Fostering Friendships - Enhancing Social Bonds in the Classroom
Trends in STEM and STEAM Education: STEAM Universe Webcast - June 2018
1. Selected Speak Up 2017 findings
from K-12 students, teachers,
administrators and parents
STEAM Research from the Front Lines
Dr. Julie A. Evans
CEO, Project Tomorrow
June 28, 2018
2. Today’s Discussion
About Project Tomorrow and Speak Up Project
“Big Picture” STEAM learning trends
Drivers for STEAM education
Digital learning trends in STEAM classrooms
Students’ career interests in STEAM fields
Other resources: invitation to participate in Speak Up 2018
Your questions, comments, ideas
4. About Project Tomorrow (www.tomorrow.org)
Nonprofit education organization supporting K-12 education since 1996
Mission is to ensure all of today’s students are well prepared for the future
Programs and research focus on role of digital tools within the education
ecosystem – believe in power of STEAM to support student preparation for
college and career success
o Speak Up Research Project on Digital Learning: collecting & reporting
on the authentic feedback of K-12 stakeholders to inform federal,
state & local programs and policies
5. About the Speak Up Project (www.tomorrow.org/speakup)
Annual research project since 2003
Uses online surveys + focus groups
Facilitated 100% through schools and districts
We design online surveys to collect feedback from
your K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents,
Administrators, and Community Members
All K-12 schools – public, private, parochial, charter,
virtual - are eligible to participate
Project Tomorrow manages all data collection and
reporting for you - 100% free service
Schools get summary report with all locally collected
data + state and national data for benchmarks
We share national data with federal, state and local policymakers to inform programs and
funding
6. About the Speak Up Project (www.tomorrow.org/speakup)
Survey question topics include:
Use of technology to support learning
School climate for innovation
College and career ready skill development/interest
Leadership challenges
Teachers’ needs for professional learning
How do different stakeholders value digital learning
Emerging trends w/digital tools, content and resources
New classroom models: mobile, blended, flipped
School to home communications
Designing the ultimate school
Activities
Attitudes
Aspirations
Since 2003, 5.4 million K-12 stakeholders have
submitted a Speak Up survey
7. Key trends in STEAM learning research …
• Greater emphasis on students’ global skill preparation
• New expectations from parents for skill development & digital learning
• Value of personalized learning on the rise with new learning models
• Students as content creators, not just consumers
• Social justice issue of Internet connectivity at school and at home
• Learning as a 24/7 enterprise for students
• Getting beyond assumptions & myths on career exploration
10. o I have my own tablet at home (54%) but use a Chromebook at school (53%)
o #1 complaint about school technology? I want to use my own mobile device!
o 4 of 10 use a mobile device to read online books
o I’m interested in a job in a STEAM field (45%)
o 51% would like to learn how to code
o Believes that playing digital math games would improve math skills (43%)
o I collaborate more with classmates because of technology (44%)
STUDENTS’ DIGITAL LIVES
13. o I have my own tablet at home (54%) but use a Chromebook at school (53%)
o #1 complaint about school technology? I want to use my own mobile device!
o 4 of 10 use a mobile device to read online books
o I’m interested in a job in a STEM field (45%)
o 51% would like to learn how to code
o Believes that playing digital math games would improve math skills (43%)
o I collaborate more with classmates because of technology (44%)
STUDENTS’ DIGITAL LIVES
14. “Without data, you are
just another person with
an opinion …”
Introducing the Speak Up Project to inform new
discussions and better decision-making around
digital learning plans
16. @Project Tomorrow 2017
National participation in Speak Up 2017: 406,779
Survey Audience # of Surveys
Submitted
K-12 Students 340,927
Teachers & Librarians 34,833
Parents 23,159
Administrators 3,249
Community Members 4,611
About schools and districts: 3,641 districts, 10,619 schools
29% urban, 34% rural, 37% suburban, 68% title 1 eligible
17. Today’s Discussion
About Project Tomorrow and Speak Up Project
“Big Picture” STEAM learning trends
Drivers for STEAM education
Digital learning trends in STEAM classrooms
Students’ career interests in STEAM fields
Other resources: invitation to participate in Speak Up 2018
Your questions, comments, ideas
18. @Project Tomorrow 2017
Speak Up 2017 Research Findings
What challenges or demands
are “waking up” our nation’s
superintendents in the
middle of the night?
19. @Project Tomorrow 2017
What challenges or demands are “waking up” our nation’s
superintendents in the middle of the night?
Wake Up Issues Urban
districts
Suburban
districts
Rural
districts
Closing achievement gap 59% 51% 51%
Staff morale/motivation 55% 44% 39%
Adequate funding 46% 58% 58%
Educational equity 42% 40% 18%
Teacher quality – recruitment and retention 42% 36% 40%
College/career readiness of students 42% 34% 33%
Serving diverse student populations 35% 38% 19%
Test scores 29% 37% 33%
Technology use 28% 28% 30%
20. @Project Tomorrow 2017
What has greatest potential to enhance student achievement in your district?
1. Enhancing teacher effectiveness
2. Integrating college and career ready skills
within curriculum
3. Increasing STEM career exploration
activities for students
4. Leveraging digital tools, products and
solutions more effectively
21. @Project Tomorrow 2017
What has greatest potential to enhance student achievement in your district?
1. Enhancing teacher effectiveness
2. Integrating college and career ready skills
within curriculum
3. Increasing STEM career exploration
activities for students
4. Leveraging digital tools, products and
solutions more effectively
#1 tech challenge:
Motivating
teachers to change
their practices to
use technology in
the classroom
22. @Project Tomorrow 2017
What has greatest potential to enhance student achievement in your district?
Parents’ #1 concern
about tech @ school:
Tech use varies too
much from teacher to
teacher
1. Enhancing teacher effectiveness
2. Integrating college and career ready skills
within curriculum
3. Increasing STEM career exploration
activities for students
4. Leveraging digital tools, products and
solutions more effectively
23. @Project Tomorrow 2017
Skills students need to develop to be prepared for college/career success
Workplace skills Parents District
Administrators
Critical thinking and problem solving 87% 92%
Teamwork 77% 88%
Working with diverse groups of people 76% 91%
Creativity 74% 74%
Use of technology tools 73% 74%
Work independently 71% 76%
Leadership 68% 64%
Communications 63% 63%
24. @Project Tomorrow 2017
What are the best ways for students to develop these skills?
Parents and administrators value the same experiences:
Work experience – job, internship, volunteering
Using technology regularly within school
Project-based learning experiences
Learning coding or computer programming
Taking advanced science and math courses
Taking career technical education courses
Doing real research or scientific experiments
Pursuing artistic or performance interests
25. @Project Tomorrow 2017
What are the key drivers for STEAM education today?
Administrators’ desire to close the achievement gap and
level the education playing field
Parents’ concerns about their child developing the right skills
Need to integrate the development of college and career
ready skills into everyday curriculum
Means to increase the effectiveness of the use of technology
within the learning experience
26. Today’s Discussion
About Project Tomorrow and Speak Up Project
“Big Picture” STEAM learning trends
Drivers for STEAM education
Digital learning trends in STEAM classrooms
Students’ career interests in STEAM fields
Other resources: invitation to participate in Speak Up 2017
Your questions, comments, ideas
27. @Project Tomorrow 2017
Let’s learn about digital learning trends from STEAM teachers
Teacher subject assignment # of teachers in the 2017
Speak Up data set
All classroom teachers 33,059
Math teachers 3,478
Science teachers 2,437
Arts teachers 1,461
29. @Project Tomorrow 2017
How does the use of technology impact STEAM teacher effectiveness?
As a result of how I have integrated technology within my practice, I am now ….
Better able to differentiate instruction 64%
Creating more interactive lessons 56%
Better organized 53%
Giving my students more personalized attention 47%
Facilitating more student self-directed learning 41%
30. @Project Tomorrow 2017
How does the use of technology impact student outcomes?
STEAM teachers say: my students are ….
Outcomes Math
teachers
Science
teachers
Arts
teachers
Gaining a better understanding of
class materials
52% 62% 54%
Developing creativity 30% 44% 59%
Developing critical thinking and
problem solving skills
39% 46% 41%
Collaborating more with classmates 51% 63% 45%
More motivated to learn 44% 43% 41%
Taking ownership of their own
learning
38% 39% 39%
31. @Project Tomorrow 2017
Agree or disagree: In today’s global information economy, all students need
to be proficient in math to be ready for college and career/job success.
32. @Project Tomorrow 2017
Why is math proficiency important?
Outcomes Gr 6-8 Girls Gr 6-8 Boys Gr 6-8
Students in
STEM
programs
Parents w/
Gr 6-8
children
For future job success 79% 72% 77% 68%
For future college success 78% 69% 76% 67%
To develop critical thinking and
problem solving skills
59% 51% 61% 81%
To compete with better educated
global workers in the future
46% 44% 51% 56%
To support learning in other
subjects
44% 39% 51% 50%
To be a more informed citizen 43% 41% 50% 31%
33. @Project Tomorrow 2017
What would help you be more successful with math?
Activities/Environments Gr 6-8 Students in
STEM Programs
All Gr -8 Students
Doing hands-on math activities &
experiments
58% 51%
Working on math problems at my
own pace
52% 49%
Having a teacher skilled and
enthusiastic about math
51% 44%
Discuss problem solving strategies
with other students
50% 44%
Working on real world problems 49% 42%
Helping other students with math 46% 37%
34. @Project Tomorrow 2017
Maker spaces in schools? Status report from school librarians
• 42% of schools report
having a maker space
available for students in
their school library (only
29% of schools said the
same in 2016)
• 51% report no maker
spaces at all at their school
o 17% say it is being
planned
35. @Project Tomorrow 2017
Benefits of maker spaces / project-based learning experiences for students
o Develops creativity skills
o Develops critical thinking and
problem solving skills
o Provides tangible way to apply
knowledge to problems
o Facilitates collaborations
o Increases student confidence in
abilities
o Develops ownership
o Appreciation that failure is
opportunity learn
36. Today’s Discussion
About Project Tomorrow and Speak Up Project
“Big Picture” STEAM learning trends
Drivers for STEAM education
Digital learning trends in STEAM classrooms
Students’ career interests in STEAM fields
Other resources: invitation to participate in Speak Up 2018
Your questions, comments, ideas
37. @Project Tomorrow 2017
Student interest in STEAM
career fields?
Student interest in STEAM
career fields?
Two different questions:
Student interest in
science, technology,
engineering, arts OR math
career fields?
Student interest in
science, technology,
engineering, arts OR math
career fields?
39. @Project Tomorrow 2017
More questions:
oAre students interested in learning
about future careers using non-
traditional means today?
oDo those aspired activities differ by
potential career field?
oDo they also differ depending upon
the level of interest that students have
in the career field?
oDoes gender play a role here also?
40. @Project Tomorrow 2017
More questions:
oAre students interested in learning
about future careers using non-
traditional means today?
oDo those aspired activities differ by
potential career field?
oDo they also differ depending upon
the level of interest that students have
in the career field?
oDoes gender play a role here also?
41. @Project Tomorrow 2017
Declining interest in ….
After school programs (33%)
Going to summer camp (31%)
Taking a CTE class (29%)
Participating in competitions (27%)
Working w/mentors (26%)
Key findings: Students are interested in new approaches for career exploration
Rising interest in ….
Through work experience (66%)
Field trips to companies (48%)
Career pros as teachers (46%)
Playing an online game (38%)
Teachers w/industry experience (37%)
Watching a video about jobs (36%)
Taking an online quiz re: abilities (34%)
Taking an online class (33%)
Follow experts on social media (31%)
Examination of views from
students in grades 6-8
42. @Project Tomorrow 2017
Key findings: Students’ interests for activities by potential career fields
1. The top 3 types of activities/environments for STEAM career exploration are the same
across all potential career fields:
• Work experiences
• Field trips to companies
• Being taught by career professionals from those fields
2. Students interested in technology careers chose more of the digital activities than student
interested in the other STEAM fields
• #4 = online game to learn about a career field
• #6 = Watch a video
• #8 = Take an online class
3. Students interested in math and the arts were more likely to include traditional means of
career exploration than their peers who were interested in science, technology or
engineering
43. @Project Tomorrow 2017
Key findings: Students’ interests for activities differs by level of interest
1. All students, regardless of interest level (very interested or somewhat interested) believe
that work experience is the best way to explore a STEAM career.
2. The students who say they are very interested are more likely to choose traditional means
of career exploration compared to students with only a somewhat level of interest.
• Summer camp: 41% of arts-interested students and 40% of science-interested
students chose this option; only 31% of all students agree, only 32% of students
with “somewhat level” of interest
• Competitions: 33% of very interested students endorsed this; only 27% of
somewhat interested students did the same
3. Students who are very interested in a STEAM field are more interested in watching videos,
taking an online class or evaluating strengths from an online quiz than students who are
only somewhat interested.
1. Technology field interest: 48% (very interested) vs. 38% (somewhat interested)
in playing an online game to learn about a career
44. @Project Tomorrow 2017
Key findings: Students’ interests for activities differs by gender
1. There is no gender differentiation in students’ interest in using the following activities to
learn about a career: following experts on social media, playing an online game, watching
an online video or taking a CTE class. However, games and videos show up in boys’ top 6,
but not in the top 6 activities for girls.
2. The most significant differences were in the following activities:
Activities to explore a career Gr 6-8 Girls Gr 6-8 Boys
Taking field trips to companies 54% 41%
Get work experience 72% 61%
Shadow a career pro 44% 35%
Go to an afterschool program 37% 28%
Taking an online quiz to understand
strengths
38% 30%
45. @Project Tomorrow 2017
Who wants to learn how to code?
60% of girls in grades 6-8 and 50% of girls in grades 9-12 say they are interested in
learning how to code
•But their level of interest is still less than their male peers
•And that level of interest is half as intense as their male peers
Gr 6-8 Girls Gr 6-8 Boys Gr 9-12 Girls Gr 9-12 Boys
Very
interested
18% 31% 13% 25%
Somewhat
interested
42% 38% 37% 40%
Total interest 60% 69% 50% 65%
46. @Project Tomorrow 2017
o Using technology purposely
o Creating, making, inventing
o In a real world setting – not a
hypothetical environment
o Tapping into digital tools and media
o Through self-directed and personalized
learning that is honored by educators
How do students want to become prepared for the world of work?
47. Today’s Discussion
About Project Tomorrow and Speak Up Project
“Big Picture” STEAM learning trends
Drivers for STEAM education
Digital learning trends in STEAM classrooms
Students’ career interests in STEAM fields
Other resources: invitation to participate in Speak Up 2018
Your questions, comments, ideas
48. More resources available at www.tomorrow.org
National Speak Up reports and infographics
Targeted and thematic reports
Digital learning trends
Community engagement
Mobile learning
Games in the classroom
Blended learning outcomes
Presentations, podcasts and webinars
Services: consulting, workshops, evaluation and efficacy studies
We have expertise in the evaluation of mobile implementations, new
classroom models and digital content usage
New Speak Up 2017 reports released thru Sept 2018
49. Plan now for your district to participate in Speak Up 2018
Online surveys for:
oK-12 students – individual + group
oParents – English and Spanish
oTeachers
oLibrarians/Media Specialists
oSchool Site & District Administrators
oTechnology Leaders
oCommunity Members & Communications
Officers
Surveys open Oct 2018 – Jan 2019
Learn more www.tomorrow.org/speakup
100% free service to all schools and districts – including reports with comparison data
51. Speak Up findings from students,
teachers, administrators and parents
STEAM Research from the Front Lines
Dr. Julie A. Evans
CEO, Project Tomorrow
JEvans@tomorrow.org
949-609-4660
@JulieEvans_PT
Thank you for inviting me today!