Dr. Jeff on U.S. Need in Science Education
Posted by DrJeff
Copyright 2009 | About this blog
I created this separate section of Resource Pages titled Dr. Jeff on U.S. Need in Science Education to address the larger landscape of America’s future, and the future of our children.
A strong motivation for me jumping on the Blog bandwagon is my deep concern about America in the 21st century, specifically—our ability to compete in the high tech global marketplace. In terms of science and technology education, we need to come together as a nation NOW, if we are to ensure the standard of living we’ve enjoyed for so long. If we do not act by inspiring and effectively educating our next generation of scientists and engineers, then I fear America may become the equivalent of a third world nation in the 21st century—not sufficiently capable of bringing new product to market. Are we to lead, just try to compete, or throw in the towel? The choice is ours, and the choice is upon us.
I also passionately believe that our success as a nation is dependent upon our ability to succeed AS a nation. In terms of the education of our children—there can only be one America. I am advocating that success in science and technology education (both in terms of science literacy and inspiring new researchers) must be something available to ALL our children, whether they live in suburbia, rural communities, or inner city urban areas. Jobs for ALL Americans will require science and technology skills as never before. So if we are to compete in the 21st century, we either sink or swim—together. We’ve got to get everyone in the pool. On a personal note, that’s why I’ve concentrated over the years on programming that places special emphasis on under-served communities.
The feedback I’ve received from my talks to teachers at conferences, and to families and the public, have shown me that I’ve actually got something to contribute in terms of helping teachers in the classroom, addressing the public’s misconceptions about science, and inspiring the next generation of America’s scientists and engineers. Blog on the Universe is my attempt to help on a larger scale. Whether it will be meaningful I don’t know, but I want to try.
For more of my thoughts on this, please read my Post: Shuttle Atlantis Home! Prompts Me to Look to America’s Future … and I’m Troubled.
And here are the links to the pages currently in this section:
The Crisis in Science Education
An Open Letter to President Obama
2 Responses to “Dr. Jeff on U.S. Need in Science Education”
-
Corina Says:
September 10th, 2009 at 10:26 amI taught science for 7 years in both public and charter schools, the inner city, and suburbs. I completely agree with your sentiment. Science education is lacking, yet there is so much that we can do. Teachers feel ill-equipped both in resources to keep up with the fast pace of science. They also feel ill-prepared in linking the science curriculum in application, so students are not aware of the implication of their studies. Something needs to change.
I was an extremely dedicated science educator. If you need any help, please let me know. This is a worthwhile endeavor and i would love to be of assistance.
-
DrJeff Says:
September 10th, 2009 at 11:39 amCorina, I gave a keynote at an NSTA conference a few years back, and a frustrated teacher came over and said we’re being asked to shove 5 gallons of water into a one gallon bucket. My reply – you can’t, and that should be OBVIOUS to school district curriculum folks, and folks at the state level. The key is teaching science as a process not a book of knowledge. It should be training in the art of asking a question, framing a path to an answer by recognizing the core knowledge that needs to be brought to the problem, and reveling in the new knowledge you create. I am trying to set an example in approaches to science education with this blog. For a deeper look at my views on this, see the Power of Models Resource Page.
