Good morning, and happy Pi Day!
In honor of Science Education Day, we're taking a special look today at the teachers who open the world of STEM for their students — and the kids who just can't get enough. A sample:
- Analysis: Attending to the science preparation of aspiring teachers
- 74 Interview: Closing diversity gaps in STEM education
- 16 Under 16: Some of the nation's most accomplished students in science, technology, engineering and math
All this and more, today at The 74.
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Teaching science to young students should spark creativity and joy; this requires a well-prepared teacher who can engage kids as well as deliver content knowledge. Investments in equipment, curricula and activities are moot if education leaders don’t also attend to the science preparation of aspiring elementary teachers, says contributor Heather Peske of the National Council on Teacher Quality. Just 31% of elementary teachers report feeling very well prepared to teach science; here, some suggestions for bridging these gaps.
Go Deeper:
- Research Brief: Analysis — Disparities in Advanced Math and Science Skills Begin by Kindergarten
- Educator’s View: Preschoolers As Young as 2 Can Learn About Science — and Love It. Here’s How
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Watching her older brother lead a math club from the front porch of her family’s quaint coastal home in the Dominican Republic helped foster Rosa Aristy’s love for STEM education as a child. Aristy’s upbringing inspired her to create Bridges to Science, a nonprofit that addresses diversity gaps in STEM education through math, robotics and coding programs for homeschool students. The nonprofit has now expanded its mission to train homeschool parents on how to teach their children math. The 74’s Joshua Bay has the story.
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Putting a Price on Facts
At The 74, we’ve always believed in the power of fact-based journalism to bring about positive change in education.
While it’s tough to put a price tag on facts, we do know that funds are needed to produce this type of careful, fair news reporting. Your donation can help us with this mission!
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It's not surprising that Americans are skeptical of science, given the anemic state of science education in the U.S. Far too many young people encounter science only as a memorization exercise — not as a field of inquiry that requires exploration, investigation and problem solving. In addition, deep and enduring inequities have shut too many students out of quality science learning experiences for too long. In this essay, contributor Margaret Honey offers some solutions and calls for making science education a national priority.
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Last summer, we introduced you to The 74’s 2022 class of 16 Under 16 in STEM, highlighting some of the country’s most impressive young people in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. After two years of COVID, pandemic-related tragedies and learning loss, it was a striking time to celebrate the triumphs of some of the nation's most accomplished children. So, what have they been up to since? Here’s a peek into their continuing impressive and inspirational work.
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Karmin Naquin wanted to be a nurse or athletic trainer — professions she saw as suitable for girls. But then, the pre-teen attended an Electric Girls event, where she and her sister built a flashlight. That experience opened up a new world of engineering, and now, at 16, Karmin leads her school robotics team. "I went from looking at colleges for health care to looking for a college for engineering," says her mom. Electric Girls gave her daughters "the resources and education they never knew they needed." Tim Newcomb reports.
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