The chorus of proponents for increasing math and science education is getting larger and louder—and with good reason. Study after study indicates that as science and engineering (as well as almost every other part of our professional and personal lives) becomes more global, our students must have the education and skills to compete and to succeed. We need to provide the education and the experience to develop an eager, equipped, and ready workforce.
Maryland is taking math and science education very seriously; the Department of Education’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education initiative provides valuable training and support to teachers, introduces students to exciting career opportunities, and works on curriculum development to prepare our children for a promising future.
While STEM and other educational programs are successful in enhancing the formal education that students need, we can’t forget to remind ourselves, “but wait… there’s more!” Learning takes place all the time, not just in the classroom or at the school-sponsored science fair. When we restrict “science education” to school-based experiences, we miss out on countless opportunities to teach, explain, and demonstrate.
A 2009 study by the National Research Council confirms what we, in the informal education business, have known for years: exposure to informal education enables students to grasp concepts faster and more easily. As parents, educators, and public servants, we should be reinforcing and enhancing what happens in the classroom with what is happening in our homes, our community and our world. We can provide students with a more engaging, more relevant, and more holistic education if we give them more opportunities outside the classroom.
Informal science education is experiential and interactive. By doing science—whether it sifting for fossils at a science museum or conducting an experiment at the kitchen sink—children are introduced to important science concepts in a fun and entertaining style. And because it is fun and entertaining, they will comprehend and remember what they are learning. They can be messy (exploration!), ask questions (inquisitiveness!), and let their minds wander (thoughtful!) without the constraints of a prescribed lesson plan or timed period.
But wait… there’s more! Engaging in informal scientific exploration helps students understand and appreciate the process of discovering “why” and “how”—a practice that will benefit them in all their activities and educational pursuits. By meeting “real” scientists and seeing where they work (as a field trip or arranged by Mom and Dad with someone they know), students will be motivated by achievement, success and passion—inspiration for their own future.
Informal science education can be unstructured and spontaneous. It can—and should—be fun!
Think about our recent record snowfall in December. While our kids were home from school (probably watching cartoons or reality shows on TV), we could have been showing them there is a lot to learn from something as simple and as fun as snowstorm; there are countless, easy activities where snow and ice can teach us about density, matter, temperature, chemistry—even animal behavior, as we watch Fido react to a blanket of white.
Let’s seize everyday opportunities to engage students in scientific exploration. Let’s create activities outside of schools that illustrate the concepts introduced learned in our schools. Let’s help our children understand the practical application of what they are learning. Let’s do more to help prepare our future leaders for success.
I applaud and share your goal of doing more to help prepare our future leaders for success. Hear Hear! I also agree that informal education outside the classroom can enrich a student’s learning immeasurably. I do, however, want to urge your readers not to forget the value of an informal humanities education– one in history, literature, philosophy, art history, and jurisprudence. Kids need to learn by experimenting outside the science lab, but they also need to learn the language and critical thinking skills to interpret what they are learning about the scientific world around them. Right now my organization, the Maryland Humanities Council, is running Maryland History Day, a program that gets kids excited about history by asking them to do research projects that complement their classroom work. Students work for months on a documentary film, performance, exhibition, website, or paper on a historical topic of their choosing, then they compete in April at Maryland History Day. A panel of judges—local professors, journalists, historians—asks them questions about their work and they win prizes based on how well they can orally defend their projects. More than 16,500 Maryland middle and high school students participate in county and state contests. A number also go on the National History Day competition held at the University of Maryland College Park. Through this program students delve into history through reading and writing, do original research, and identify reliable primary sources. But, perhaps most importantly, they learn about the world around them—-as it was, as it is, and the ways in which they can shape what it might be.
You’ve hit right on Homeschooling advantages. What I learned as a homeschooling teacher ( or is it faciltiator, actor, presenter?)was how much more fun it was to run outside and grab a leaf, some pond water or as you pointed out, ice crystals and make some observations with tons of student led questions. During Obama’s speech he mentioned the battle of Bull Run as a setback our country had to recover from – my daugter who had just learned about that battle jumped up and gave me a high five and said “See, we all have to learn from history!”