In the book I’m writing about global education, I state very clearly that we have a serious math/science PR issue in the US. On one hand, we’re telling kids they need more math and science. On the other hand, we’re continuing to celebrate athletics and popularity over academic achievement and intellectual pursuits.
Our big challenge is marketing–we need to make math and science cool. Other countries are doing this very successfully–and that’s one of the reasons we’re slipping in the international rankings in terms of math and science scores. In some of the most important science and math competitions around the world, the US teams are not even placing in the top ten. And it’s not just the Chinese and Indian teams that are doing well–students from Bulgaria, Romania, Nigeria and other places most US students can’t find on a map are cleaning up in the competitions.
This article addresses this challenge and takes a look at how increasing the number and scope of math and science competitions can encourage students who wouldn’t normally consider these areas to put on a pair of goggles or start playing with algorithms.
We can get kids excited about math and science, but they’ll have to be supported in these interests by their parents. And that’s the real problem.
You see, parents are more likely to sign their kids up for soccer camp than science camp, and not just because the kids whine that they want to be out on the field. Parents START making this choice when kids are five–and they’re choosing sports instead of science. Until that starts changing, don’t expect the number of kids in math and science majors to escalate.
2 Comments
July 22, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Yeah that!
But I don’t think science needs to be made cool. The fundamental problem, IMO, is that we squash curiosity. From the beginning. I mean how many 5 yr olds can a daycare endure doing the things that come natural to them?
My kids spent the better part of this week playing in the mud in the back yard, experimenting with earthworms (I’m so sorry the worms died for the greater knowledge of my kids but that’s life), asking a billion annoying questions about more bizarre bugs (also mostly dead now) than I could ever dream of answering without google, designing space ships with some old Christmas present thingies that are barely recognizable from their original condition, standing with my freezer door open to “see” the air, etc. etc. etc. And what did I do? Almost NOTHING. I just let them play. I got out of the way. They do it on their own.
We need to STOP signing them up for things and start letting them be kids. My bet is that in Romania and Nigeria and where ever, they don’t have many soccer camps. And they probably don’t have much good TV either. (We don’t watch TV.)
Love the kids by SELLING the TV and pushing them outside. Lock the door if you have to. Send out some lemonade occasionally and let them run the hose. It’ll be ok. I promise.
Have to go . . . my 8yr just made 2x-1=5 pieces of toast for me. His words, not mine.
July 22, 2008 at 2:31 pm
EXACTLY, Chanda! I couldn’t agree more.
The problem is that once the kids who’ve been doing this camp and that tournament for a decade are sitting in freshman biology, the thrill is TOTALLY gone.
We need to come up with ways to get older kids reconnected to the joy of learning–not just in science but in every subject–and encourage parents of young kids to let them play, play, play.
As you so wisely pointed out, getting out of the way is the biggest gift we can offer once we’ve pointed them to a backyard (or kitchen or whatever) full of possibilities. Besides, this is so much easier for parents and I’m a big fan of eliminating unnecessary hard work (not to mention driving!)
Thanks, Chanda!