Coders of the Future
A recent Pew survey discovered that while “29% of Americans rated their country’s K-12 education in science, technology, engineers and mathematics (known as STEM) as above average,” the American science community largely disagrees. Instead, 46% of scientists actually felt that this nation’s K-12 education was far below the international average. But why, if at all, should this raise any alarm?
For starters, it is not difficult to note the ways in which technology continues to change the ways we communicate, distribute our assets, learn, think, eat, play, and sleep. Want to get the latest music by your favorite artist before he or she releases an album? There’s an app for that. Need details on the latest news headlines? There’s an app for that. Want to witness your daughter’s first steps back home in Jersey, while you do medical research in Sierra Leonne? There’s an app for that. Groceries, written correspondences, housekeeping, money transfers, dog sitting, language instruction. You name it, and there is likely a mobile application or new technology that help you to more efficiently achieve even your most mundane goals.
Unfortunately, the America’s scientists seem to have a far more realistic understanding of the country’s STEM education situation. A 2012 governmental assessment discovered that of 64 countries that participated, the American 15-year-olds lagged behind 34 nations when it came to math, and 26 nations when it came to science. In other words, the country’s teens failed to crest the top 50th percentile in math, and we just able to make it beyond the 45th percentile in science.
While could sit back and bemoan this country’s failures in education, we prefer to focus on the positive ways New York City is working toward and succeeding in closing the achievement gap, and preparing its future leaders for jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics:
Home & Rec. Becomes Career in Tech.
Dnainfo.com reports that many of the city’s vocational schools are asking students to step back from their wrenches, and instead, focus on learning the electrical components of car design over yesteryear’s auto shop mechanics.
Bright at the museum.
Last fall 16 girls 13 to 15-years-old were selected to participate in a program geared at teaching young women to code. “”The thing is, they like STEM and 12 other things like sports, or music. The priority is to make them choose STEM,”Christina Wallace, program director, told AM New York.
NYPL Brings Labs to the Library.
Last fall, the New York Public Library introduced an educational initiative that would allow students to explore tech at their own pace. After learning coding, robotics, and other tech fundamentals, the students are encouraged to develop their own projects. Eleven-year-old Matthew Pena created a prosthetic arm prototype.
The Buzz About HIVE NYC.
For this program, 57 non-profit organizations including museums, libraries, code clubs, advocacy groups, higher education institutions, after-school programs, and tech startups, have banded together to develop and teach new tech education techniques. Founded in 2009, the program continues to award grants to individuals interested in teaching STEM to children around the city. According to Forbes.com the organization’s individualized grant funding allows programs to scale and spread more efficiently.
Helpful STEM Hacks for Kids.
A recent FastCo.com article reported that New York Hall of Science has been teaming up with the City’s local communities in an effort to teach children math and science in the way the already play. The innovation team at NYSCI gifted students iPads equipped with ChoreoGraph, a Noticing Tool, that allow children to measure the speed, velocity, force, acceleration, and energy expended as the tossed a ball or played other games.
“New York is working in a powerful way to get…kids in the STEM careers,” Michael Denton, executive director of Camp/Code Interactive, also told AM New York. “We really haven’t scratched the surface of our potential.”