The video below got me thinking about the future of science education. There is no subject that is more stuck in tradition with the easier road forward that science. Every business and university is pumping money into STEM classes, looking for partnerships, begging teachers to do it differently. There is truly a treasure trove for resources in this area including grants, experts, and opportunities, but too many science educators are still making volcanoes, foam ball solar systems, and having students decorate poster boards for the science fair. Everyday science doesn't happen in rows in classrooms. It happens outside. It happens when students interact with nature. It happens when students are talking about real, serious adult problems surrounding food, water, and energy. Students will never be future scientists learning science in a classroom. Put down the books, pick up the sticks. Stop with the multiple choice tests (science is never multiple choice) and start having kids keep a scientific journal. Have your student engage in a citizen science project, do an energy audit in your school, test the water quality in your fountains, analyze the impact of noise or indoor air quality in your classrooms. Leave some room for the unknown. Create an authentic audience. It is no longer about resources. It is about the will to do things the right way. Push back against the standardization of science for the healthy of our kids and our planet.
Amen!
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