Since 1921, the Society for Science & the Public — a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization promoting the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement — has engaged the public in the excitement of science and research through its award-winning publications and world-class science education competitions.
The complexities of today's world require all people to be equipped with a new set of core knowledge and skills to solve difficult problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and make sense of information they receive from varied print and, increasingly, digital media. The learning and doing of STEM helps develop these skills and prepare students for a workforce where success results not just from what one knows, but what one is able to do with that knowledge.
What is on the five-year horizon for K-12 schools worldwide? Which trends and technologies will drive educational change? What are the challenges that we consider as solvable or difficult to overcome, and how can we strategize effective solutions?
Startups are important because in the vast majority of cases they locate in California, usually close to the founding faculty member’s campus or to the campus from which the founding entrepreneur/CEO graduated. They also tend to grow in the communities where they are founded, magnifying the importance of UC’s campuses to long-term job and business growth in the regions where they are located.
The ultimate goal of this work is to increase support for policies and programs that promote investment of resources (e.g., time, funding, staff, infrastructure) in the science and practice of implementation. To this end, FrameWorks’ research provides strategic communications recommendations designed to help people understand that supporting successful implementation is critical to improving outcomes for children, families and communities.
Governments, schools and systems as well as the philanthropic community have invested heavily in technology to keep up with the demands of 21st century learners. Even after years of huge public and private investments and the sheer number of technology-in-education initiatives (1:1 computing, e-Rate, P-TECH, STEM), one would think that students’ use of digital tools and technology for learning in K-12 settings would be ubiquitous. It is in fact the contrary.
The Internet of Things (IoT) -- a term used to describe the set of physical objects embedded with sensors or actuators and connected to a network -- offers numerous opportunities for the federal government to cut costs and improve citizen services. Moreover, because the Internet of Things generates positive network externalities, widespread adoption by the government will spur commercial adoption.
The United States, Singapore, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Israel were among the top countries when it comes to adopting and adapting to new technologies, according to the Global Information Technology Report 2016 from the World Economic Forum. The Global Information Technology Report measures countries' success in “creating the conditions necessary for a transition to a digitalized economy and society,” according to WEF.
Every child, regardless of their zip code, ethnicity, race or gender should have access to high-quality STEM programs, education and career exploration. To meet the rapidly-growing demand for qualified STEM professionals and develop the next generation of leaders, we must help students and families build the necessary competencies and skills to pursue STEM degrees and career opportunities. This White Paper will explain why National PTA is working with its founding sponsors, Bayer and Mathnasium, to launch a new initiative -- STEM Plus Families.
So why have we not seen the strong productivity growth we need? As explained in the recent ITIF e-book Think Like an Enterprise: Why Nations Need Comprehensive Productivity Strategies, there is solid research suggesting that the slowdown is not a cyclical phenomenon, nor is it because we are measuring output incorrectly.
