new Project Tomorrow blog!
Our new blog launched in mid-July, and has been gaining a rapid readership ever since! We reached1,000 views on Monday, August 5th, 2013.
We can’t thank our followers enough for your support in Project Tomorrow. Please continue to follow our blog, where you’ll find new posts daily highlighting important trends and topics in education, as well as updates and information about Project Tomorrow’s initiatives. Feel free to comment on any and all posts that provoke thoughts, ideas, or discussions from your personal experiences. We welcome an honest and empathetic discourse concerning the educational experiences of our communities.
Additionally, you can stay updated on all things Project Tomorrow by following Project Tomorrow onTwitter and Facebook, Speak Up on Twitter and Facebook, and Julie Evans’ Twitter account here.
Thank you, and Enjoy!
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On July 23, 2013, the FCC released the E-rate Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) which is designed to collect input from stakeholders on a broad range of issues.
The FCC is specifically seeking feedback on how to ensure that schools and libraries have access to 21st Century connectivity to support digital learning, on how to maximize the cost-effectiveness of E-rate funds and how to streamline the application process.
This NPRM is a very long document and there are lots of proposed rule changes for E-rate funding. The link to the actual NPRM can be found here.
The deadline for stakeholder feedback or comments is September 16. We recommend that all of our Speak Up friends take a look at this document as the proposed changes may impact your schools and districts and how you are currently using your E-rate funding.
If you decide to file a statement or comment with the FCC and would like to use Speak Up data to support your comment, please let us know. We are currently considering our own filing as well.
Thank you!
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Vote for Julie

Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow’s CEO, regularly gives insightful and thought-provoking presentations on current educational trends directly affecting our children, schools, educators, and communities.
Have you seen one of Julie’s presentations? You may see her work by logging onto our website here.
Julie has the unique opportunity to speak with a panel of other educational visionaries throughSXSWEdu!
The panel discussion is titled ListenUp! SpeakUp! GameUp! A Game Data Discussion
The speakers leading this important discussion are:
•Jessica Millstone, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop
• Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow
• Allisyn Levy, BrainPOP
• Robert Torres, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
With your help, we can bring this timely and valuable discussion to fruition.
We would so appreciate you logging on, registering, and casting a vote for Julie’s panel here, or by clicking the webtile below! Voting is currently live, and will run through Friday, September 6th.
Thank you for your participation!
PanelPicker Vote
About SXSWEdu
March 3-6, 2014 in Austin, Texas will be a formative four-day conference highlighting pivotal trends and topics in education lead by pioneers and visionaries in the educational field.
To learn more about SXSWedu, visit their site.
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Be sure to stay updated on the latest reports and presentations by Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow’s CEO!

Below, you’ll find the most recent links to Julie’s reports, presentations, and webinars. We hope these reports bring you new insight and value into relevant educational trends and topics.
Feel free to share your comments with us via Twitter, Facebook, and our Blog.
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fea_CA

Future Educators Association of California

The Future Educators Associaiton of California (FEA) is a Career and Technical Organization catering to Careers in Education and Child Development classes. FEA provides opportunities for leadership, competitions, conferences, networking, and scholarships. Click Here to find out more!
YT2LearnLogo_Blue_Small

YouthTEACH2Learn

The YouthTEACH2Learn Program is a free high school curriculum designed to give students a practical experience in teaching math and science in an elementary school setting. The curriculum is modeled after Cal State Fullerton’s entry level education course and expands on the curriculum by providing students the opportunity to teach in a full classroom setting. Click Here for more information.
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Thank you for your continued support in Project Tomorrow!
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©2013 Project Tomorrow | 15707 Rockfield Blvd. Suite 250 | Irvine CA | 92618

Flipped Classrooms: The Basics

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The term “flipped classroom” is a concept being thrown around educational circles and beyond…but what does it actually mean?
 
Essentially, a flipped classroom entails a reversal of the traditional classroom model, where teachers/educators lecture during class time, and assign homework to be completed outside the classroom.
 
In a flipped class, educators will record video lectures that students watch as part of their homework. Class time is then reserved for experiential learning, breakout sessions, discussions, and clarifying of concepts not fully understood by the lecture recordings.
 
It is important to note that there isn’t one particular standard model for the “flipped learning” approach. Educators can tailor the model to fit the course subject and the needs of their students. However, although the flipped model can vary from educator to educator, and classroom to classroom, the role reversal of lecture in class and homework at home is what makes a flipped model unique.
 
What are the benefits of this model?
 
Flipped classrooms can provide a myriad of benefits, but arguably the greatest benefit comes from the recorded video lectures. With pre-recorded video lectures, students can pause and rewind concepts according to their pace and varying learning styles. In a live classroom, students are unable to “pause” or “rewind” certain points of the lecture that may have been missed by taking notes, or may have missed due to needing extra clarification on the concept.
 
Moreover, the flipped model provides for more time on not only having the students understand the various concepts, but also more class time for experimenting with the concepts by way of projects, presentations, small-group discussions, and more.
 
For more information on flipped classrooms, check out Educause’s informational sheet highlighting 7 important concepts behind the flipped model here.
Speak Up surveys, an intiative of Project Tomorrow, asks students, teachers, parents, administrators and more about their unfiltered viewpoints on innovative and key educational concepts such as flipped learning. We then take those responses, and synthsize our research to find out how these models are working for our students, educators, and communities.

Interested in having your school or district participate in Speak Up 2013? Registration for Speak Up 2013 is coming soon! Please check the Speak Up website frequently for more information in the next coming weeks.
 

Have you ever been a student of a flipped classroom or know someone who is a student in a flipped classroom? Are you an educator using the flipped approach? Share your thoughts and experiences on the matter with us.
 

1,000 Page Views!

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Our blog has reached over 1,000 page views!
 
PT logo
 
Thank you so much to our supporters, followers, and fans. We appreciate you!
 
In celebration of our 1,000 page views, we want to ask you, our viewers, what you would like to see featured on this blog!
 
1. Do you have any educational news stories/current topics you’d like us to feature?
 
2. Would you like to see more information on any Project Tomorrow intiatives/programs?
 
What other thoughts do you have? Any other topics, please let us know in the comments below!
 
Thank you again for your support, and keep reading!
 
– The Project Tomorrow team
 
*Has your school/district used your SpeakUp data to make meaningful change? If so, we want to hear from you! Email Monique at mmansour@tomorrow.org for more information.*
 
Do you know Project Tomorrow’s mission statement? Find it below!
Mission Statement

 Project Tomorrow is a national education nonprofit group based in Irvine, California.
The vision of Project Tomorrow is ensure that today’s students are well prepared to be tomorrow’s innovators, leaders and engaged citizens of the world. We believe 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.
 We approach our mission by:
Conducting national research projects such as Speak Up.
Facilitating the replication of model projects in schools and communities.
Providing online tools and resources for students, teachers and parents.
Contributing to the national and regional dialogue about educational issues.

Learning in Technological Places

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A report released by The Wallace Foundation leads to interesting new developments in arts education, and details where the majority of students are receiving their education in the arts.
 
art supplies,arts,easels,visual arts
Students are turning to other avenues to
obtain their art skills & education.
 
A recent report by The Wallce Foundation indicates interesting facts about where students are increasingly getting their education in the arts.
 
The report notes that students are, surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly to some), receiving their education in the arts not from art class or music class, but rather from cell phones, tablets, computers, laptops, and television, to name a few.
 
Students are overwhelmingly doing this by turning to iPods to listen to several musical varieties, watching visual computer animated films, and creating their own art through a variety of computer programs available today.
 
This new research could play an important role in arts education & curriculum moving forward: How can educators use these new insights in curriculum planning and development?
 
While many schools are being limited or have no access to arts education funding, technology could potentially hold the answer to this problem.
 
Read the Wallace article here for more information, and/or read KPCC’s (Southern California Public Radio) review of the research here. 
 
What are your thoughts on this topic?
Share your comments with us below.
 
-The Project Tomorrow team