Looking into the Future of Science and Education (SCIE - 6664S - 2)

Keeping Up With Global Competition

China is a very modern society; I believe it to be a dynamic nation. However modern it is, its government remains largely unreformed and there are many stumbleing blocks to scientific advancement. There is growing evidence that plagiarism, fraud and manipulation of data are interwoven through China’s research process, and their scientific community is failing to take action. With this in mind the STEM reform is of special interest to me. Why the push to incorporate STEM curriculum in our schools? Many believe that the United States is not investing enough into education in critical fields. There is concern that American students will not be able to compete globally in these fields unless we can provide them with the best educational opportunities possible in the STEM fields (Atkinson and Mayo, 2010). With this in mind education bears the burden of compensating for the lack of interest in these fields. Showing real life application of subject matter makes the material more relevant to our students and according to Barber (2011)

“the recent developments, such as President Obama's push to prepare 100,000 new STEM educators over the next 10 years, the effort by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) to have science standards included in the Common Core State Standards, and the adoption of STEM initiatives in nearly a dozen states, have added to the pressure” (p. 1).

It seems to me that other countries have been rapidly developing their math and science education and integrating it with technology which seems to be giving them the edge over our US students. Most people are aware of the technology they use but are less aware of the science that underlies the technology (Buxton & Provenzo, 2011). As an Educator I make sure to incorporate the value of the technology as well as the scientific advancement it has brought about. Currently my students are researching solar cooker designs for a class project. They are utilizing the internet to research, design, construct then test their model. This particular project incorporates STEM concepts and promotes its importance

References

Atkinson, R & Mayo, M. (2010, December 7) Refueling the U.S. Innovation Economy: Fresh Approaches to STEM Education. The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.itif.org/publications/refueling-us-innovation-economy-fresh-approaches-stem-education

Barber, D.A. (2011, December 13). Educators Look for Resources, New Programs Amid STEM Push. The Journal. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/articles/2011/12/13/educators-look-for-resources-new-programs-amid-stem-push.aspx

Buxton, C. A., & Provenzo, E. F., Jr. (2011). Teaching science in elementary & middle school: A cognitive and cultural approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications