Will Science Teaching enter the 21st Century

1
Will Science Teaching enter the 21st Century?

• Sam J. Zigrossi
• Program Director
• Charles A. Dana Center
• University of Texas
• samz_at_mail.utexas.edu
• www.utdanacenter.org

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My Perspective Influenced By My Background

• Born 1941 of Italian immigrants
• First of the family to attend college
• Taught high school math and physics
• Earned MS in Education Administration (Algebra
  dissertation)
• IBM career of 29 years (MBA)
• IBMs interface with public education
• Served on two state panels for Texas education
• Adjunct Professor in Business School- 25 years
• Charles A. Dana Center for 8 years

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Format of the presentation

• Review each decade from 1940 to 2005
• Major events of the decade
• The drivers of the economy and society
• Characterization of Education and science
  teaching
• Some Perspectives

4
The 1940s

• Events
• Ending of the war-The Bomb
• Women move into the workforce in large numbers
  due to the war
• Thousands of servicemen return, get educated and
  fuel the greatest economic growth period (GI
  Bill)
• Transistor invented
• Jackie Robinson becomes first Black to play major
  league baseball
• Average salary 2992
• Labor force male/female 52
• Bread cost 0.14

5
Drivers of the economy and society 1940s

• Industrialization increased from war effort
• College graduates increase from returning
  servicemen
• USA is the worlds largest manufacturing engine
• Exports and rebuilding of Europe
• First computer ENIAC -first electronic calculator
  (18,000 vacuum tubes)
• Economy begins to grow in late 40s

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Characterization of Science teaching-1940s

• A select few took Chemistry and Physics (15)
• Science teaching based on college teaching
  pedagogy
• Textbook driven, lecture, homework
• Majority of students took Biology Derivative
  courses
• Education model based on the Industrial
  Revolution model

7
1950s

• Events
• Industrial revolution is maturing, moving into
  the service economy
• Nuclear applications begin
• First cake mix introduced
• Drive in Movies
• Automobile opens up travel
• Digital programming of computers
• Greatest industrial nationno other country even
  close

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Drivers of economy and society 1950s

• Integrated circuit invented
• Transcontinental TV begins
• McCarthy Hearings Communism
• Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a
  public bus
• Sputnik-First satellite orbits the earth
• US launches Explorer I
• Economy expansion is significant
• Radio prime information and entertainment media
  in the home
• Salk vaccine developed to halt polio epidemic

9
Characterization of Science teaching-1950s

• Separate but Equal education being challenged
• Brown vs. Topeka, Kansas Supreme Court Decision-
  separate facilities for blacks is wrong!
• Science teaching still much the same as it was
  in the 40s
• Higher level math and science courses for only
  the brightest studentstraditional teaching-
  whole group
• Sputnik causes the country to focus on
  mathematics and science education, many people
  have ideas of what to change- A great
• amount of rhetoric

10
1960s

• Events
• Viet Nam war
• Civil Rights movement becomes a center piece of
  society
• Civil Rights Act of 1964
• John Glenn orbits the earth 3 times
• NASA established
• TI handheld calculator 2500
• Cuba Bay of Pigs and missile crisis
• JFK assassinated

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Drivers of economy and society -1960s

• Space research and engineering
• Apollo program
• Building of the USA infrastructure
• Consumer products
• TV in most homes
• Most all products- American made
• Computers making significant inroads into
  business IBM, HP, Cray, Apple
• Computer Science as a discipline
• TV is main media in home for entertainment and
  news (3-5 channels)

12
Characterization of Science teaching-1960s

• New Math introduced into schools via NSF-focus
  on concepts, set theory, functions and diagrams
• Science education-no action, just talk
• Public and teachers rebel and went back to
  traditional teaching of mathematics
• Programmed instruction introduced
• Segregation still common
• Much rhetoric about improving schools
• Integration begins in public schools
• 40 of students graduate from H.S.

13
1970s

• Events
• Roe Vs Wade
• Prayer in school unconstitutional
• Impeachment proceedings of a President- Nixon
• Viet Nam war divides the country
• Affirmative Action becomes key elements for
  business in hiring
• Glass Ceiling concept is popularized

14
Drivers of the economy and society 1970s

• Travel- Jumbo Jets
• Genetic engineering born- first test tube baby
• Intels microprocessor
• Apollo18 and USSRs Soyuz 19 linked
• Entertainment-VCRs
• First Star Wars movie, Godfather, Jaws,
  American Graffiti, Grease
• Significant Stock Market decline

15
Characterization of science teaching 1970s

• Relatively little has changed in teaching
  science from 1960ssome believe education
  lost the impetus of the 1960s
• School integration in full gear
• Schools must address the handicapped
• Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI)- becomes
  part of business training, i.e. next phase of
  programmed instruction
• Significant rhetoric about public Education

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1980s

• Events
• Business hostile takeovers and mega mergers
• AIDS becomes significant issue
• Berlin wall comes down
• Credit buying becomes the norm
• Rescue mission to Iran fails
• First Space Shuttle Columbia
• U. S. Hockey Team beats Russia
• Sandra Day OConnor appointed to Supreme Court

17
Drivers of the economy and society 1980s

• Personal Computers become legitimate tools in
  business
• Microsoft Windows introduced by IBM
• Imports gaining large market share in
  automobiles and consumer electronics
• Inflation 13--Prime rate 21
• Internet opens up to public

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Characterization of mathematics teaching 1980s

• A Nation at Risk report--If an unfriendly foreign
  power had attempted to impose on America the
  mediocre educational performance that exists
  today, we might well have viewed it as an act of
  war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen
  to ourselves. We have even squandered the gains
  in student achievement made in the wake of the
  Sputnik challenge. Moreover, we have dismantled
  essential support systems which helped make those
  gains possible. We have, in effect, been
  committing an act of unthinking, unilateral
  educational disarmament.

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Characterization of science teaching -1980s

• Reform in TexasPerot report 1984
• Essential Elements
• TABS
• Stand and Deliver-Jamie Escalante work at
  Garfield high school
• Significant rhetoric about public education
• Report on Pre-college education in Math, Science
  and TechnologyThe nation that dramatically and
  boldly lead the world into the age of technology
  is failing to provide its own children with
  intellectual tools needed for the 21st century
• We continue to lead due to our best students and
  our universities
• What is needed is a new set of basics
  communications, problem solving, technology
  literacy
• The teaching of science in some states is
  beginning to be based on a set of
  standards-pedagogy changes little

20
1990s

• Events
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Brady Billgun control
• Gulf war
• Social security, gun control and health care
  were significant issues
• Famous trials-Rodney King O.J. Simpson
• Columbine Shooting

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Drivers of the economy and society 1990s

• World Wide Web grew from 2-100 million users
• Imports still making gains
• Out-sourcing jobs
• Importing skills HB-1 visa program
• Stock market decline
• Cell phones becoming a must for everyone
• Medical technology is racing with many new
  applications, CAT scans, Pacemakers, less
  invasive surgeries- Physicians jobs and health
  care change dramatically.

22
Characterization of science teaching -1990s

• The decade of Brain research
• Previous research- cognition and behavior
• New research- cognitive thinking styles,
  Preference for sense/senses, personality/emotiona
  l factors, environmental emotional factors,
  physiology/genetics, physical health, comfort and
  developmental stages
• Brain is a malleable organ
• Governor's Education summit-The US will be first
  in math and science by 2000More rhetoric
• President Clinton "We know, purely and simply,
  that every single child must have access to a
  computer, must understand it, must have access
  to good software and good teachers and to the
  Internet, so that every person will have the
  opportunity to make the most of his or her own
  life."

23
Characterization of science teaching -1990s

• Standards based curriculum becoming the norm
• The wars - Direct vs. Conceptual
• In Texas the EEs replaced by the TEKS, and TAAS
  introduced
• The teaching of science changes with allocated
  labs and the introduction of technology and the
  use of more manipulatives
• Texas 4th graders 5th the country (NAEP), 8th
  graders in the middle and 11th graders lower
  third.

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Characterizations of science teaching 1990s

• 83 of students graduate from high school
• Elementary and Secondary Education Act
• Distance Education
• Year round school
• Dual or Concurrent Credit
• School to work and Tech Prep
• Reforms taking placeStandards based education
  beginning in early grades

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Characterization of science teaching 1990s

• Majority of students taking Biology, some
  chemistry and physics with higher level math
  courses
• Hand held calculators introduce in significant
  numbers in schools
• Education ideology wars creates confusion among
  educators and public
• Ritalin drug of choice for ADD/ADHD

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2000s

• Events
• Communications integration, Cell phones, internet
  and digital TV
• Genetic engineering
• Fossil fuels demand outstripping supply
• 9/11war on terrorists
• 100 in 1940 is same as 1322 today
• Average salary 37,000 vs. 2992 in 1940
• Labor force male female 11 vs. 52 in 1940
• 1.00 cost of loaf of bread vs. 0.14 in 1940

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Drivers of the economy and society 2000s

• Consumer spending key to economy
• Housing sector strong
• New technologies in communications
• Oil prices steadily increasing
• Social issues revolve around social security,
  education, personal security and health care
• Iraq war

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Characterization of science teaching 2000s

• Science teaching has not changed much from the
  1990s
• 2003 task force on education
• 4 graders competitive internationally
• 8th graders lose 40 points and are average
• 12 graders are at the very bottom
• More rhetoric

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Characterization of science teaching 2000s

• 21st Century Summit What students need
• Digital-age literacy Inventive Thinking
• Literacy in all Problem solving
• technologies using tools
• Effective Communications High Productivity
• Collaborate Planning
• Interactive Use of tools
• Social responsibility Produce products

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Some Perspectives

• Americans have wanted schools to serve different
  and often contradictory purposes for their own
  children
• To socialize them to be obedient, yet to teach
  them to be critical thinkers,
• To pass on the best academic knowledge that the
  past has to offer, yet also teach marketable and
  practical skills,
• To cultivate cooperation, yet to teach students
  to compete with one another in school and later
  life,
• To stress basic skills but also encourage
  creativity and higher order thinking skills,
• To focus on academic basics yet permit a wide
  range of choice of courses.

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Some perspectives

• How fast is technology moving????
• 38 years for radio to get to 50 million users
• 13 years for TV to get to 50 million users
• 16 years for PCs to get to 50 million users
• 4 years for Internet to get to 50 million users
• Life expectation has gone from 65 in 1940 to 80
  for women by 2002
• Robots operating on humans today!!

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Some perspectives

• 20th Century had many education reforms
• New America Schools Essential Schools
• Accelerated Schools American Choice
• Basic Education Direct Instruction
• Engaged Learning Purpose Centered
• Atlas Co-NECT
• Success for All ????????????
• More Rhetoric!
• Major barriers
• 3 million teachers 50 million students
• In TX 250,000 teachers 4 million students
• Governance

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Some Perspectives

• In the 1940 science teaching was based on text
  books and chalk boards the Industrial Model
• In 2005 science teaching is based on ???
• Textbooks????
• Chalk/white boards???
• Technology???
• Laboratory investigations
• Conceptual Understanding???
• Standards??????
• What????????
• Have we changed enough to reflect the changes
  that occurred in society to meet societys need?
  
• I dont think so.

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Some Perspectives

• Change Society
• Public
  Education
• Time

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Some Perspectives

• We lack vision as a profession of where we need
  to go. We are victims of society, government,
  unenlightened school leadership and OURSELVES!!

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Some Perspectives

• How do we start?????
• Start Simple and then progress to the complex
• Lets look at the research---

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Some Perspectives

• The essentials for improving student achievement
  are
• All students must have access to the same viable
  curriculum in every classroom- guaranteed
• High Yield instructional strategies have
  significant impact on student achievement
• Teachers must collaborate to make this happen-we
  are all in this together, lets build a system!!
• In Texas, the TEKS are the basics, go beyond
  them, use them as building blocks.

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Some Perspectives

• Is our current Industrial Model of Education what
  we need in the 21st Century?
• NO!!!!
• Lets all start looking at new ways of doing
  things. I believe you have many of the answers,
  but need to have the opportunity and
  responsibility to begin to revolutionize the
  teaching of science.

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Some Perspectives

• Why do it?
• For our next generations of leaders, workers,
  members of society
• To maintain our economic leadership
• The next generations are our KIDS that are in
  school now!!

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Will the science Teaching enter the 21st Century?

• Sam J. Zigrossi
• Program Director
• Charles A. Dana Center
• University of Texas
• samz_at_mail.utexas.ed
• www.utdanacenter.org