Hello Everyone,
I really struggled to come up with a good blog topic. After reading all the great ideas everyone else posted it made it even more difficult to find an issue that was current, relevant, and interesting. I finally settled on the following:
I was wondering how we can go about connecting the student’s classroom experience with possible careers in scientific fields. Kids, and unfortunately too often girls, say, “Why do I need to know this stuff, I’ll never use it again.” If they think this is true, how much effort will they put into their learning? Can we do a better job showing the students how many different careers are science based? Can we push more kids toward careers in science? Do students realize that science and technology sectors show the most potential for job growth? Students need to know it’s not just the nerds and brainiacs that go into science-related careers.
Possible ideas…
- Bring in professionals from different disciplines that can talk about their jobs and how they apply current scientific methods/knowledge. For a unit on human physiology bring in an orthopedic surgeon or cardiac specialist. For a chemistry unit bring in a professional chemist that works in research, or possibly pharmaceuticals. For a geology unit on shoreline processes and erosion bring in a civil engineer that deals with these issues. I guess this is a form of Career Day, but more specifically it would focus only on science-based careers.
- Take the students on field trips to see professional scientists at work. Some good examples would be power plants, manufacturing firms, agriculture related businesses. Go to a college or university and tour a research facility. This gives kids a chance to see students and professionals at work together.
- Use web-based activities to bring professionals into the classroom. Connect with professionals using live video feeds and do Q & A sessions. This would be a good way to showcase professionals that might not be available in your immediate area: astronomers, marine scientists, meteorologists, wildlife biologists, petroleum engineers,
Does this make sense?? I’ve been bouncing around the internet and I think I can pull together some good information. I look forward to your comments.
I think this a great question to research! Getting students involved and thinking about professional development is extremely important. It's crucial to get students thinking about their interests and what they might possibly want to do when they grow up. Encouraging students to see that science is involved in many of the jobs they may be interested will hopefully motivate them to learn more readily. I like the examples you gave. Having students experience and see the different jobs people carry will really give them a good insight of all the possibilities the future holds for them as young people. I hope your research continues to go well!
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting post to read. I feel like a lot of students don't like science (especially because I didn't enjoy it as a child) so it is important to show the students that it can be fun and useful!
ReplyDeleteI really liked the idea of bringing professionals into the classroom. Science is EVERYWHERE and I don't think students understand that. If you can pull science into 5-6 other professions, this can make science meaningful to them.
In addition, I think boys are more likely to be drawn into science, where girls tend to stand in the background. Activities like these can show girls that it's okay to be interested in science. Nice post!
Brad-
ReplyDeleteThis is a great topic! I think this is definitely something that can help students become more engaged in science and realize how relevant the material is in real life applications. I remember in elementary school not really giving science much thought. I hate to admit it, but I didn't think it would pertain to anything I would do in the future. As an elementary student, I thought that scientists had it all figured out already and there wasn't much else to learn or discover. I was very very wrong! I think that by showing students example of real life scientists in their field of study, students can gain an appreciation and sense of relevance for science.