January 17, 2008
Tech Ignorance Keeps Teens From Changing the World
America’s high-school students are confident they can solve the world’s most complex problems, such as climate change and a dwindling supply of fossil fuels. However, more than half of them believe high schools aren’t giving them the science and technology background to take those problems on, according to survey results from the Lemelson-MIT program.
This year’s Lemelson-MIT Invention Index, a survey that indicates Americans’ attitudes toward invention and innovation, shows most high-school studnets (64 percent) believe they are capable of inventing scientific and technological solutions to global issues.
At the same time, 59 percent of the teenage respondents (13 to 18 years old) don’t think they are being adequately prepared in high school for science and technology careers.
That seems to mesh with yesterday’s Joint Information Systems Committee report that students can “google,” but not do research. The younger generation has a level of comfort with technology, but not necessarily an intimate understanding. The Lemelson-MIT study also indicates, apparently, that students are aware of that shortcoming. —Hurley Goodall
Posted on Thursday January 17, 2008 | Permalink |Comments
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I’m a junior in a small high school in South Carolina and can completely agree with this…my middle school and high school science career has been horribly botched with a new teacher each year and just not covering the stuff we need to cover. At least I finally got a decent , crazy, old man to teach my class Physics. I have to pick up all I know about science from Books and such…
— Blake Roche Jan 18, 06:51 AM #
I admit that our high schools could do a better job, especially in the areas of math and science. However, it is quite evident that the attitude of the students plays a substantial role in the learning process. If we address the attitude issues, we will open the door for improved learning processes. Many teachers are considered to be crazy and old (please see previous post), thus perpetuating the problem.
— Paul Ewell Jan 18, 08:20 AM #
When I look at my first year college Chemistry students it seems clear that high schools, for the most part, have failed to instill and foster interest and curiosity in their students. The proposed reforms to high school Science education focus on assessment and cramming more facts in students’ heads but very little, if any, passion for learning. We have missed the boat and apparently will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Passionate teachers make passionate learners out of their students. We might just need more “crazy” teachers in our schools, old or not so old.
— pierre bouthyette Jan 18, 09:15 AM #
Blake, this setup you’re in may just work in your favor because you’re getting used to doing your learning from books, rather than having it fed to you by someone else.
Such is often the nature of small-town schools, especially the rural ones located relatively far from urban areas. Talent likes to stay in the cities with the other talent. Occasionally we get lucky, but we country-bumpkins usually have to fend for ourselves.
— Carlo Jan 18, 03:47 PM #
State testing and related NCLB are the greatest killers of innovation and creativity in K-12 for teachers and therefore students. The crazy old teachers are the ones not intimidated by the success-defined-by-testing paradigm and so can and will teach so students learn to think.
— Richard Jan 21, 09:34 AM #