Interview with David Drew

In the 16 December 2011 issue of the Hechinger Report, Nick Pandolfo interviews David Drew, former professor and dean of Claremont Graduate University, about increasing the number of STEM students and professionals.  Drew posits several factors in the article (citing his new book Stem the Tide: Reforming Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education in America), including casting the net wider at an earlier age so that children perceive that a STEM career is an option for them, mentoring, and academic and peer support in school.  Of note is the fact that Drew believes that every student is capable of learning math and science sufficient to succeed in college, although not all students wish to pursue a four-year STEM degree - some prefer to enter the workforce after post-secondary technical training; he takes a broader view of what constitutes a STEM job than do many.  http://hechingerreport.org/content/qa-with-david-drew-broadening-stem-education-and-debunking-its-myths_7186/

National Governors Association Releases STEM Agenda

In December 2011, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices released "Building A Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education Agenda:  An Update of State Actions."  The report, written by John Thomasian of Black Point Policy Solutions with the assistance of education staff, reviews the goals of increasing the numbers of students and professionals in STEM fields and increasing STEM proficiency for all students, as well as methods to implement a supporting agenda.  Among the action items are to adopt rigorous math and science standards and improved assessments, recruit and retain more qualified teachers, provide more rigorous preparation for post-secondary STEM education, enhancing the use of informal STEM education, and to set goals for post-secondary institutions to meet STEM job needs.  To view/download the report, visit http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/1112STEMGUIDE.PDF;jsessionid=CC905C5294F348DC62BD60C135BC12F2

Women Inventors Given Fewer Tech Licenses for Spinoffs

University tech transfer officers grant fewer university tech licenses to female inventors than males.  As a consequence, the women are not benefiting financially from the technology that they create.  Theories for the disparity include the fewer numbers of female STEM faculty, and tech licensing officers dissuading women inventors from pursuing start-ups based upon their tech inventions.  Scott Shane of Case Western Reserve University did a blind study showing potential hidden bias in the tech transfer offices.   http://www.businessweek.com/small-business/how-universities-fail-women-inventors-12282011.html 

STEM Fields Once Again Within "10 Hot Careers for 2012" List

CNN Money reports from Fortune that the "10 Hot Careers for 2012 and Beyond" include many positions in the STEM fields, such as information technology, health care professionals, health care management and support staff, engineers, industrial skills, and biotech and life sciences.  Rounding out the list are sales, accounting and finance, discount retailers, and private equity firms.  http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2011/12/27/10-hot-careers-for-2012-and-beyond/

Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring Conferred

Nine individuals and eight organizations received the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring on 12 December 2011.  Among those receiving the award were two California programs:  The Stanford Medical Youth Science Program, Stanford University, Calif., represented by Marilyn Winkleby; and University of California San Francisco Science & Health Education Partnership High School Intern Program, Calif., represented by Rebecca Smith.  Nominated by students, colleagues, or administrators, the award recipients are honored at the White House and receive a  $25,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to further their efforts.  http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/50066/

STEM Projects Receive i3 Grant Awards

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/i3-projects-receive-18-million-matching-funds-private-sector  and the US Department of Education announced the newest round of recipients of the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant on 20 December 2011.  Among the twenty-three highest-ranked applications, five (22%) addressed Absolute Priority 2: STEM Education, receiving $48 million in grant funding (33% of the total awarded).   http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/12/20/investing-innovation-creates-stem-awards

In the STEM category, award recipients were:  Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, for a technology-facilitated scale-up of a proven model of math instruction in high schools; National Math and Science Initiative for a partnership to increase student achievement and college readiness in STEM education in Dallas, TX; New York City Board of Education for "Innovate NYC"; New York Hall of Science for "SciGames," a techology-enhanced bridge between formal and informal education; and Baltimore City Public Schools for a middle school summer STEM learning program. 

Within California, Fresno County Office of Education received an award to enhance an expository reading and writing course for college readiness, while Aspire Public Schools in Oakland received a grant on transforming teacher talent for effective teaching in low-income schools, Oakland Unified School District received an award for "Oakland Accelerates," and Del Norte Unified School District in Crescent City received an award for "REACT" (Responding Effectively to Assessments with Curriculum and Teaching).

UC Irvine Study Touts Math in Kindergarten For Future Academic Success

Professor Greg Duncan of UC Irvine recently reported out on a study which links kindergarten students' learning of math skills with later academic success.  Reading skills ranked closely behind, with social skills following thereafter.  The analysis of studies involving 20,000 kindergartners in later elementary school years showed that, after accounting for differences in IQ and family income, students who learned the most math in kindergarten had the best math and reading scores later on.  http://www.gse.uci.edu/research/achieve_attent_behave.php 

The math skills which should be addressed include using number lines to determine cardinal patterns, and learning shapes, perhaps by playing cards and board games.  Some detractors feel that the stronger academic emphasis in kindergarten is creating more stress on young children, and a move away from needed social skills, the lack of which may also lead to dropping out of school.  http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/dec/23/kindergarten-math-skills-key-to-later-success-rese/?page=1#article

Soft Skills Plus Technical Know-How Key to Tech Workforce Preparation

In a guest blog spot in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bruce Johnson of Google Atlanta writes:

"There is no single set of discrete skills one can learn that will last an entire career in high-tech.  Companies typically care much more about hiring the right kind of person. Ideal recruits are creative, adaptable and autonomous, and they have achieved a deep understanding of core subjects such as math, physics and computer science that make it possible to have a razor-sharp intuition and an ability to assimilate new subjects and technologies quickly, without even the expectation of being trained; they train themselves on the skills du jour as the need arises and with minimum help or structure."

Johnson explains that their typical hiring process requires screening thousands of resumes to interview hundreds of people to hire a dozen or so new employees.  In order to create the deep pool of qualified applicants for this process, children need to be exposed to computer science, technology, engineering and be instilled with a love of learning, including of math and science, beginning at an early age.  To aid in those efforts, Google sponsors Computer Science for High School (http://www.cs4hs.com/) and Google Science Fair, and recommends Computer Science Ed ucation Week events (http://www.csedweek.org/ ).

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/tech-workforce-starts-with-1269790.html

"America Needs More Geeks"

Annie Murphy Paul writes in Time that "America needs more geeks."  She believes that relieving the short-fall of STEM professionals "begins with persuading students that scientists are people, too" rather than un-approachable, labcoat-wearing, beaker-toting folks who speak in an unintelligible language.   Paul cites various studies regarding making STEM subjects more approachable, as well as the learning process scientists use, and the relationship to engagement and achievement by students.  http://ideas.time.com/2011/12/21/america-needs-more-geeks-how-to-make-science-cool/?xid=gonewsedit  To assist with the "humanization" of scientists, NOVA has an award-winning program, available on-line, called "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" which profiles professionals and has blog entries catering to students.  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/secretlife/.

In a related story in the Washington Post's Ideas@Innovation blog, Emi Kolawole notes that attracting students to STEM fields had similar roadblocks in the late 1940's and early 1950's.  As a result, GE began printing comic books with titles such as "Adventures in Jet Power," Adventures Inside the Atom," and "Adventures in Electricity."  Parents expressed some displeasure, similar to efforts using video games to entice today's students.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/post/teaching-stem-from-comic-books-to-video-games/2011/12/20/gIQAF6jF9O_blog.html

FIRST Robotics Kickoff Show on NASA TV on 1/7/12

NASA-TV (channel 289 on DirecTV, channel 212 on Dish Network, check with your cable provider for other channels - also available streamed on-line) will host the FIRST Robotics Kick-off Show from Manchester, NH on Saturday, 7 January 2012, at 10:00am EST (check local listings). 

Local AV teams include:  #399 Lancaster High School, Eagle Robotics, mentor/educator, Ms. Lorri Reinhart and NASA/David Voracek; #2339 Antelope Valley High, Robolopes, mentor/educator, Dr. Layne Heiny; and #585 Tehachapi High, Cyberpenguins, mentor/educator, Danielle Evansic.

Local robot roll-out dates are:

• #2339 Robolopes, 16 February 2012 at 2:30pm in the AVHS Library
• #399 Eagle Robotics, 17 February 2012 from 9:00 to 11:00 am at LnHS
• #585 Cyberpenguins, Saturday, 18 February 2012

Completion/ship date for all teams is 21 February 2012.

Competition dates for local teams are: 

• San Diego Regional, 2-4 March 2012:  Eagle Robotics (LnHS) and Robolopes (AVHS)
• Utah Regional, 15-17 March 2012:  Eagle Robotics (LnHS)
• Los Angeles Regional, 15-17 March 2012, Long Beach Arena
• Denver Regional, 22-24 March 2012:  Eagle Robotics (LnHS)
• Seattle Regional, 22-24 March 2012:  Cyberpenguins (THS)
• Las Vegas Regional, 5-7 April 2012:  Cyberpenguins (THS)



Eagle Robotics at Super Science Saturday 10 Dec. 2011

• Championship:  Robolopes

Stay tuned for updates on team news.