After taking a day off to enjoy my official birthday, I wanted to share with my readers and followers of my blog something very near and dear to my heart.
Again I must credit my good friend Cory for sharing this wonderful article. I would highly encourage you to follow the link below. It is something that I shared along my journey across Florida and now it is great to see it print for the nation to view:
http://www.edcircuit.com/teaching-social-studies-in-a-stem-focused-world/
The question I asked, is it possible to have the obsession with STEM and learn good citizenship as well? I believe that it better be. A perfect example, I can cite for you from first hand experience.
I was driving back to Naples after a long trip around the counties of Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, and Sumter. When I back into the Tampa area it hit me that I would not get beyond Hillsborough County on this evening. I stopped at one of my favorite rest spots which on this day happened to be the Sleep Inn.
During breakfast, I had the honor of meeting a very bright middle school student and his father. The young man had a very nice remote car that he had designed and had entered in a STEM contest. He was very proud of his accomplishment and I was of course equally if not more impressed. I listened as he explained his excitement for engineering and being selected to be in the STEM program.
As you well know, I can never allow a moment to past without mentioning the Constitution and thus this time would be on differently. The student explained how it he was advanced a grade and actually skipped the 7th grade and was now in the 8th grade and doing well at this new school. Since he could not have had the opportunity to take the Civics Education test I asked him a few basic question of the Constitution which he got incorrect.
However, I took the time to explain to him why knowing these answers were important in his overall growth he beamed with equal excitement about the Constitution. I gave his a copy of the Constitution booklet that had and he appeared so excited to know more about the Constitution as well. As a matter of fact at least for this moment, he placed his model car aside and started thumbing through the Constitution booklet and as he was driving away from the hotel with his father I could see that he was still quizzing his father on some of those questions about the Constitution located in the middle of the booklet.
The answer is yes the students still want to learn about citizenship and all those other things which will make them complete adults. Therefore, I would challenge the education officials, educators, and parents to make sure that teaching about our history, government, and other social sciences are not left out of the curriculum as we push the STEM because I do know for sure that STEM is nothing new but rather another buzz word for preparing the youth for a brighter future. However, I plead with you never forget the importance of teaching about citizenship and those social science courses.
http://www.edcircuit.com/teaching-social-studies-in-a-stem-focused-world/
Donna Krache recorded in her article, "Little change from 2010 in the assessments in U.S. History, Geography and Civics, 'still lees than one-third of eighth-graders were at or above proficient', in Geography (27%), even lower in U. S. History (18%), and Civics (23%)." I do get Ms. Krache's point that our kids need to know more about the history, government, geography and economics that impact their daily lives.
I have found that teaching and giving out these Constitution booklets are effective ways to help expand the knowledge of our students. Therefore, I challenge you the readers and followers of this blog to let those decision makers know that STEM and good CITIZENSHIP are all things our students will need to be taught in order to be productive members of our society.
Joseph
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