January 2010
NAPE PDI
NAPE's 2010 Professional Development Institute, "A New Decade for Equity," will
be held in Arlington, VA, on April 12-15, 2010
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION EXTENDED! Register before February 26 and
save $50!
Program descriptions are now available on our website.
Sponsor the PDI.
Visit our website for
all details about registration, hotel, sponsorship, proposed agenda, and additional
events.
PROJECT NEWS
News from Wisconsin
Colleges
to Talk with Students about Nontraditional Occupations
Contribution from Iowa
A Gender Responsive Unit for Green Energy
(Iowa Commission on the Status of Women and the Iowa Math and Science and Education
Partnership)
A middle school unit for grades 6-8 including concepts on; Alternative Energy, Global
Warming, Community Awareness, Green Careers, and more!
ARTICLES
Female Teachers May Pass on Math Anxiety to Girls, Study Finds
(Karen Kaplan, LA Times)
Girls have long embraced the stereotype that they're not supposed to be good at
math. It seems they may be getting the idea from a surprising source -- their female
elementary school teachers. After a year in the classroom with female teachers who
say they are anxious about math, girls are more likely to share that attitude --
and score lower on tests, researchers say.
Read More Report
No Gender Gap in Math
(Christie Nicholson, Scientific American)
A worldwide study of nearly half a million boys and girls found no significant gender
gap in math ability.
Read More Report
Does Who You Think You Are Influence What You Want to Do?
(Patricia Cohen, The New York Times)
Do you have fixed ideas of what "type" of person becomes a nurse? A professor? A
farmer, soldier or artist? Two sociologists have been studying the typecasting of
professions by factors like gender and political ideology, and they have found that
some professions attract people with certain characteristics simply because they
are widely seen as being filled by people with those traits.
Read
More
National Trend Sees More K-12, Higher Ed Collaboration on STEM Education
(Summary from ACTE 1/28/10 CareerTech Update)
Government Technology reports on a national trend of collaboration between K-12
and higher education institutions to put more students on track for STEM careers.
These efforts allow schools to connect across district lines, share resources and
develop in-depth programs, and give students the opportunity to learn through hands-on
activities, project-based assignments and apprenticeships in the field.
Read More
Mayan Numbers Taught in Somis School to Help Students Learn Math
(Cheri Carlson, Ventura County Star)
Teacher Jill Brody's class started learning about Mayan math in September, part
of the school's efforts to incorporate "ethno-mathematics" into some of its classes.
Ethno-mathematics links math with culture. Some educators say it can help kids feel
more connected to the subject and better understand the why and how behind the skills
they learn in school.
Read More
Win a Copy of the Physics of Superheroes
(Lewis Wallace, Wired)
Superheroes do more than put the smackdown on supervillains. These costumed crime-fighters
also teach physics, thanks to a University of Minnesota professor who tapped comic
books for his classroom lectures. While teaching introductory physics at the school,
James Kakalios used examples from comic books, Star Wars and television shows to
illustrate various scientific principles.
Read More
Experts Urge Younger Start for Science Studies
(Debra Viadero, Education Week)
Despite a push for increased STEM studies among young students, and recommendations
from a National Research Council task force that students be exposed to scientific
study even before the start of formal schooling, science remains one of the areas
in which children show the least learning growth during their preschool years.
Read More
US Science Lead Slips
(Rebecca Trager, Chemistry World)
The US appears to be losing its global lead in science and technology according
to data released by the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The 2010 Science and
Engineering Indicators report, produced every two years by NSF, was released on
18 January, and suggests that emerging economies are upping their game when it comes
to science and technology.
Read More
Biomedical Engineering Predicted to be Among Fastest-Growing Jobs in United States
(Abigail Rome, CTICareerSearch)
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, biomedical engineering is one of the
fastest growing occupations in the U.S. for the decade ending in 2018, with 72%
growth predicted for that time period. Salaries for biomedical engineers are among
the top five for the 20 fastest growing occupations.
Read More
Group Warns of Engineers Leaving IT Sector
(Patrick Thibodeau, Computer World)
On the eve of President Barack Obama's State of the Union, the nation's largest
engineering association warned that the latest jobs data is "discouraging" for engineering.
The IEEE-USA believes some engineers are pulling out of the field and taking jobs
in other areas or leaving the workforce because of the weak economy, based on its
most recent analysis of government labor data. The engineering group argues that
engineering employment is a bellwether of national economic vitality.
Read More
The Top IT Skills in Demand in 2010
(from 1/27/10 CPST STEMTrends E-Alerts)
According to Computerworld's 2010 Forecast Survey, less than 20 percent of the 312
information technology executives polled stated that they intended to increase IT
head count in the next 12 months, compared to 26 percent in 2009. Furthermore, nearly
20 percent stated that they planned to decrease their IT head count. Companies who
will be hiring are seeking to hire in key areas, and will favor candidates with
skills that span multiple disciplines.
Read
More
NASA Program Will Target Minority Students
(Charlie Curnow, The Daily Tell)
A new partnership led by NASA will pilot a series of multi-week math and science
education programs this summer. NASA's "Summer of Innovation" program will come
under the umbrella of the Educate to Innovate program. According to the article,
NASA will "encourage low-income, minority students to pursue careers in engineering,
math or science."
Read More
PUBLICATIONS
Steady as She Goes? Three Generations of Students through the Science and Engineering
Pipeline
(The John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University)
This report presents a comprehensive analysis of American students in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) transitioning from high school to the labor
force using 30 years of data on the STEM workforce.
Learn More
STEM in the States
STEM in the States provides information on important indicators of the science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and workforces in each
state in comparative perspective.
Learn More
Two New Surveys Shed Light on Student Skill Needs
(From ACTE's CTE Policy Watch Blog)
Two new surveys, each released with a slightly different purpose, provide interesting
insights into the skills students need to be prepared for postsecondary education
and careers. First, the "ACT National Curriculum Survey" presents data about what
entering college students should know and be able to do to be ready for college-level
coursework in English, math, reading and science. The second survey, "Raising the
Bar: Employers' Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn,"
from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, asked over 300 employers
about the skills students need to gain in college.
Learn More
RESOURCES
Futures Channel Videos Show How Math and Science Are Used in the Real World
Building Custom Guitars
Creating an Advertising Campaign
Wild Animal Veterinarian
Designing Toy Cars
Industrial Designer
Testing Baseball Bats
Gems and Jewelry
ABC's of Architecture
Fish Farming
Landscape Architects
The Art Director
Creating Cars
Anita Borg Memorial
Scholarship for female high school seniors looking to study computer science when
they attend college
Interactive Presentation: Employment Future: The Decade Ahead In Jobs
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is requesting proposals
for "innovative new ideas to encourage students to major in CS-STEM and pursue careers
as engineers and scientists."
Giant Campus is dedicated to offering
inspiring learning experiences that feature instruction and curriculum development
in the latest technology topics.
SAVE THE DATE
WiSE: A Catalyst for Change: Seattle, WA, February 20, 2010
AAAS Conference Session: Role of Community Colleges in Increasing Minority
Students in the STEM Pipeline: San Diego, CA, February 21, 2010, 3:30 PM-5:00 PM
USA Science & Engineering Festival:
October 10-24, 2010, Washington, DC
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published in the NAPE Update are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect
the views of NAPE. Furthermore, inclusion of a product, program, or practice in
the NAPE Update does not imply its endorsement by NAPE.
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