What is the name of the resource?
This resource is titled STEM Education Must Start in Early Childhood. It appears on the Education Week website. It covers the demand for STEM skills in the American job market and the need for STEM education to start early in childhood. At the time of publication, the author, JD Cheslof, was serving as the chairperson of the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and care. At the same time, he was serving in the governor’s STEM advisory committee. The author can, therefore, be considered an authority in STEM matters.
The overall idea in the resource
The resource looks at STEM education in Massachusetts and America in general from two perspectives: The employer’s view and the educator’s view. The interest of employers in STEM is whether they will get enough employees with STEM skills needed to carry out different tasks at the workplace. On the other side, educators would be interested knowing the appropriate methods and stage to start teachings stem skills. Chesloff (2013) cites contradicting views among educators and curriculum developers on when the student’s stem skills and interests should be developed.
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The resource paints a picture of an economy in great need of STEM skills, but an education system that is slow in delivering those skills. Chesloff (2013) says the demand for STEM skills is high and the supply is low. Chesloff (2013) estimates that the number of STEM jobs for every qualified person is 1.9. Such statistics indicate the failure of the education system. Chesloff (2013) brings up the question of when is the most effective stage in the education system for focusing on stem, and he suggests early childhood. He backs his assertions with scientific research that shows kids are most receptive to learning early in childhood. Also, he backs his choice by showing what countries like China are doing to promote STEM in early childhood education.
What idea from this resource will you use in the classroom?
As far as preschool planning curriculum is concerned, this resource shows the importance of exposing students to STEM at an early age. That way, the students will develop interest in STEM and consider pursuing STEM careers later on. This will help bridge the STEM skills gap in the economy.
The process of learning and curriculum utilization can improve if educators can predict a student’s academic achievement with a high level of accuracy. It helps to learn from the resource that math skills are a better predictor of academic performance than social-emotional skills and reading.
How has the resource changed your thinking?
The resource has changed my view on the importance of STEM skills to the American economy. Though I knew beforehand that the American economy is bracing itself for a shortage of STEM skills, I had no idea that this shortage could be as big as indicated in the resource. The fact that stems occupation are growing year by year could exacerbate the situation. Chesloff (2013) shows that half of American children have no access to early childhood education, and there are no concrete measures to correct the situation. In the long run, the effect of the skills gap will be America losing its position as the global economic leader.
Considering that the article was published in 2013, it pushed me to move a step a further to investigate the STEM problem in the US and check whether the situation has improved. The skills gap is still there; it estimated that by 2020, the number of STEM openings will be 1 million more than the number of qualified applicants (Gomes, Grotteria, & Wachte, 2017). The government is, however, moving to address the problem. In 2017, President Trump, through a presidential memorandum, directed the Department of Education to prioritize STEM and computer science (Office of Science and Technology Policy, 2018).
References
Chesloff, J. (2013, March 5). STEM Education Must Start in Early Childhood. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from Education Week: https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/03/06/23chesloff.h32.html
Gomes, J. F., Grotteria, M., & Wachte, J. A. (2017, November 01). BUILDING AMERICA’S FUTURE: STEM EDUCATION INTERVENTION IS A WIN-WIN. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from Wharton University of Pennslyvania: https://publicpolicy.wharton.upenn.edu/live/news/2188-building-americas-future-stem-education
Office of Science and Technology Policy. (2018, December 4). President Donald J. Trump is Working to Ensure All Americans Have Access to STEM Education. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from White House: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-is-working-to-ensure-all-americans-have-access-to-stem-education/
