Effecting Change

Currently I teach fourth grade and I only fit in science three times a week, for thirty minutes each day.  This is my first year back to elementary school because I have been teaching middle school physical science for the last five years.  The challenge that I face is that the elementary school that I teach at is mostly focused on math, reading, and writing.  I find that this is consistent throughout the district that  I teach in.  In the past, I would get students in middle school and it would be apparent that they were years behind in science content and had not been exposed to much, if any scientific inquiry.  Now that I am at the elementary school, I feel the enormous pressure that is being placed on me to focus on math, reading, and writing.  Next year I am committed to do science 5 days a week.  It is important to me, as an educator, to prepare my students to become scientifically literate adults.  I need to play my part at the elementary level to get students excited about science, to explore their curiosity, and to expose them to hands on inquiry based experiments.  Everything I have learned about STEM careers reinforces the importance of this mission.

What's Our Sputnik?

I agree with Friedman that when Russia launched the Sputnik satellite into space, this event sent our country into a state of urgency to become more educated, innovative, and competitive.  If we view the rise of China to become our economic partner and competitor as a kick in the pants to grow as a nation in education, innovation, and competition,  at this point I think we will be disappointed.  


As a country, it is in our best interest to use our resources to become independent of foreign oil.  We are spending so much tax money on the war on terror and with our economy being in the state that it is in, we need to shift our thinking and prioritize how our money is spent.  We are running out of time and money.  Should we give countries a chance to work out their differences before we go in and give handouts to people that don't even want us in their country?  It is certainly the American way to be involved in everything that doesn't involve us.  On the other hand, when civil rights and women rights are so lacking in some parts of the world, is it our ethical responsibility to help?  I would say yes, if we have extra money after taking care of our schools, police departments, fire fighters, children that live in poverty, etc.


I found an article on line about global competitiveness.  Here is a quote from the article that confirmed what I  was thinking.  "Over the last decade, the world has changed dramatically," said José-Marie Griffiths, chair of the NSB committee that oversees production of the report. "It's now a world with very different actors who have made advancement in science and technology a top priority. And many of the troubling trends we're seeing are now very well established."  The United States in not making science and technology a priority and we will soon be paying for it.  The article listed some organizations that are working to keep the United States competitive. 


SAVI  This organization promotes communication and collaboration globally amongst scientists, engineers, and educators.


NSF  Completes scientific research on ways to build innovation with technology, entrepreneurs, and the business community.  Also in the process of providing classes and new technologies to people that previously did not have access to them.


SEES  Focuses on innovation for clean energy development and how to improve with technology rapid response to extreme events.


http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=122859&org=NSB&from=news