Today I stumbled upon a blog post in Scientific American called “Can Scientists Reform Science Education?” I scoffed at this. Of course not! Didn’t we have a lengthy conversation in our Integrating Science and Literacy class about how scientists are the problem? Didn’t we come to the conclusion that we must change the minds of lab primary investigators and convince them that children are, in fact, the future of science? Well, future science educators, throw out the names of Dr. Stephen Ekker and Alom Shaha, because they are two of many scientists who have taken the initiative towards reform in science education.
Watch this video! They’re doing what we’re doing! (I love the principal’s quote at the end.)
So, what I’m interested in is this question: can we do inquiry-based science without a group like the Mayo Clinic? We just spent time working on a mini-grant for Donor’s Choose for our Integrating Science and Technology class, so we’re getting the message that money is a factor here. Can we do inquiry science on a budget? Should schools be partnering with research universities or research companies in order to do more science? Do such companies have a place in science education in elementary and secondary schools?
P.S. – I want to say I’m sorry for giving us more to think about during our break from classes, but I’m not sorry at all.
P.P.S. – No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop blogging.