LearnmoreMN Blog

STEM: Is elementary too soon?

By Tony Murphy, March guest blogger

We hear a lot about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), both as a K-12 education issue and a challenge to meet future business personnel needs. The Obama administration is clearly focused on this as a major initiative. Equally at the state level, there is a focus on STEM education, particularly with the introduction of engineering standards in the recently revised K-12 science academic standards. Why this focus and why now?

There are numerous reasons for this. Many reports over the last decade have pointed to the low numbers of STEM graduates in this country and the low numbers of people of color and women in particular STEM areas. If the U.S. is to maintain its economic power, then we need a well-educated workforce that can meet the demands of business in a growing technological era. In this state, one of the largest achievement gaps exists between white students and students of color in science and mathematics. As a state with many of the nation’s top STEM companies located here, we need to tackle this issue, as the students in the current classrooms are our future workforce, business leaders and policymakers. Finally, and by no means the least important is that we live in an era where technologies develop and evolve at an ever-increasing rate. Just witness the growth of the cell phone industry since the early 1980s or our almost total dependence on the internet for personal, educational and business matters. These technologies and associated developments have both positive and negative consequences on our lives, society and environment. Students in K-12, and indeed in post-secondary education, need to be STEM literate so that they have the skills and knowledge required to live in this technological age, and also the critical thinking skills to consider and decide about our growing reliance on STEM areas.

Given all this, how do we introduce our students to STEM — and equally as important — when do we start? As a high school life science teacher and university professor, I have come to realize that we need to begin as early as possible with our children, certainly in elementary school, and even possibly before that. Children, at birth, are natural scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers. They consider the world around them and try to make sense of it the best way they know how; that is by touching, tasting, probing, building, dismantling, creating, discovering, exploring and so on. Yet, by the time they reach 4th grade, a third of them have lost an interest in science and by 8th grade this has increased to almost 50%. By this point in the K-12 system, the STEM pipeline is reduced to half of what it should be. So, how do we go about reversing this? How do we encourage more children to maintain their interest level in STEM? In my next blog, I will propose one possible solution, but what do you think? Is elementary too soon or not soon enough?

Welcome to a new year…and a new economy

By Margaret Anderson Kelliher, January guest blogger

As I prepare to start this new year in a new role as president and CEO of the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA), all of us need to start preparing for a new economy powered by a new-look workforce. Those who succeed in this new economy will be those who are consistently finding ways to innovate, and this new workforce must have the skill set to perform the jobs of the 21st century.

One major reason for the struggling economy is the current mismatch between the skills needed to fill the jobs and the skill set of those seeking employment. In order to begin closing that gap, and keep it closed in 2011 and beyond, we must provide our future workforce with the high-tech skills necessary to fill the jobs of the new economy. Companies depend on having the necessary talent available to fuel their ongoing growth and profitability. Skilled and motivated workers that are able to combine technical skills with business skills are essential for innovating new products and services, discovering new business opportunities, and synthesizing multiple pieces to solve business challenges. Having the right talent to deliver products and services to customers today will be essential to create the innovation necessary to succeed tomorrow.

For over a quarter century, MHTA has worked diligently to promote the growth, sustainability, and global competitiveness of Minnesota’s technology-based economy through advocacy, collaboration, and education. The 350 member companies that make up MHTA have joined together not to promote their own organizations, but to ensure that Minnesota’s economy is able to thrive. Priority number one for our organization is science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education; because we understand that the workforce of the new economy will require proficiency in these subjects if Minnesota is to remain globally competitive.

There are a number of education-related policy principles that we have laid to out as part of our mission of keeping Minnesota’s tech-based economy growing and competitive. For example, we specifically advocate for:

• high standards for all E-12 students, and endorse statewide standards, particularly in math and science;
• measuring Minnesota student performance against international student performance;
• availability and use of technology in schools;
• investment for research in higher education that leads to commercialization of technologies in the private sector; and
• ubiquitous broadband access.

We are strong advocates for these issues; however, advocacy alone is not enough for our proactive member companies, so through our web portal, www.getSTEM-mn.com, they and other community leaders are connecting directly with STEM teachers across Minnesota to bring resources and industry expertise into the classroom to get students excited about fields in science, technology, engineering, and math.

As the mother of two teenage children who I want to make sure are getting the education they need to be able to compete for 21st century jobs, and as the president and CEO of a business organization whose members depend on a constant stream of uniquely skilled workers, I am distinctly aware of the need for strong STEM education for Minnesota students. In the new year, MHTA will continue to be a voice on business and education issues facing the new economy. I encourage you to create a profile on getSTEM, receive the weekly emails from STEM teachers looking to enhance the learning experience for their students, and contribute time or resources as you are able. The students of today are the workforce of tomorrow, and we cannot sit back and hope they will have the skills for the new economy — we must ensure that they do.