Join live or receive a link to the recording and earn a CE certificate
From Engagement to Learning: Congressional Briefing on Closing the Gap Between Student Aspirations and Classroom Practices
Thursday, October 17, 2024 @ 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm EDT
Presented by Dr. Julie Evans, CEO, Project Tomorrow; Dr. Lu Settles Young, Vice Chair, Kentucky Board of Education, Professor, University of Kentucky College of Education, Former Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer; and a panel of students
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
According to our nation’s students, the value of using technology for learning is clear—when used effectively, it helps them develop the skills they need for future success. Seventy-five percent of high school students report that their number one use of technology in school is taking online tests, an operational classroom practice that neither engages students in learning nor helps them develop workplace skills.
Conversely, less than one-third of students say they have regular access to interactive technologies such as virtual labs, multimedia tools, augmented reality, coding resources, and AI tools that foster critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving. Students report that their best use of digital resources for learning happens on their own time, outside of school, most often through their smartphones. Given this reality, what do we need to know to increase the efficacy of classroom learning, especially when using technology?
Each year, the Speak Up Research Initiative asks K-12 students, parents, and educators about the role of technology for learning in and out of school. The Congressional Briefing is an annual presentation of Speak Up results to national policymakers. In this year’s Speak Up Congressional Briefing, Dr. Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, will share the 2023-24 national research findings collected from over 100,000 K-12 students, classroom educators, administrators, and parents and families nationwide about technology use in schools, student engagement, parents’ concerns, teacher needs, and even AI policies.
Most notably, the Briefing will include a panel of middle and high school students from across the United States, offering their authentic, no-spin views on learning today, and their recommendations for closing the gap between students’ aspirations for more effective classroom learning and current instructional practices.
The Congressional Briefing will be of interest to K-12 school leaders, district leaders, education technology leaders, teachers, librarians, and policymakers.
About the Presenters
Dr. Julie A. Evans is the Chief Executive Officer of Project Tomorrow and the founder of the heralded Speak Up Research Project which annually collects and reports on the authentic views of 400,000 K-12 students, parents, and educators on key education issues. Dr. Evans serves as the chief researcher on the Speak Up Project as well as leading national research efforts on the impact of emerging learning models and interventions in both K-12 and higher education. Her work includes helping education leaders embrace change and innovation in education, and to recognize that the voices and views of their stakeholders, most notably students, are valuable leadership assets.
Prior to joining Project Tomorrow in 1999, Dr. Evans enjoyed a successful career in management within the technology industry including with two education technology startups. As a national thought leader and influencer, she brings to discussions about the future of education a unique perspective because of her experiences working in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors as well as within education. Dr. Evans is a graduate of Brown University and earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of California, San Diego and California State University San Marcos. She is a frequent facilitator, speaker, and writer on new learning models within education, most notably around digital learning. Among her many accolades and awards, Dr. Evans was named in April 2020 as the winner of EdTech Digest’s National Leader award. Dr. Evans is the author of the book Free Agent Learning: Leveraging Students’ Self-Directed Learning to Transform K-12 Education.
Dr. Lu Settles Young is a professor at the University of Kentucky College of Education in the Department of Educational Leadership Studies and the Chief Leadership Officer of the UK Center for Next Generation Leadership.
Before coming to UK, Dr. Young served as the Chief Academic Officer of Fayette County Public Schools in Lexington, KY, and before that, superintendent of Jessamine County Schools for nine years. She earned principal and superintendent certifications from the University of Kentucky and holds a doctorate in education leadership from Northern Kentucky University. Dr. Young was selected as the 2012 Kentucky Superintendent of the Year.
Young was appointed by Governor Andy Beshear to serve on the Kentucky Board of Education in 2019 where she served for 3 years as chair. She currently serves as the Kentucky Board of Education vice-chair.
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
Join the 21st Century Learning community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.
Project Tomorrow is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that today’s students are well-prepared to become tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and engaged citizens of the world. We support that mission with programs and research that focus on innovation and new learning models in the K-12 classroom, including through the effective use of technology.
