ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

To pick up on one of Eric's points about the importance of cultural and social values in influencing learning and promoting STEM education, and learning more generally.  The one size fits all approach doesn't work.  This evidence, I would suggest, is pretty compelling.  There's not one emergent approach that lasts for the ages.

Further, it seems to me that the status and regard for teachers and mentors plays a key role.  It's essential that they be held in high esteem (of course, all the esteem and position needs to be warranted and demonstrable--there's likely a multiplicity of ways!) and that part is essential.

At this juncture, we come to the evaluation components, and those are inherently hit and miss; surprisingly arbitrary by and large.  Valuation metrics across the board are broad curves with big tails, partially because the complex social system of every human society can be readily "gamed;" frequently is and always will be.

Okay, I've done my thinking for the day!
Best,

C
Sent from Charlie Carlson's iPad
[log in to unmask]
Cell 510-499-8086
Try me on Skype (510) 984-3543

> On Dec 9, 2013, at 8:46 AM, Carlyn S Buckler <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
> 
> 
> - I think you hit on something there, Chuck. We have been trying to reform for a long time, and there are several reasons why it appears we aren’t making progress. The article seems to suggest that there is maybe one, basic way to teach science that we are somehow missing.  The NGSS is a good example.  This started as a measure well-founded in research on the best studies we have on how people learn science.  Big Ideas, supporting tenets, contextualization, cross-disciplinary, etc.  But no good deed goes unpunished – now the States all vote to accept all of it, part of it, or none of it.  Even for those that accept the whole ball of wax, they may not have the resources to give their teachers the PD – as Joe mentions -  that will be required, and there will be others who will “interpret” the NGSS in their own way.  And  how will state/fed governments change testing (if at all) to show improvement?  Sometimes it seems, just like with Energy Transitions and Climate Change, we tend to look for the silver bullet to get us to the goal.  And by the way, what is that goal?  50% of kids getting it by some measure?  70%?  If there were only one ‘way’ to teach STEM, we’d be golden.
> 
> Being there are different demographics that learn very different ways--cultural difference, intellectual differences, all the way down to variation in stress at home, time allotment, etc.—coming to consensus on how to best teach science when there are such disparate needs for various demographics, and just as disparate views on how that should be done (I’m particularly thinking of those who publish textbooks in, say, Texas?), it ain’t easy.
> 
> Having said that, I do believe that, after 30 years of trying, we should and could be doing far better than we are.
> 
> 
> Carlyn S. Buckler, Ph.D.
> Adjunct Assistant Professor
> Science Museum Studies
> Cooperstown Graduate Program
> 5838 State Route 80
> Cooperstown, NY 13326
> 
> "Suspended judgment is the greatest triumph of intellectual discipline”.  W.R. Brooks
> 
> 
> 
> ***********************************************************************
> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
> 
> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.
> 
> The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
> http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
> 
> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
> message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
> [log in to unmask]

***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.

To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]