Today: The First-Ever White House Student Film Festival

Hello everyone,

The very best person to talk to about how modern technology is changing our classrooms isn't me, or even the President.

It's a student who is actually learning from those tools every day -- accessing school assignments online, watching video lessons to learn a new concept, or even talking directly with other students around the world with new technology.

That's why, a few months ago, the White House challenged students all across the country to create short films answering a simple question:

Why is technology so important in the classroom -- and how will it change the educational experience for kids in the future?

The response was overwhelming. And today, the 16 official selections are going to be screened at the first-ever White House Student Film Festival.

You're going to want to tune in for this one. Watch the official selections, then tune in today at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Today's going to be a fun day, but this event speaks to something much bigger.

That's because these students' films all illustrate the critical conversation about education in our country right now: the importance of connecting our classrooms.

The fact is that right now, only around 30 percent of our students have the high-speed Internet access they need for digital learning. That means millions of kids across the country aren't currently benefiting from the kinds of technologies that made the student films you'll watch today possible.

The President's ConnectED initiative is making sure that changes -- by connecting 99 percent of students to next-generation, high-speed broadband within five years.

Want to see exactly why that's so important? Just take a look at some of the incredible things kids can produce when they're connected.

See the official film festival selections, then make sure you're watching the event at 2:30 p.m. ET today.

Looking forward to continuing the conversation,

Secretary Arne Duncan
Department of Education