{"id":4262,"date":"2018-07-25T16:15:31","date_gmt":"2018-07-25T21:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=4262"},"modified":"2020-07-25T18:57:28","modified_gmt":"2020-07-25T23:57:28","slug":"when-a-young-newspaper-reporter-asks-questions-why-not-turn-it-into-a-blog-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=4262","title":{"rendered":"When a Young Newspaper Reporter Asks Questions, Why not Turn it into a Blog Post?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I recently received interview questions by a cub reporter in the heartland. Paradoxically, the nature of the questions made answering a challenge. Here’s my attempt.<\/p>\n

How would you define STEM education?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Quite literally, STEM is an acronym meaning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. To the extent that there is anything new to be found in STEM, it is a recognition that the nature and process of both science and mathematics have changed dramatically outside of school and that educational institutions may wish to reflect such advances. The T in \u201cTechnology\u201d is unfortunate since it really should mean computing – programming computers to create models and solve problems otherwise impossible. The \u201cT\u201d certainly doesn\u2019t refer to a Thermos or Pez dispenser, arguably both less protean technologies.<\/p>\n

The E for \u201cEngineering\u201d is also a new addition to the curriculum. Young children are natural engineers. They enjoy an intellectual relationship with materials, people, and even ideas. They tinker and explore. They test hypotheses and push limits. Engineering is the concrete manifestation of theoretical principles. You test a hypothesis or try something. If it works, you\u2019re inspired to test a larger theory, ask a deeper question, decorate, refine, or improve upon your innovation. If you are unsuccessful, one must engage in the intellectually powerful process of debugging. Traditionally, the only people permitted to have engineering experiences were the students who compliantly succeeded over twelve or fourteen years of abstraction. Engineering is the dessert you enjoy after your asparagus diet of school math and science.<\/p>\n

The addition of intensely personal and playful pursuits like computing and engineering democratized science and mathematics learning while affording children the chance to do <\/i>real math and science. Students should be scientists and mathematicians, rather than be taught math or science, especially when that curricular content is increasingly irrelevant, inauthentic, and noxious.<\/p>\n

Would you say STEM education is important? If so, why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If the motivation for STEM is some misplaced fantasy about job preparation or STEM is merely a buzzword designed to offer an illusion of progress, than STEM is not important. If we want scientifically and numerate students, some of whom might fall in love with making sense of the universe, while recognizing the changing nature of knowledge, than STEM has intense value.<\/p>\n

If our goals are no more ambitious than raising stupid test scores, then kids should have rich engineering and technology experiences in order to be more active learners.<\/p>\n

Dr. Stephen Wolfram, arguably the world\u2019s greatest living mathematical and scientist, says that for any intellectual domain, X, there is now or soon will be a branch of that discipline called, \u201cComputational X.\u201d That new branch of the discipline represents the vanguard of that field, the most interesting ideas, and likely the better paying jobs as well.<\/p>\n

Should schools have STEM programs? How are they beneficial to students?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If schools are going to bother teaching what they call math and science than they should embrace the new ideas, content, and processes of STEM. It is critical to engage students in authentic experiences since Jean Piaget taught us that \u201cknowledge is a consequence of experience.”<\/p>\n

Schools should stop using the term \u201cprogram.\u201d Program<\/i> implies a high probability of failure and therefore obscures the urgency to create a new intellectual diet for children. To the extent that one program siphons resources from another, than STEM is far less important than adequate funding for art and music education.<\/p>\n

What does the future of STEM education look like to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Schools need to prepare students to solve problems that their teachers never anticipated. In 1989, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the world\u2019s least radical organization, stated that 50% of all mathematics has been invented since WW II. Let\u2019s assume that that percentage is even higher thirty years late. None of that new mathematics made possible by computing and the social science\u2019s demand for number can be found anywhere near a K-12 classroom and that is a sin.<\/p>\n

New technology and materials afford us with the opportunity to not only teach kids the things we\u2019ve always wanted them to know (regardless of merit), but for children to learn and do in ways that were unimaginable a few years ago.<\/p>\n

The better question to ask is, \u201cWho could possibly be against STEM?”<\/p>\n

\n

Veteran educator Dr. Gary Stager is co-author of <\/em>Invent To Learn\u200a\u2014\u200aMaking, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom<\/em><\/a> and the founder of the <\/em>Constructing Modern Knowledge<\/em><\/a> summer institute. He led professional development in the world\u2019s first 1:1 laptop schools and designed one of the oldest online graduate school programs. Learn more about Gary <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I recently received interview questions by a cub reporter in the heartland. Paradoxically, the nature of the questions made answering a challenge. Here’s my attempt. … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"0","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[427,435,428,434,436,431,438],"tags":[548,749,1549,1413,905,1427,863],"class_list":["post-4262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education-policy","category-featured","category-general","category-learning","category-news","category-teaching","category-technology","tag-edtech","tag-education-reform","tag-engineering","tag-math","tag-science","tag-steam","tag-stem"],"yoast_head":"\nWhen a Young Newspaper Reporter Asks Questions, Why not Turn it into a Blog Post? - Stager-to-Go<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=4262\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"When a Young Newspaper Reporter Asks Questions, Why not Turn it into a Blog Post? - Stager-to-Go\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I recently received interview questions by a cub reporter in the heartland. 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