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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 2018)
Wednesday, August 29, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 5 Science education in Sisters By Robert Collins, M.D. President, Sisters Science Club Science is simply a way of exploring our world. With careful and rigorous instruc- tion, Sisters students can develop skills of discovery and ways of analyzing evi- dence that will last a lifetime. But for teachers to identify what students need to know and the best ways to help them learn is complicated and rapidly changing. The challenge of science education became national news in 2012 when the Department of Homeland Security announced that for- eign students graduating with a degree in any of 400 col- lege programs could have their visas extended. These programs were in the fields of science, technology, engi- neering, and math. With this new policy, the catchy acro- nym for these 400 programs, ‘STEM,’ took on real force. But the problem it addressed was real. An international test of scientific competency of 15-year-olds revealed that the U.S. ranked near the bottom, 23rd of 30 countries. Simply put: there were insufficient well-trained American stu- dents to fill the workforce. Foreign students with STEM education could stay. The importance of STEM education is easy to state: Our knowledge-based economy is driven by constant innovation. The foundation of innovation lies in a dynamic, motivated and well-educated workforce equipped with STEM skills. The fruition of innovation requires vision and leadership. Currently, there are only four statesmen at the state and national level with education in STEM. So far, rolling out compre- hensive STEM education has been difficult; indeed, there has been no agreement among educators on what constitutes acceptable curriculum for K-12 students to prepare them for a STEM field of study in college. Individual lesson plans are offered at national conferences, in books, and online. Some teachers and schools adopt them. Many hold back, seeing STEM as the latest trendy new thing in education. And problems have emerged. As yet, there is no equitable opportunity for all students. Biases have been exposed against minorities and women. Engineering has received little to no attention. The art community wants to add an “A” for STEAM. Language education advo- cates suggest STREAM by adding an “R” for reading. Chaos, not clarity. In 2015, the State of Oregon (House Bill 3072) took up the challenge and created six regional STEM hubs charged to define educa- tional goals, identify critical elements, and create linkages between educators and com- munities. The hubs have no resources or programs them- selves, but are chartered to build partnerships between educators and business leaders and leverage their resources to increase STEM So far, rolling out comprehensive STEM education has been difficult... activities. It is too early to know if this “collective impact model” will work. The Central Oregon STEM Hub in Redmond (www.central oregonstem.org) acts primar- ily as an information clearing house for STEM activities in schools. Additionally, high- tech businesses like Intel, Vernier and Garmin now offer prizes for students at sci- ence fairs in the communities Serving Sisters Since 1976 For all your building needs right here in Sisters! Lumber • Hardware • Paint • Siding Doors & Windows • Fencing & Decking FREE Local Delivery Hours: M-F 8 to 5, Sat. 8 to 4:30, Closed Sundays 440 N. Pine St. • 541-549-8141 • www.hoyts.net of their employees. Sisters doesn’t qualify. In July 2011, The National Research Council released the first draft of a new K-12 curriculum called Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Over the next two years, individual states including Oregon worked with national leadership to bring these to adoption, now achieved in 19 of the 40 states that have shown inter- est. Resistance still exists in some state legislatures who oppose teaching the facts of evolution and climate change. The new NGSS standards are a major departure from the prior 20 years of teach- ing science, where the focus was on students memorizing “nerdy facts.” NGSS takes its origin from observations of innate human curiosity and wonder that emerge early in life — infants see something of interest and explore it with their senses. They later learn to ask questions — what is it? How does it work? Why does this happen? And still later – how do I know the answer is correct? NGSS places its greatest emphasis on teaching scien- tific practices: asking ques- tions, defining problems, carrying out investigations with others, interpreting data, designing solutions, arguing from evidence, evaluating and communicating informa- tion. Students learn science by doing science — not by memorizing facts that are now readily available on the Web. These processes are taught by examining core ideas in life sciences, physical sciences, earth and space science, engi- neering and technology. The NGSS curriculum is cumulative K-12, each grade building on what has come before. The overarching goal is for every high school grad- uate to be literate in science. A subset of students who have interest in lifelong learning and possess aptitude to pursue STEM beyond high school will find a ready job market with twice the pay level of other careers. Science education in the Sisters School District is See SCIENCE on page 8 Bring in this coupon for $2 OFF $1 OFF or any 16-20 lb. bag of Cat Food any 30-35-40 lb. bag of Dog Food 102 East Main Ave. 541-549-4151 Offer good through 9-26-18. Coupon not valid with any other promotion. Limit one coupon per customer per month. Huge LABOR DAY SALE Friday-Monday! Largest discounts of the year on bikes, clothing and gear! ANNUAL DEMO/RENTAL BIKE SALE STARTS FRIDAY! 413 W. 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