Friday, June 29, 2018

Whither goes K-12 STEM education? Is it time to bring back shop classes?

The second of three topics that occupied my thoughts these last few months was the question, where stands STEM education in K-12?

After spending several days trying to put my thoughts into words, I had to give up. There’s no way to engage in this topic without finding oneself drawn into the politics of K-12 education. And the last thing I want is for politics to show up in my blog. So, I’ve abandoned any attempt at a discussion of the subject.

The only aspect of my thoughts, that I think I can express without getting drawn into a political discussion, is to note that the robotics/technology side of STEM education would be far better served if it were taught within a traditional shop class format. But, the traditional shop class is now inextricably associated with the older practice of tracking; a practice which has become much maligned within today’s educational communities.

So I’ll just put the question out there and move on to other things.

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