Arne Duncan, the U.S. Education Secretary, made the bold announcement that he wants to launch a new era of science education. He hopes in this new era, students will be able and encouraged to ask the tough questions that challenge the answers. He also intends for this new era to bring more specially trained teachers specializing in the areas of science and math into the classroom. In essence, this is his lesson plan for science and math in the 21st century.
While these are bold and admirable statements, the true question is whether or not this can be accomplished within a system that has been identified as broken. In his speech at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) conference, Duncan argued that Obama has identified the need for inventors and engineers - along with poets and scholars - and will ensure that scientific research is kept immune to the political agenda.
New education funding included in the stimulus package accounts for more than $100 billion. Duncan would not say how much was set aside for science, but did promise that funds would be set aside for modern labs. Such upgrades in the nation's schools would go a long way toward improving the lesson plan for science, but there are other tools available today that can improve performance now.
Duncan talked of this historic opportunity to lay the necessary groundwork for a generation of educational reform - but in truth, reform has been going on in this country's educational system for more than 40 years. Will raising the standards, establishing comprehensive data systems, increasing teacher quality and more satisfy the reform need and push past current barriers?
Duncan is hitting on critical truths that can be addressed in the classroom. When quality teachers prepare the lesson plan for science, quality education can emerge. Many of these teachers recognize the value in educational videos and how their use can engage their students, opening up a world beyond the four walls of the school and inviting them to experience new situations and understand new concepts.
While these are bold and admirable statements, the true question is whether or not this can be accomplished within a system that has been identified as broken. In his speech at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) conference, Duncan argued that Obama has identified the need for inventors and engineers - along with poets and scholars - and will ensure that scientific research is kept immune to the political agenda.
New education funding included in the stimulus package accounts for more than $100 billion. Duncan would not say how much was set aside for science, but did promise that funds would be set aside for modern labs. Such upgrades in the nation's schools would go a long way toward improving the lesson plan for science, but there are other tools available today that can improve performance now.
Duncan talked of this historic opportunity to lay the necessary groundwork for a generation of educational reform - but in truth, reform has been going on in this country's educational system for more than 40 years. Will raising the standards, establishing comprehensive data systems, increasing teacher quality and more satisfy the reform need and push past current barriers?
Duncan is hitting on critical truths that can be addressed in the classroom. When quality teachers prepare the lesson plan for science, quality education can emerge. Many of these teachers recognize the value in educational videos and how their use can engage their students, opening up a world beyond the four walls of the school and inviting them to experience new situations and understand new concepts.
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