The United States is in the midst of a "Quiet Crisis."

The United States is in the midst of a "Quiet Crisis."

A paper written by Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., for BEST, a San Diego, Calif.-based public-private
partnership dedicated to building a stronger, more diverse science,
engineering and technology workforce. The country may not be able to sustain
the tremendous productivity that has come from scientific and technological
innovation because the pool of talent needed to replace today's scientists
and engineers is not deep enough. The solution, says Jackson, is to
identify, nurture, and encourage the intellectual talent of groups -- women
and ethnic minorities -- currently underrepresented in science and
technology. Jackson notes that while the case for ramping up efforts to
bring women and minorities into these fields had previously been made on
moral and social grounds, the shortage of young scientists and engineers
makes underrepresentation an economic issue.

http://www.aaes.org/images/qc.pdf

 

I find this statement a bit odd. If it's an economic issue, shouldn't we be nurturing and encouraging the intellectual talent of all people, even when they are male and not in an ethnic minority? We need more women and minorities in science, but she picks only a partial solution to the stated problem.

 

Re: Re: The United States is in the midst of a "Quiet Crisis."

Agreed.

- Tom

 

Re: Re: The United States is in the midst of a "Quiet Crisis."

I think it makes more sense if looked at in the context of "underrepresented groups" groups where individuals with talent and ability have not had the opportunity to exxplore and discover they abilities in the sciences.

A constant challenge in the classroom is to keep the non-traditional students from feeling "marginalized" or intimidated by the dominant "geek squad males behavior.

 

It just seemed odd for me to read the words dominant and intimidated in the same sentance with geek.

Having suffered through all these years as one assigned to group social status of geek, nerd, etc., I'm not accustomed to hearing that we are either dominant or intimidating. I'm more used to hearing dominated and intimidated

 

In a typical CIS classroom, the sterotypical students (men) who have spent their pre-college years working with PC and the internet evidence a level of comfort with the topic that can be intimidating to otherwise quite bright students who are just being exposed to the terminology for the first time.

 

For a complementary viewpoint on this and related issues, see La Griffe du Lion.

Personally, I think children's success is driven by the environment and attitudes toward accomplishment, learning, work, value, worth, obligation (versus entitlement) and wonder presented by the parents at home*. I don't envy public school teachers the challenge they face trying to prepare outgoing seniors for a ninth-grade (!) proficiency test.

I am so utterly jaded with many parents' dismissive attitude towards educating their own children that I think the best way to turn the situation around - pronto - is to tie cable TV and Internet access to their children's academics. If Johnny can't read, Daddy can't watch the Superbowl.

Un-doable and un-American but sweet to think about anyway.

Mark

*For an outstanding example of this, read In Code : A Mathematical Journey by Sarah Flannery. She is a young lady who at age sixteen discovered an encryption routine 22 times faster than RSA (although it was subsequently cracked). The environment for learning provided by her parents was phenomenal; they had a chalkboard right by the dinner table, for instance.

Hell, I'll go ahead and say it: Go back to teaching the trivium and quadrivium through secondary school. Children must learn to think precisely, deeply and clearly; there's plenty of time for the servile arts in college.

 

Re: Re: Re: The United States is in the midst of a "Quiet Crisis."

Unfortunately, the issue is not so straightforward as noted above. Excelling in mathematics and science in school leading to careers in the sciences is not merely something that can be learned in a classroom. It has alot to do with genetics. Yes, giving ALL children and adolescences exposure to the sciences and math is very important if for nothing more than increasing their awareness of science in their daily lives. However, placing the virtual impossible responsiblity for teaching ALL "underrepresented groups" science and math with the lofty goal of enhancing their prospects of successfully pursuing careers in these professions is absurd.

Young people who excell in these subjects are fortunate to have been born with the critical "grey" brain matter that enables them to grasp complex mathetical, abstract and scientific concepts, theories and problems that the vast majority of persons do not possess. To infer that racism is the primary factor that negates one excelling in these subjects is a rationalization and significant simplicification of a very complex issue. Biological endowed advantages coupled with the " right" environmental factors are critical to developing these competencies. For example despite severe persecution throughout the millenium a disproportionate number of Jewish (as well as oriental students) excell in these subjects as does the level of their contribution to the sciences and mathematics ( I read that prior to World War 11 Germany achieved more nobel prizes in the sciences than any other country due in large part to their Jewish population but fell into last place after the war due to the holocust). Yes, a good and healthy learning environment is very important but possessing the basic innate ability to excell in these academic sunjects is essential.

Our culture has a penchant for creating unrealistic and frustrating goals for many young students. Not all students should pursue a college education, science or mathematics, because they just do not have the ability or motivation to pursue them. There is absolutely nothing inferior about pursuing education and careers that are not professional in nature but offer a better fit with the aptitudes of many students and would result in a much better adjustment to their work and personal lives.

 

Ethnic minorities "currently underrepresented in science and technology"? A great chunk of today's best scientists and engineers are immigrants from India, China, Vietnam, Iran and more. They are far from under-represented unless Jackson is referring exclusively to the African-American culture. If this is the case, I don't know how motivating one ethnic group alone will create a new breed of scientists to fix this "not deep enough" pool of talent.

 

In a typical automotive class, the stereotypical students (men, caucasian) who have spent their pre-college years working on cars in their parent's driveway evidence a level of comfort with the topic of automotive servicing that can be intimidating to otherwise quite bright students (men and women of all races) who are just being exposed to the terminology for the first time.

So, what is your point exactly? ;-)

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: The United States is in the midst of a "Quiet Crisis."

A basic exposure to the basic of math and science is not something that is beyond 90% of the adult population - male and female - irrespective of ethnic background. It's unfortunate that you would inject "ethnic background into this - please feel free to respond to someone else's posts instead of mine.

 

I was responding to CoachTurner. It really helps not to take responses out of contect.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The United States is in the midst of a "Quiet Crisis."

Are you certain you're addressing simon's post? He advocated math and science for all children (which incidentally is more inclusive than your 90%). Also, he never mentioned ethnic background. The first 'injection' of ethnicity is in the quote inside your original post.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The United States is in the midst of a "Quiet Crisis."

Please note that you initially "injected" ethnic background into this discussion not me. I merely responded with my impressions of your oversimplified explanation and rationalization of a very complex problem that cannot so easily be corrected as you stated.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The United States is in the midst of a "Quiet Crisis."

Unfortunately Mark I am not surprised by this poster claiming that I injected this issue into this discussion. In fact he simply blames society for the problems "underrepresented" students have in relation to their low level of representation in the sciences so why not blame another poster for "injecting" ethnicity into the discussion when in fact it was he who did so initially.

Rather than face the fact that there are complex genetic and environmental factors that determine whether an individual will do well in these subjects he simply externalizes the problem on
racism. Convenient? Yes. A solution? Obviously not at all.

 

Now, to be fair, Jim did not mention racism at all - that was in both of your posts.

Equitably,
Mark

 

Yes, the term racism is not mentioned at all by this poster BUT it is implied as a review of his posts will reveal.

Equitably,

Simon

 

BTW, I forgot to add sexism.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The United States is in the midst of a "Quiet Crisis."

Mark,

I'm really sure. I used the term "ethnicity" in lieu of the terms Simon used. I am VERY uncomfortable with his post.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The United States is in the midst of a "Quiet Crisis."

Simon,

And we're back to: "Please feel free to respond to someone else's posts instead of mine."