The Huffington Post – Paula Golden
“I received an S.O.S. from a courageous friend who teaches second grade in South Central Los Angeles where people tend to write off her students as having no future, including these young souls themselves. Her school has been targeted as a “STEM” elementary where she is suddenly required to teach the “E” of Engineering in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math curriculum. There are no books or collateral materials to augment the bare-bones curriculum at my friend’s school. There are no tablets, high-tech toys or Wi-Fi. She already buys basic supplies with her own salary. The biggest hurdle for her and many other teachers is that despite the STEM mandate, there is no funding for training that would enable her to confidently incorporate engineering as part of the new Next Generation Science Standards. My friend’s lament is heard every day in elementary schools from coast-to-coast: “I am not a trained engineer.” Here are two realities that exacerbate bringing the “E” into K-6 foundational learning: First, according to the American Association for Employment in Education, there is an abundance of people applying for elementary teaching positions, but a critical shortage of candidates with a foundation in math and science, let alone knowledge of concepts associated with engineering. Since certification in these areas require additional credit hours, many elementary and middle school teachers lack training necessary to work STEM into their curriculum.”(more)