Edutopia - September 2007 - (Page 45) science 7 PREDICTION: A crisis in scientific literacy will lead to a revitalization of science teaching. he warning signs are numerous: Many American students post disappointing scores on international tests in science and math. Unable to find enough qualified science teachers, school districts resort to hiring out-of-field instructors. Adults’ general science knowledge hasn’t improved since the 1990s— most have never heard of nanotechnology, and fewer than half understand or accept the theory of evolution, according to research published by the National Science Foundation. “This is the crisis that’s facing the country,” says Bob Corcoran, president of the GE Foundation, which has dedicated $100 million to science and math education in five test-case school districts. “The world is not becoming less technical and less scientific—it’s becoming much more so. That’s where the good jobs are.” Policy makers, education groups, and corporate America are paying attention, thanks in part to an eye-opening 2007 National Academies report. “Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future” warns that the United States is losing prominence in science and technology just as those fields are becoming increasingly vital to the global economy. But advocates for science education say a sense of urgency hasn’t yet reached the local level; surveys show parents are largely satisfied with the science lessons their own children receive. “I’ve been saying for a long time that we need another Sputnik,” says Gerald Wheeler, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association. “We need a way to get the attention of parents and local schools.” There’s no shortage of big, national challenges that have the potential to provide that dramatic Sputnik moment; outsourcing, global warming, energy independence, and national security all spring to mind. But look for a wake-up call this year under more mundane circumstances, now that under the No Child Left Behind Act, for the first time, schools are required to test students in science. “We’ve gotten to the point where, in many cases, science isn’t even being taught, especially in the elementary school and middle school levels, because of the pressure to increase performance on subjects that are tested,” says Shirley Malcolm, director of education and human resources at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. That neglect is likely to become disturbingly apparent on the new tests; it’s likely to be enough to inspire a groundswell of change at the local level, and ultimately a seismic shift in national priorities. A Neo-Nemo on the Classroom Renowned oceanographer Robert Ballard wants to shake up the way science is taught. By James Daly As a young man, Robert Ballard had one goal: “I wanted to be Captain Nemo.” Most folks would say he’s succeeded. Ballard is one of the preeminent oceanographers of our day, most noted for his startling work in underwater archaeology. His most famous finds include the discoveries of the wrecks of the RMS Titanic, the German battleship Bismarck, and John F. Kennedy’s PT-109. He is now exploring ancient wrecks in the Black Sea and working on America’s New Ocean Exploration Project, which will let students remotely travel undersea with his exploration crews. Edutopia: What is the state of science education in the classroom? Ballard: I know one thing: We’re not doing it right. How should it be done? The key is motivation, and role modeling. First, kids have to want to do it. They have to want to know about science education. I was fortunate; when I was a kid, it was cool to be an astronaut. Now, it’s not so cool to be a scientist. The hardest group in the world to talk to is a group of high school kids, because they’re too cool. An important thing to remember is that the game is over by eighth grade. What do you mean? You got ’em, or you ain’t. In middle school. See, we have all these foreign kids kicking down the doors of our universities because those schools are the best in the world. None of them are kicking down the doors of our middle schools. We’re endowing universities that don’t need endowing. We don’t have the troops in the right place. We need to be endowing middle schools, because they are generally unprepared for the teaching of the sciences. So, the real challenge is this: Can America reinvigorate its public school system in middle schools, in the sciences? We can, if we make science cool and fun. How do we do that? Stop emphasizing that students simply take science and math for its own sake, and emphasize the joy of a skill or career that requires them. Where math and science skills can take you. Exactly. Do you want to do some amazing things? Would everyone want to be on Star Trek? Absolutely. Would everyone want to go with George Lucas into his imaginary world? Yes. But how about if we take you into a real, incredible land. Science and math can do that. That’s the kind of motivation that gets the kids to DEEP-SEA DIVE say, “Sign me up.” To read the rest of this interview, and for a link Science is fun, a great advento a lesson plan based on Robert Ballard’s ture for the rest of your life. When explorations, go to I was playing college basketball, I www.edutopia.org/whats-next-2007-robert-ballard said, “OK, now, do I move on and try to make it into the pros, or do I become Captain Nemo? Larry Bird retired from basketball when he was, I don’t know, thirty? I’m sixty-five, in the prime of my game. Who picked the right sport? Look at all the fun things you still have to play with. That’s the message: “Come on—we’ve got the world to explore! We’ve got the universe to explore!” Every generation stands on the shoulders of the previous generation and sees much further. And when you instill this in your students, you give them a mission to go where no one has gone before. And guess what? They want to go. SEPTEMBER 2007 EDUTOPIA 45 T PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY MYSTIC AQUARIUM http://www.edutopia.org/whats-next-2007-robert-ballard
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