SC07:K-12 Day
From Education
Session Name: The Future in Education and what to do about it: Teachers have their say!
Session Time: 90 minutes
Session Abstract :
The purpose of this gathering is to engage teachers in a conversation that engages teachers in the conversations about the changes needed in K12 schools to meet the need of teachers and learners. Since teachers are practioners, we hope to identify key problem areas, and get their suggestions for better action on STEM and computational science initiatives in K-12 Schools.
We will use the technology as media to share the snapshots, ie paper copies, case studies, outline, and summaries in varied ways of presentation to bring the conversations in Washington to the teachers so they can create meaningful input.
Teachers will be given snapshots , using media, powerpoint, video case studies , and reports to enable them to have their say. The organization of this forum is to engage all and to collect, post and create a white paper from their responses.
We have heard from the businesses of America about what changes they think should be made and where the blame is. Most of the groups see a problem in the K-12 school environment that does not produce students to be engaged in science, math, engineering and technology. We have a concern about the lack of students in computational science as well. For both of these issues and concerns , we want to ask the educators about ways to broaden participation, that is to increase the flow of students to these areas of study,To identify specific activities/projects that can be implemented collaboratively, addressing common problems in STEM . To have teachers identify, address and state the challenges of teaching STEM and computational science initiatives. The projects/activities will address challenge by leveraging the interdisciplinary, combined strengths of the group.
Finally but not as a part of the forum, we will provide outreach and resources. It is our desire to "capture " the information the teachers will present in a white paper. We also are in search of funding to continue to collaborate with the teachers in e-learning, with some possible face to face initiatives at national conferences or sponsored workshops in communities.
Snapshots from the National Initiatives to follow, these are the significant URLS
The Council on Competitiveness http://www.compete.org/
The Convocation on the Gathering Storm http://www7.nationalacademies.org/gatheringstorm/GatheringStorm_Powerpoint.html
The Innovation Proclamation futureofinnovation.org/media/Proclamation-FINAL.pd
The NSF National Action Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the US Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education System ( NSBEHR 07-09) This will be a handout. It is also on the web at www.nsf.gov/nsb/edu_com/report.pdf
ITEA http://www.iteaconnect.org/ TECHNICALLY SPEAKING http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309082625 WHY ALL AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT TECHNOLOGY Committee on Technological Literacy National Academy of Engineering
LEGISLATION
America Competes Act
At the national level, in a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, President Bush l signed the America Competes Act, authorizing $33.6 billion for various programs at the National Science Foundation and the Departments of Energy, Commerce and Education.
A large portion of authorized funds support research-$2.652 billion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology and $22 billion for National Science Foundation programs over FY 2008-2010.
Also authorized is $150 million for K-12 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs that includes expansion of statewide high schools specializing in STEM subjects and funds for summer teacher institutes in STEM content areas.
The conference agreement also authorizes $95 million in FY 08 for Math Now, a program akin to Reading First that would provide teachers with research-based tools and professional development to help low-income students struggling with math. Also included are competitive grants to increase the number of highly qualified teachers in high need schools and increase Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.
A number of these K-12 initiatives aren't new. Math Now and expansion of AP, IB and the Math Science Partnerships program were proposals included in the President's 2006 American Competitiveness Initiative.
The America Competes Act had a smooth ride through the House-Senate conference committee, despite the hefty difference in price tag between the Senate bill passed in April by an 88-8 vote and the conference authorization. Sponsors of the Senate bill had estimated the total cost at $59.94 billion.
Still, $33.6 billion over the next few years is no small sum. But it's not a done deal yet. Congress must pass spending bills appropriating funds for specific programs, which the President must sign.
Teachers have not been a part of most of these conversations.
A perspective
In the past, teachers have been told what to do and given minimal tools with which to do it. Evaluating their performance was a matter of checking off a list of whether they did what they were told. In today's effective schools, however, teachers make important decisions about their own teaching and the school as a whole, know and understand child development and the children they teach, share responsibility for all the children in the school with their colleagues, and take part in building professional knowledge with their peers. Teachers' responsibilities have grown beyond the isolated classroom walls to embrace the success of all children and adults who work in the school. Expanded responsibilities entail teachers' assuming expanded roles. To enhance student learning in modern schools means to practice high standards for teaching, to assist one's colleagues, and to be assisted in reaching and maintaining those standards
Teachers in this forum will have their say which will be organized , and created as a white paper to give teachers a voice in this competitiveness conversation.
SNAPSHOT
Initiating event ..Shift Happens, Video
SNAPSHOT
Convocation on Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing Regions, States, and Cities
PURPOSE: The purpose of the Convocation on Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing Regions, States, and Cities was to: (1) convene leadership of industry, government, research, and education community from all 50 states and the federal government, (2) share knowledge and encourage leadership of initiatives at the state and local level to strengthen US competitiveness, and (3) discuss current national proposals to respond to the nation's competitiveness challenge and their implications for states, localities, and regions.
The focus of the convocation was on the key action areas identified in the National Academies report: Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. These include
o K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education o Higher education o Research o Innovation environment
Their statement for teachers,
In a world where advanced knowledge is widespread and low-cost labor is readily available, U.S. advantages in the marketplace and in science and technology have begun to erode. A comprehensive and coordinated federal effort is urgently needed to bolster U.S. competitiveness and pre-eminence in these areas. This congressionally requested report by a pre-eminent committee makes four recommendations along with 20 implementation actions that federal policy-makers should take to create high-quality jobs and focus new science and technology efforts on meeting the nation's needs, especially in the area of clean, affordable energy:
1) Increase America's talent pool by vastly improving K-12 mathematics and science education; 2) Sustain and strengthen the nation's commitment to long-term basic research; 3) Develop, recruit, and retain top students, scientists, and engineers from both the U.S. and abroad; and 4) Ensure that the United States is the premier place in the world for innovation.
SNAPSHOT
PITAC http://www.nitrd.gov/pitac/
Program Goals Assure continued U.S. leadership in computing, information, and communications technologies to meet Federal goals and to support U.S. 21st century academic, industrial, and government interests Accelerate deployment of advanced and experimental information technologies to maintain world leadership in science, engineering, and mathematics; improve the quality of life; promote long-term economic growth; increase lifelong learning; protect the environment; harness information technology; and enhance national security Advance U.S. productivity and industrial competitiveness through long-term scientific and engineering research in computing, information, and communications technologies
Supported the planning and launching of a National Academies study to identify, in selected illustrative fields, important scientific questions and technological problems for which an extraordinary advancement in our understanding is difficult or impossible without leading-edge computation-intensive and/or data-intensive capabilities, and to categorize the numerical and algorithmic characteristics of the questions and problems
SNAPSHOT
Regarding the Digital Divide and Broadening Participation ( CEOSE)
Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) CEOSE is charged with advising the National Science Foundation (NSF) on policies and programs to encourage full participation by women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This committee consists of 15 members, each serving a term of three years. The members are researchers and scholars from the STEM fields, and con- stitute a broad and diverse group drawn from academia, professional organizations, government agencies, and industry. Designated committee members serve as liaisons to the Advisory Committees of each NSF Directorate and major office.
SNAPSHOT
TECHNOLOGY
Technically Speaking: Why All Americans Need to Know More About Technology
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10250#toc
Cell phones . . . airbags . . . genetically modified food . . . the Internet. These are all emblems of modern life. You might ask what we would do without them. But an even more interesting question might be what would we do if we had to actually explain how they worked?
The United States is riding a whirlwind of technological change. To be sure, there have been periods, such as the late 1800s, when new inventions appeared in society at a comparable rate. But the pace of change today, and its social, economic, and other impacts, are as significant and far reaching as at any other time in history. And it seems that the faster we embrace new technologies, the less we re able to understand them. What is the long-term effect of this galloping technological revolution? In today s new world, it is nothing less than a matter of responsible citizenship to grasp the nature and implications of technology.
Technically Speaking provides a blueprint for bringing us all up to speed on the role of technology in our society, including understanding such distinctions as technology versus science and technological literacy versus technical competence. It clearly and decisively explains what it means to be a technologically-literate citizen. The book goes on to explore the context of technological literacy the social, historical, political, and educational environments.
This readable overview highlights specific issues of concern: the state of technological studies in K-12 schools, the reach of the Internet into our homes and lives, and the crucial role of technology in today s economy and workforce. Three case studies of current issues car airbags, genetically modified foods, and the California energy crisis illustrate why ordinary citizens need to understand technology to make responsible decisions. This fascinating book from the National Academy of Engineering is enjoyable to read and filled with contemporary examples. It will be important to anyone interested in understanding how the world around them works.
SNAPSHOT Innovation Proclamation
http://tap2015.org/news/proclamation.html
We, the leaders of American business and higher education, call on Congress to act quickly on an innovation agenda that will ensure continued U.S. competitiveness, enabling Americans to succeed in the global economy. Innovation leadership creates high-wage jobs and rising incomes for Americans. Innovation drives productivity and economic growth, giving American workers the tools to remain the most productive in the world and creating products, processes-and even new industries-that expand employment and boost living standards. The United States has remained the world's innovation leader through a commitment to basic research, a world-class workforce and a climate that rewards innovation. But America cannot rest on past economic success. Our competitors are investing in innovation, improving their competitive position and, in some respects, surpassing us.
Therefore, Congress must act to: Renew America's commitment to discovery by doubling the basic research budgets at the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Energy's Office of Science and the Department of Defense; Improve student achievement in math and science through increased funding of proven programs and incentives for science and math teacher recruitment and professional development; Welcome highly educated foreign professionals, particularly those holding advanced science, technology, engineering, or mathematics degrees, especially from U.S. universities, by reforming U.S. visa policies; Make permanent a strengthened R&D Tax Credit to encourage continued private-sector innovation investment.
American Innovation Proclamation draft copy is at http://www.nsf.gov/nsb
SNAPSHOT
We would have furnished participants with a real copy of:
A National Action Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the US Science, Technology , Engineering, and Mathematics Education System. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The United States possesses the most innovative, technologically capable economy in the world, and yet its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education system is failing to ensure that all American students receive the skills and knowledge required for success in the 21st century workforce. The Nation faces two central challenges to constructing a strong, coordinated STEM education system:
Ensuring coherence in STEM learning, and Ensuring an adequate supply of well-prepared and highly effective STEM teachers.
In order to direct attention to pressing issues and concerns in STEM education and to coordinate and enhance STEM education across local, state, and Federal programs, the National Science Board (the Board) recommends the following:
The U.S. Congress should pass and the President should sign into law an act chartering a new, independent, non-Federal National Council for STEM Education to coordinate and facilitate STEM programs and initiatives throughout the Nation, as well as to inform policymakers and the public on the state of STEM education in the United States.
The President's Office of Science and Technology Policy should create a standing Committee on STEM Education within the National Science and Technology Council with the responsibility to coordinate all Federal STEM education programs.
The Department of Education should create a new Assistant Secretary of Education position charged with coordinating the Department's efforts in STEM education and interacting with stakeholders outside the Department. The National Science Foundation should lead an effort to create a nationalroadmap to improve pre-kindergarten to college (P-16) STEM education, drawing on its national standing in the science and engineering communities and its expertise in science and engineering research and education.
In recognition of the lead role of local and state jurisdictions in the Nation's P-12 education system, the Board recommends that all stakeholders work together, using the National Council for STEM Education as the focal point, to provide horizontal coordination of STEM education among states by:
Facilitating a strategy to define national STEM content guidelines that would outline the essential knowledge and skills needed at each grade level;Developing metrics to assess student performance that are aligned with nationalcontent guidelines; Ensuring that assessments under No Child Left Behind promote STEM learning;
" A National Action Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education System. http://www.nsf.org/nsb( they will get a copy of the final report, not the draft, as well as references and snapshots of recent initiatives that support the teaching of Science, Math, Engineering and Technology
a)hands-on activities (if included) Participants will be presenting feedback on the various NSF projects on newsprint and with sticky notes posted on the walls in the meeting room.
b)Take-aways for participants (knowledge, software, lesson plans, etc.) Participants will have knowledge of a number of NSF-funded projects, and will have a sense of participation in having provided feedback to NSF on the types of projects that NSF funds.
Conclusion
The results of this forum will be a report which will be presented to NSF to provide them with a status check from teachers about the projects NSF funds and their ideas about gating factors that prevent the teaching of science, math, technology and engineering.
