The Washington DC Math, Science and Technology Public Charter High School is one of the top schools in the area. I have been judging at this school for over 6 years.
To the Scientists of the Washington Math, Science and Technology Public Charter High School, congratulations!
Today we have seen a hundred experiments and projects and much new knowledge.
You have proven you can conceptualize, invent, overcome problems, and give the world answers.
The next time someone comes to you and asks you to do something you have never done before, you can say, “I know how to do that!” and you will be telling the truth, because you have shown you can figure things out, complete a project, and report your results.
Those are pretty important things to know how to do.
On behalf of the Washington Academy of Sciences, we welcome you to the community of scientists and salute your achievements.
Posts
It's been some time since I last posted to TTB. But, with family members in public education and seeing what is happening in Wisconsin, I understand the various sides of the issue.
ReplyDeletePutting politics aside (not a joke), and recognizing that technology now effects all aspects of education funding, perhaps it is time to examine solutions that more equitably address what reductions are available without impacting classrooms to the degrees that are being proposed.
We can re-hash all the reasons districts, states, and federally we’re in this mess, but all that does is waste time. Our children need to be educated to be able to compete in the global reality of not only today, but tomorrow.
Teachers too, need jobs. Moreover, classes can’t be overflowing because of across-the-board funding cuts. By taking advantage of systems that already exist in other countries, such as Canada, to manage funding could ensure those funds end up in the classroom.
In fact, I’m aware of a school district that saved over $8 million in staffing without impacting class-size. How is this possible? By working with “outside-the-box solutions that have a positive impact long after hurtful short-term funding decisions are made.
Politicians talk about “knowledge-based jobs” and the global economy. But, if we don’t use that knowledge and continue to make the wrong cuts because decision makers don’t have the tools and data they need, we are perpetuating a downward spiral.
We need more schools in technology in the United States. With India listed as the rising star in information technology, it makes me think what the heck happened to us?
ReplyDeleteI started in IT when it was Data Processing when I was a teenager in high school as a summer job. Little did I know that this is what I would love doing now - moving legacy systems to server platforms. It makes me laugh when a legacy program is younger than the ones I wrote in the 80's but I digress.
The U.S. has dropped science and technology in their core curriculum. The high schools let students slide by with easier classes, which they do to get a higher GPA. All this while we are left in the dust.
If I'm wrong, please correct me.
Randy
You're not wrong, Randy. I was listening to Clay Christensen who said entrepreneurs were more apt to come from homes where the parents had taken apart the toaster. We need to get people like that in our homes and schools. I am privileged to see students who are building and operating quite sophisticated machines. Some I've watched improve their projects over multiple years. All it takes is starting and then continuing.
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