Returning to full time work has kept me from writing until a bit of forced convalescence provided some time!
There are stirrings of real change in the way that science education will proceed in the
next few years. There is a recognition that STEM (science-technology-engineering-math) is crucial to recovering our leadership in the world economy and to solving critical environmental challenges. Restoring funding to primary research will provide an incentive for our students to be on STEM tracks in high school and college. Funding ‘green’ initiatives will provide an economic pull which will hopefully get curricular juices flowing at all levels.
With all this excitement, I’m hoping the K-5 realm will be remembered in the deliberations of where to expend resources. Science is a natural complement to the native exploratory bent of elementary students. Piggybacking literacy, writing, and math on this native interest only helps streamline the complicated curricular challenge of the teacher. Did I mention the natural rhythms of sound, or the skills of drawing and design? There is huge potential in STEM as a focus for what we do with early learners.
In order to achieve some of this potential, K-5 teachers deserve the same intense support that NCLB has engendered. A regional model for supporting teachers is the Maine Math and Science Alliance which as its name implies, provides a wide range of workshops and leadership support to teachers and administrators. The past director of MMSA, Dr. Francis Ebersole, is now the Exec. Director of the NSTA, and another MMSA leader is President of NSTA this year! Bringing experienced STEM educators into the planning, inservicing, and modeling of good teaching practice requires resources
and support from administrative leadership at district, state, and national levels. There is a huge talent pool capable of providing the support K-5 teachers need.
Science can no longer be considered a vestigial appendix - I hope losing mine will be a harbinger of STEM curricula
becoming part of the core of elementary education!
Maine Math and Science Alliance http://www.mmsa.org/index.php
At the national level, the NSTA has begun a campaign to promote ‘Leadership, Learning, and Advocacy’ http://www.nsta.org/involved/cse/learningcenter.aspx
