By Vic Sutton
New evidence that technology can contribute to positive learning outcomes in the school classroom emerges from the latest ‘SpeakUp’ survey of Project Tomorrow.
Project Tomorrow is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure that today’s students are well-prepared for the future.
SpeakUp is an annual research project that has been carried out since 2003, surveying students, teachers, librarians, principals, administrators and parents.
Julie A. Evans
Their latest report, ‘The Educational Equity Imperative: Leveraging Technology to Empower Learning for All,’ was presented by Dr. Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, at a Congressional Briefing held in Washington, DC, on 13 September 2018. It was based on surveys carried out between mid-October 2017 and the end of January 2018.
Its main finding is that “high school students with… access to a laptop or Chromebook are more likely to use those devices to personalize their learning process, to stay organized with their schoolwork and to leverage technology for more enhanced learning experiences than their peers with no access or only sporadic access.”
The importance of levering technology was:
- to help students develop college-ready and workplace skills; and
- to overcome the barriers that arise because technology resources are not always evenly distributed.
The report also notes that Internet access outside schools is critical, but there is still a digital divide. And only one-quarter of school districts allow students to take their devices home.
Click image to view the 9-page PDF.
It is interesting to see how students who do not have Internet access at home tackle the ‘homework gap’ that this creates. They go to school early, stay late, or use the facilities of libraries or even fast-food outlets. Continue reading →
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Educational Technology and Change Journal 
