Educate, and be Educated

The National Science Education Standards (NSES) provide a vision of science literacy for all students in our nation's schools. Inquiry should play a central role in developing students' understandings (National Research Council, 2000). Education should provide individuals with different ways of viewing the world, communicating about it, and successfully coping with the questions and issues of daily living. The Indiana Board of Education states that the most effective science programs are based on the idea that students should engage in their own investigations. These types of learning experiences can be used in conjunction, as to reinforce, or to enrich the science concepts (McKenzie, 1999). Students that continue to inquire about the world around them engage in scientific discoveries and advanced concepts, which would benefit the development of the scientific community. Ultimately, the fundamental goal is to develop scientific reasoning skills and to be led to thinking beyond misconceptions.

As educators, we must ensure that these concepts are heard and adopted as a curriculum. Teachers should involve themselves in text adoption committees so their schools utilize textbooks that value STEM education. It should be a teacher’s priority to stay informed on state or research developments. Educators should make sure there is constant personal development and collaboration among colleagues. The use of internet resources like https://learningconnection.doe.in.gov which is Indiana’s Learning Connection for the education community can be a place to collaborate. Educators engaged and informed benefit the development of the scientific community.

References

Indiana Department of Education. (2010). Indiana’s Academic Standards & Resources.

Indianapolis, Indiana. Retrieved March 13, 2010 from http://www.indianastandarsresources.org

McKenzie, J. (1999). How Teachers Learn Technology Best (first ed.).

Bellingham: FNO Press.

National Research Council. (2000). Inquiry and the national science education

standards: A guide for teaching and learning. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Mr. Friedman identifies the need of a "Sputnik-event", to jump start our efforts and focus our resources toward science education. I like to think we’re already on our way. Sputnik threatened us in a way that rivaled the attack on Pearl Harbor. Our national safety was in jeopardy, a significant percentage of our population believed. We, as a people, were intrigued by space exploration, and were in a head-to-head competition with the USSR.

I like to believe we are heading in the right direction. The vast majority of Americans have grown up in an age where we accept as a given that we are the world power (emphasis intended). When you believe you are the biggest and the best, a sort of complacency starts to seep into your way of thinking: we deserve what we have and we will always have it.

I do agree that the days of us serving as a global police force are behind us. Yes, we can and should voice an opinion to the goings-on around the world, but by expending our resources and more importantly, our military, in molding foreign governments to our liking we over-extend ourselves.

But, though this sounds grim, and is a different America than what I’ve grown up in, I appreciate that there are discussions regarding what we are, what we need to do, and where we are going. I like to believe that we recognize that we do need to improve our education services. Unfortunately, the budget-balancers are in charge now with an ink pen in hand striking out budget items right and left. This is a wave that we need to ride out, and remain focused on the critical priorities: a quality education for our young.

Reference

Friedman, T.L. (2010, January 17). What’s our sputnik? [Op-Ed]. The New York Times [Late Edition (East Coast)], p. WK.8.