A 2009 Speak Up Survey, conducted by Project Tomorrow and sponsored by Schoolwires, focuses on how technology can improve learning processes and student outcomes. The report also throws light on the practices of teachers and school administrations who are not comfortable with using technology in their K-12 educational system.

 

The new age of education demands that schools teach students using modern technologies or risk being “left behind.”

 

According to findings from the new report, “K-12 students are increasingly taking responsibility for their own learning, defining their own education path through alternative sources, and feeling not just a right but a responsibility for creating personalized learning experiences.”

 

Even while schools face constraints on students' use of social collaboration tools within the premises, not many schools are taking full advantage of the available tools and the knowledge of students.

 

“Schoolwires has always strongly believed – and in fact was founded on the belief – that an interactive and richly-populated Web site contributes significantly to student achievement and to parent and community engagement,' said Edward S. Marflak, founder and CEO of Schoolwires. 'And we have evolved and expanded our website platform to address the critical disconnects cited by the survey,” Marflak said.

 

Schoolwires provides input into the survey questions and gains advance access to the results as an underwriter of the project. To ensure that the company is creating solutions that meet the current and future technology needs of districts, Schoolwires uses the data from the survey.