TITLE: More Dissatisfaction with Math and Science Education
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: June 20, 2007  1:20 PM
DESC: 
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BODY:
Another coincidence in time...  The day after I post a
note on Alan Kay's thoughts on
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2007-06.html#e2007-06-19T15_46_26.htm">
   teaching math and science to kids</A>,
I run across (via physics blogger and fellow basketball
crazy
<A HREF="http://scienceblogs.com/principles/2007/06/nattering_nabobs_of_negativity.php">
   Chad Orzel</A>)
Sean Carroll's lament about a
<A HREF="http://cosmicvariance.com/2007/06/15/procedure/">
   particularly striking example</A>
of what Kay wants to avoid.

Carroll's article points one step further to his source,
Eli Lansey's
<A HREF="http://lanseybrothers.blogspot.com/2007/06/sad-state-of-science-education.html">
   The sad state of science education</A>,
which describes a physics club's visit to a local
elementary school to do cool demos.  The fifth graders
loved the demos and were curious and engaged; the sixth
graders were disinterested and going through the motions
of school.  From his one data point, Carroll and Lansey
hypothesize that there might be a connection between this
bit flip and what passed for science instruction at the
school.  Be sure to visit Lansey's article if only to see
the pictures of the posters these kids made showing their
"scientific procedure" on a particular project.  It's
really sad, and it goes on in schools everywhere.  I've
seen similar examples in our local schools, and I've also
noticed this odd change in stance toward science -- and
loss in curiosity -- that seems to happen to students
around fifth or sixth grade.  Especially among the girls
in my daughters' classes.  (My older daughter seemed to
go through a similar transition about that time but also
seems to have rediscovered her interest in the last year
as an eighth grader.  My hope abounds...)

Let's hope that the students' loss of interest isn't the
result of some unavoidable developmental process and does
follow primarily from non-science or anti-science educational
practices.  If it's the latter, then the sort of things
that Alan Kay's group are doing can help.

I haven't written about it here yet, but Iowa's public
universities have been charged by the state Board of
Regents with making a fundamental change in how we teach
science and math in the K-12 school system.  My university,
which is the home of the state's primary education college,
is leading the charge, in collaboration with our bigger R-1
sisters.  I'll write more later as the project develops,
but for now I can point you to web page that
<A HREF="http://www.uni.edu/unionline/info/2007:0620.shtml">
   outlines the initiative</A>.
Education reform is often sought, often started, and rarely
consummated to anyone's satisfaction.  We hope that this
can be different.  I'd feel a lot more confident if these
folks would take work like Kay's as its starting point.
I fear that too much business-as-usual will doom this
exercise.

As I type this, I realize that I will have to get more
involved if I want what computer scientists are doing to
have any chance of being in the conversation.  More to do,
but a good use of time and energy.
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