There are so many times you hear people say that American children are behind countries such as China in Math and Sciences. What does this statement really mean to us, to Americans? In the article, "What's Our Sputnik? by Thomas L. Friedman he suggests America needs an event like the Soviet launch of Sputnik in 1957 is what motivated the Americans to enhance their education in science.
Since 1957 no other similar event has happened. We lost our momentum and now we need something new to spark that interest. What could that event be? Honestly, I don't know. I would hope we would not need a major even like Sputnik to realize that we are behind in education and need to really step it up. We all make comments about it as it is, so what's stopping our school systems from actually doing something about it?
All I hear are excuses. Administrations are a lot alike corporations at times, working like a business and only thinking about money. If they were only thinking about the students and education they would try and see how to make things work. They would let the teachers make committees and get together to see if they can come up with solutions. When you have administrations who do not want to listen to new ideas especially when it has to do with introducing STEM education it proves they are ignoring the fact we need to improve our educational system. We will eventually be blindsided just like Sputnik and people will turn their heads and pretend they had no idea it was coming. In reality, it was a long time coming, no one cared to take a stand and really try for our students.
I wish we could find a way to change without such a huge event happening. I am very lucky to have the administration that I have but I wonder when the government will make that change?
ReplyDeleteMeg & Natalie-
ReplyDeleteI am in the same position that Meg is, our administration has been putting more $$$ behind STEM but that is only because we have a grant (Venice Foundation), nothing that the government has done. If we didn't have the grant, I feel that they would be verbally supportive but would not give us any $$$. We now have a STEM lab that is an elective for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders for one semester. We need to start teaching science earlier- in elementary school to hook these kids. There are so many fun labs that elementary teachers could be doing with these kids- they don't give science the time of day.