De La Salle University - DasmariasCollege of Engineering, Architecture, and TechnologyEngineering Department
What Really Matters in STEM?
Submitted By:Masagca, John Phillip L.MEE31
Submitted To:Engr. Wilfredo G. Vidal
Machine Elements 1 Lecture1st Semester 2014 - 2015Date Submitted: September 3, 2014
Background of the ArticleThe article is mostly summed up by the exchange of opinions of each side. The event started at April 23, 2014 in Washington D.C. where a lot of highly known and educated people gather to discuss about STEM and how it really matters in our society today. STEM or as everyone knows stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Getting a STEM education is quite difficult now a day because of the growing demand and the inflation of ideas and philosophies in the field of STEM. The panellist discussed and focused more on high school students or middle school students because in that stage there comes a time where they develop and manifest the passion for STEM and that makes middles school a critical time for STEM educators. The debate is started by John Hockenberry where he emphasized a girl who loves to go to science fairs and gets good grades but she wants to know why everyone is pushing her towards STEM. Madiha Kotb said that Getting good grades is not enough. You have to have the passion for it. This statement is quite frankly true because good grades doesnt measure the students capabilities it his/her passion that sets everyone apart. Kenneth Williams said that when their parents are poor in mathematics there will be reflection on their sons/daughters. So the solution Kenneth Williams came up is to engage him/her to physical activities where he/she likes it and eventually talks about mean, median, and mode. Hal Salzman think that were pushing them to take STEM education thinking there is a career option on it. While, Arthur Levine stated that there are two languages in this country and around the world, one word and the other numbers. Everybody must be fluent in numbers. Its mostly true because even if other countries cant communicate there is something that we call numbers and we can communicate our knowledge into that. Ioannis Miaoullis said that engineering should be a part of the regular curriculum so that kids would know how a car runs, how a faucet works, or how a plane flies. I partly disagree on this. Because, not all kids have the passion to learn how everything works only those who have the passion should pursue engineering but he has a point. On the other side, Regis Matzie said that It is important for teachers to show the relevancy of math or science by applying it in real life. As the debate heats up Hockenberry asked a question on the other side What technology would you buy for your school? Tamara Hudgins said that she would buy a 3D printer because it would be great if the students would see their ideas printed and out of the world. Again Hockenberry would heat up the debate and asked Arthur Levine if he becomes a STEM teacher and whose wife lost her job. You have a job offer that pays almost twice your teachers salary. What would you do? Levine replied that he would quit his job as a STEM teacher because he wont pay his bills and he wants his children to go to college. And then Hockenberry asked the Former Governor of Vermont if he would sign a bill to rise up the salary of STEM teachers and the governor replied and said It depends on what else was in it. As the debate ends, Michelle Lezama said that in order to get a competitive job one should pass the ACT or SAT and at least a four or five in AP test. Lastly, Irene Neequaye said that STEM teachers should be paid more and giving them better resources.
What is your opinion of the idea presented?In my point of view, STEM is really important nowadays especially with the growing demand of highly educated people in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Also, with the capabilities of our future technologies we may need a good labor force to company with the growing demand of STEM graduates.Why STEM Education Is Important For Everyone?Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsSTEM, and therefore, STEM educationare vital to our futurethe future of our country, the future of our region andthe future of our children.Besides, STEM is everywhere; it shapes our everyday experiences.Have you considered how often we experience STEM in our lives?Scienceis our natural world sun, moon and starslands and oceansweather, natural disasters, the diversity of nature, animals (large, small, microbial)plants and foodthe fuel that heats our homes and powers transportationThe list is almost endless. In todays world,technologymeans computers and smartphones, but it goes back to television, radio, microscopes, telegraph, telescopes, the compass, and even the first wheel. Yes, engineeringdesigns buildings, roads, and bridges, but it also tackles todays challenges of transportation, global warming and environment-friendly machines, appliances and systems. We only have to look around to see what improvements to our lives and our homes have been engineered in the last decade alone. We encountermathematicsat the grocery store, the bank, on tax forms, in dealing with investments and the family budget. Every other STEM field depends on mathematics. STEM is important, because it pervades every aspect of our lives.ReccomendationsMy recommendations for STEM is simple High quality teachers. Dedicated, high quality teachers are central to ensuring high quality STEM education for all students. We will continue to lose the best and brightest potential STEM teachers from our schools until we pay them at a level more closely aligned with salaries available to them in STEM areas. The labor market provides those with STEM training greater compensation in occupations other than teachinga fact that is driving STEM teachers out of teaching. Second would be World-class resources and assistance for teachers Even the best teachers need instructional materials, technology, and resource specialists to assist them. A teacher should not have to develop all of his or her own tools for teaching STEM. Third would be An early start in science. The earlier children are exposed to STEM concepts, the more likely they are to be comfortable with them later in life. STEM core concepts and ideas should be included in Head Start and other early education programs. Improving the extent and quality of elementary school STEM education should become a priority. And lastly would be Communication, coordination, and collaboration. Local excellence, national coherence, and global relevance in STEM education can only be achieved if all relevant stakeholdersincluding, most importantly, parentsare involved in achieving these goals.
