Combating Students' Disinterest in the Sciences

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Obamas edge as well as a universal affordable healthcare has seemed unrealistic, right.

All the voting shares within my family went towards a school girls' Catholic education, and onto a STATE college in Florida. HER success was a retaliation versus the subpar life being led with her mother.

My mother lives in a home, where, like in Vegas, grass can be taken out by the government to assist with the costs of watering a yard. Today, and every year since I found my displeasure with her whereabouts....Tallahassee, and my own.......Orlando, homeless with an arrogant and ugly father who drank in excess while I grew up, who too married the woman he both ABANDONED my MOM, sister and self for......to further abuse this woman, MY MOTHER, by claiming dependant status on ME, for 8 more years, just to fund and finance his drinking and his ugly third wifes' SALON.

dan of FL 4:34PM June 06, 2011

Me- A 30 year science teacher and mother of a newly graduated microbiologist

Reality 1- There are plenty of STEM jobs available for US graduates. Many positions have to be filled with people from other countries because we do not have enough graduating in the US.

Reality 2- American youth reflect the values of their parents and communities. Americans think math and science are harder than other disciplines, and either not worth the effort or not attainable by most. This is exacerbated by STEM professionals and teachers who reinforce the image that math and science is not within the abilities of the average student, and the notion that at least calculus is necessary to be a scientist. The research clearly indicates, that while there is a correlation between high school math and college science achievement, the mathematics is not necessary for science achievement. (Check out Robert Tai and Philip Sadler's work for lots more.)

Reality 3- Students decide to become scientist by the time they are in middle school. Assessment pressure have eroded the teaching of science in the elementary years. The less science experience a child has by middle school, the less likely they are to be interested in the field.

Look to ourselves for solutions.

Karen of WA 12:38AM May 25, 2011

I have been teaching math and science in the high school for about 6 years now. I have seen teachers and administration shy away from math and science. They treat math and science teachers as geeks. It sets a tone for students to feel they are strange if they enjoy these subjects.

I worked as a chemist at an environmental lab and as a field service engineer contractor for Intel in their Fabs. I enjoyed my pursuits and I wanted to show how much fun it was to my students, but it has been an uphill battle to convince students of this with the common perception of scientists these days.

Sharon of FL 10:09PM May 23, 2011

Work your butt off studying science or engineering, then the gov brings in hordes of cheap immigrants and rewards some immigrant from India or Pakistan with your job, or you job is offshored to China. The U.S. treats its scientists and engineers like dog shit, so it is hardly surprising that we have been in steep technological decline since the 60's when the U.S. led in virtually every area of technology. I know when I was working in tech area in the 70's roughly 50% of the scientists left the field forever when they saw the hordes of immigrants glutting job markets, to be replaced by low quality third worlders. Diversity and Tedian immigration may be wonderful for political correctness, but deadly for quality of R&D.

You'd have to be nuts to go into science today.

Luther of LA 11:40AM May 23, 2011

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