Information from SpeakUp 2008, K-12

http://www.tomorrow.org/
The annual SpeakUp survey from Project Tomorrow shows that students feel restricted in using technology when they enter schools and suggests that this signals weakness in U.S. global competition. Although the survey found agreement among parents, teachers and principals that implementing technology in schools is crucial to student success, students don’t seem to feel that their schools’ technology use is up to date. Here are some highlights from the survey from Tech Learning, http://www.techlearning.com/article/16880.

When asked about how schools could make it easier for students to work electronically, the most common response (one-third of the 3rd-12th grade students polled) was that schools should let students use their own devices and tools during the school day, including laptops, cell phones, MP3 players and the option to communicate with classmates via email or IM.

Students and parents expressed interest in the digital textbook, with 29% of middle and high school students currently using some kind of online textbook or curriculum as part of their regular schoolwork. Student suggestions on the best digital textbook include:

• The ability to personalize their book with electronic highlights and notes (63%)
• Quizzes and tests for self-evaluation (62%) or self-paced tutorials (46%)
• Access links to real-time data such as NASA and Google Earth (52%)
• Links to PowerPoint or class lectures that support textbook content (55%)
• Games (57%) or animations and simulations (55%)
• Links to videoconferences (30%) or podcasts from subject experts (34%)