At the Table participants
On Wednesday, April 22nd, Former NASA astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison addressed a crowd of nearly 800 people at the most recent Minnesota Meeting. Dr. Jemison said Minnesota needs to develop a “science literate society” to ensure its economic competitiveness in the future. She said all students have “a world filled with ideas and possibilities before them” if they receive a balanced education that includes rigor in science and math through problem solving and real-world applications.
Jemison said that literacy in science will be critical for the jobs of the future. But, according to the Minnesota Private Colleges Research Foundation, only 40% of high school students in Minnesota are meeting the ACT college readiness benchmark score in science. That percentage drops significantly for African American students – only 9% meet the benchmarks in science, and only 16% meet college requirements for math. Latinos, American Indians, and Asian Americans also experience participation and achievement gaps.
Moderator Eric Jolly, president of the Minnesota Science Museum, agreed, noting that “three of four new jobs that will be created in the next decade that pay more than minimum wage will require basic fluency in science, engineering and mathematics. Our students need to be prepared for that.”
According to Jemison, the accelerated pace of technology development has made science as critical as other school subjects, such as reading. Science and math skills aren’t about memorization, she said, but rather “problem-solving and critical thinking skills are the most important aspects of science literacy – being able to work our way through the day.” Jemison who balanced a love for the arts and dancing with her technical career said that it the same creativity is used to build the space shuttle as the creativity to make a sculpture or choreograph a dance performance.
Jemison added, “It’s never too early…kids have a natural curiosity, a natural inclination towards learning” that we need to build upon.” She feels that laptops and computer training are significantly less effective than hands on experimentation from kindergarten on.
Building on the messages of teacher quality from the last Minnesota Meeting, Jemison cited teacher quality and training as essential ingredients for effective STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math] instruction. “To get rigor in the classroom from 8th grade on up you need teachers who majored in the subject. For grade school teachers to be comfortable teaching math and science, they need to have taken some science after high school.” In addition, she said, teaching methodology needs to address a diversity of learning styles.
Panel of speakers
Jemison said effective teaching in the STEM subjects engages students’ “intellect, emotions, interests, and skills.” Students need hands on experiences with these subjects that engage the senses, she said.
It’s not just future engineers who need science and math, Jemison pointed out, but algebra and chemistry are used daily by carpenters, electricians, and beauticians.
She encouraged investment in school labs to help kids make these connections through experimentation. Jolly agreed that it is critical to make science “understandable, accessible, and meaningful” by providing students an understanding of its real world applications. He said, “It’s about challenging students to succeed.”
Dr. Mae jemison
When asked about students who may be afraid of pursuing science and math education because of its difficulty, Jolly pointed out, “When you understand that the use of science and mathematics gives you the ability to help change the world, you’re not afraid of the rigor.”
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Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | Achievement Gap, Education Reform, Science, Science Museum of Minnesota, STEM
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