Podcast305: Science Education from a Technology Leader’s Perspective by Dr. David Thornburg

Summary: The official conference program description of this session was: K-12 education science, technology, engineering and mathematics is a hot topic today, with conversations spanning from the classroom to the Oval Office. Technology can be used in ways that help address many of the challenges facing K-12 STEM programs. This dynamic talk explores five challenges: Shortage of qualified teachers; Learning that science is a vibrant human activity, cutting back on hand’s- on science instruction; Science as inquiry and projects; Connecting science to other subjects. By moving toward a more constructionist approach to science instruction, taking advantage of various cutting-edge probe-ware tools and other computer based resources, many of these challenges can be addressed in ways that greatly increase student appreciation for more analytical subjects. Our economic recovery requires a highly educated populace, and this presentation tackles some of those challenges head-on.