Category Archive: Curriculum

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How Do We Get More Students Interested in Math, Science & Tech Careers?

  By Troy | September 8, 2011 - 9:52 am | Curriculum, STEM Leave a comment

How Do We Get More Students Interested in Math, Science & Tech Careers? [INFOGRAPHIC].

Interesting takeaways from this Mashable article:

Why do students choose to pursue math or science? The answer appears to vary by gender. Forty-nine percent of female STEM students say it was to make a difference, and 61% of male students said that games or toys in their childhoods sparked their interest. For 68% of the female respondents, a teacher or class got them interested in science, math, engineering or technology.

AND

Harris Interactive asked parents about their perception of STEM education in K-12. It found that 93% of parents believe that STEM education should be a priority in the U.S., but only 49% believe it is treated as a priority. And while 50% of parents want to see their children pursue careers in STEM, only 24% said they were willing to spend extra money to make their children successful in math and science classes.

So parents want their children to pursue STEM studies, but are unwilling to pay extra for the specialized, technical courses? Sounds like there’s a couple of solutions:

  1. Adopt a school-choice policy that lets parents and students select the best (not just the local) school for their future career options.
  2. Change the pay structure for teaching careers. Pay the science and math more than English or Social Sciences teachers, regardless of experience or level.

It’s up to politicians and administrators to consider all options. Parents must be understand the value of investing in education now, to produce better professionals later.

Flickr 5986961866 How Do We Get More Students Interested in Math, Science & Tech Careers?
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Obama: Future depends on science, math education

  By Troy | March 17, 2011 - 2:50 pm | Curriculum, STEM Leave a comment

Encourage your gifted student to explore math and science learning, even if that’s not their strongest area. The United States is falling behind other countries in STEM learning. Unfortunately, it probably take a grass-roots effort by parents to increase schools’ emphasis on math and science. President Obama is saying all the right things, but we need to make sure his actions reinforce his words:

“It’s hard to describe just how impressive these young people are,” Obama, who is emphasizing math and science education, said afterward at a reception. Their work “is a testament to the potential that awaits when we inspire young people to take part in the scientific enterprise.”

Obama, who shows a personal fascination with science, said these victories often go unnoticed.

via The Associated Press: Obama: Future depends on science, math education.

If we don’t care about math and science, our children’s teachers won’t care either.

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Skill-level Grouping, Not Grade-level Grouping

  By Troy | July 8, 2010 - 8:46 am | Curriculum, Education Leave a comment

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Forget about students spending one year in each grade, with the entire class learning the same skills at the same time. Districts from Alaska to Maine are taking a different route.

Instead of simply moving kids from one grade to the next as they get older, schools are grouping students by ability. Once they master a subject, they move up a level. This practice has been around for decades, but was generally used on a smaller scale, in individual grades, subjects or schools.

via Some schools grouping students by skill, not grade level – USATODAY.com.

gradesx Skill level Grouping, Not Grade level Grouping

KCMO is trying this because the district has been failing for years, despite the billions of federal and state dollars that have been flowing into the district.

But, if the economic situation was better, I don’t think schools like the KCMO school district would be trying this. However, engaged citizens have known for years that the current model of learning is outdated.

The present model of education is better suited to making widgets on an assembly-line or harvesting crops on a farm. We need a model that promotes creativity and critical thinking, ideal skills for STEM careers that we so desperately need in the United States.

I’m glad that districts are starting to wake up and realize that things need to change quickly.

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