Life, Science and Education in America
I just finished reading a wonderful article entitled "My Son the Number" that was written by Dulcie Leimbach in last Sunday's Education section of the New York Times. in it, she describes how high school students are now defined by the scores that they receive on standardized tests like the SAT and ACT and by their grade point averages and class rank. Thankfully, by the end of the article, she posits that numbers are simply numbers and that they are not predicative of how students will perform in college or in life, for that matter. What is most important, she says, is a student's sense of purpose and his/her ability to get along with others and finish a task at hand. Numbers, she asserts, don't measure creativity and wit and they certainly don't predict the future (something that I have learned along the way too!)
I think that if we want to improve our competitiveness in science than we ought to focus less on the numbers and more on developing a sense of purpose in student who have an interest in science. This means drastically changing the way we teach and promote science at both the primary and secondary school levels.
I still believe that there is wonder in science and that there is also wonder in being a kid. So, let's forget about the numbers and allow our kids be kids again! And, we just might be able to regain our edge in science!
Until next time.....
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!
