The Nation Pushes for Tech Ed
The current job market, which still seems to be stubbornly hanging onto higher unemployment rates in many sectors, does have available jobs that outnumber those applying for them: science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Despite the strong demand for STEM jobs, many women as well as certain members of under-represented minority groups are not entering the technology arena due to, among other reasons, shortcomings in K-12 education.
Obama recently called for STEM education reform, saying that STEM instruction “requires everything from more challenging curriculums and more demanding parents to better support for teachers and new ways to measure how well our kids think.”
Some popular activities that have been shown to encourage kids to seriously consider engineering and science include FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). This annual event stages robotics and LEGO competitions that emphasize the fun side of engineering, while teaching important science, math and team-working lessons to pre-college students. For many years, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has taken an active role in supporting various STEM outreach initiatives, like FIRST competitions, for which the society has recruited mentors, judges and engineering students.
One exciting STEM-related program was the Decision Point Dialogues held recently in conjunction with the U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference. Moderated by public radio’s John Hockenberry, the Decision Point Dialogues, “Critical Thinking, Critical Choices: What Really Matters in STEM,” featured a panel of STEM notables, including Ionnis Mialouis, president and director of the Museum of Science in Boston, and Madiha El Mehelmy Kotb, the 2013-2014 president of ASME and head of the pressure vessels technical services division for Regie du Batiment du Quebec, in a discussion of the STEM challenges facing pre-college teachers and their students today.
Throughout the two-hour panel discussion, Kotb offered some advice to students who are considering earning a degree in engineering or another STEM-related field. “Don’t just pursue it because you’re good in math and science,” she said. “You have to have a passion for it. Girls should spend a day at work with engineers and see what their life is like.”
To spark potential interest in this growing field, ASME is also participating in a pilot program with leading education technology company EveryFi by sponsoring a web-based interactive STEM education platform for middle and high schools in the Washington, D.C., area. The course comprises 16 modulates addressing STEM-related topics such as basic computer science and the real-world applications of algebra.
According to President Obama, “Leadership tomorrow depends on how we educate our students today—especially in science, technology, engineering and math.”
To learn more about what ASME is doing to promote STEM education, visit www.asme.org.
"Article By: NewsUSA"
Despite the strong demand for STEM jobs, many women as well as certain members of under-represented minority groups are not entering the technology arena due to, among other reasons, shortcomings in K-12 education.
Obama recently called for STEM education reform, saying that STEM instruction “requires everything from more challenging curriculums and more demanding parents to better support for teachers and new ways to measure how well our kids think.”
Some popular activities that have been shown to encourage kids to seriously consider engineering and science include FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). This annual event stages robotics and LEGO competitions that emphasize the fun side of engineering, while teaching important science, math and team-working lessons to pre-college students. For many years, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has taken an active role in supporting various STEM outreach initiatives, like FIRST competitions, for which the society has recruited mentors, judges and engineering students.
One exciting STEM-related program was the Decision Point Dialogues held recently in conjunction with the U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference. Moderated by public radio’s John Hockenberry, the Decision Point Dialogues, “Critical Thinking, Critical Choices: What Really Matters in STEM,” featured a panel of STEM notables, including Ionnis Mialouis, president and director of the Museum of Science in Boston, and Madiha El Mehelmy Kotb, the 2013-2014 president of ASME and head of the pressure vessels technical services division for Regie du Batiment du Quebec, in a discussion of the STEM challenges facing pre-college teachers and their students today.
Throughout the two-hour panel discussion, Kotb offered some advice to students who are considering earning a degree in engineering or another STEM-related field. “Don’t just pursue it because you’re good in math and science,” she said. “You have to have a passion for it. Girls should spend a day at work with engineers and see what their life is like.”
To spark potential interest in this growing field, ASME is also participating in a pilot program with leading education technology company EveryFi by sponsoring a web-based interactive STEM education platform for middle and high schools in the Washington, D.C., area. The course comprises 16 modulates addressing STEM-related topics such as basic computer science and the real-world applications of algebra.
According to President Obama, “Leadership tomorrow depends on how we educate our students today—especially in science, technology, engineering and math.”
To learn more about what ASME is doing to promote STEM education, visit www.asme.org.
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