INFORMAL SCIENCE Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley
Featured News:
Wouldn’t It Be Cool If…
Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds and i.am FIRST have launched the Wouldn’t It Be Cool If… contest. Kids ages 10-15 are invited to submit a cool idea powered by math or science to make the world “more awesome.” Finalists will get to pitch their ideas to will.i.am, Dean Kamen, and others.
2012-2013 Noyce Leadership Institute Fellows announced
The Noyce Foundation, in collaboration with the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), announced the participants for its fifth round of yearlong leadership fellowships. The Noyce Leadership Institute (NLI) brings together leaders in informal science education from around the world to act as change agents at the crossroads of societal trends, global issues, and the cutting edge of science. Through their NLI Fellowship experience, 18 senior-level executives from science centers, children’s museums, natural history museums, and field-based institutions will gain access to knowledge, tools, promising practices, and professional networks that increase their capacity to lead effectively and to advance innovation in their own institutions, in their home communities, and in the broader field. Click here for the list of the 18 Fellows and their Sponsors. In addition, the Foundation recently approved funding for a sixth cohort of Fellows for a 2013-2014 program. Recruitment efforts for that program will begin in May 2012.
Science Beyond the Classroom
In Science Beyond the Classroom: Critical to New York’s Future, The After-School Corporation (TASC) and the New York State Afterschool Network argue that high-quality science learning outside the traditional classroom is critical to young people’s success. New York’s educators can draw on many resources to provide rigorous, interdisciplinary, hands-on science learning in schools, community centers, museums, parks and other venues. The brief outlines practical steps to make it accessible throughout New York State.
Pathways to Prosperity
This report released by the Pathways to Prosperity Project led by Harvard University’s Robert Schwartz, examines the reasons for our failure to prepare so many young people to lead successful lives as adults, and advances an exciting vision for how the US might regain the leadership in educational attainment it had for a over a century. Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century contends that our national strategy for education and youth development has been too narrowly focused on an academic, classroom-based approach. It is now clear that this strategy has produced only incremental gains in achievement and attainment, even as many other nations are leapfrogging the United States. In response, the report advocates development of a comprehensive pathways network to serve youth in high school and beyond.
Where’s the Octopus?
An astonishing video on camouflage from Science Friday.
4-H Science in Urban Communities - Promising Practices Guide
4-H Youth Development professionals from across the country contributed to the development of this guide, which includes promising practices, case studies, and suggested resources in each of 15 content areas – all with a focus on expanding the quality and quantity of out-of school science programming.
Gabe Lyon named one of 6 Chicagoans of the Year
Project Exploration Founder and Senior Explorer Gabrielle Lyon was one of six “heroes” selected by Chicago magazine for the 2011 Chicagoans of the year. Gabe started Project Exploration in 1999 to bring the wonders of science and discovery to students of color and girls overlooked by traditional science education efforts. You can read the article and see a video of Gabe here.
National Girls Collaborative Project collaboration conference report
The National Girls Collaborative Project led a Collaboration Conference to bring together organizations throughout the United States that are committed to informing and encouraging girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Collaboration Conference was an opportunity for these organizations to connect and learn from each other and national experts. The conference report is available here.
Google celebrates Robert Noyce's birthday with a Doodle on December 12, 2011.
See the related article in the Washington Post.
We are indebted to Steve Jobs for creating technologies that have revolutionized the way children learn.
Steve Jobs and Bob Noyce, circa 1988
News About Noyce Foundation Grantees:
Techbridge Featured on NewsHour and in Education Week
Techbridge, the afterschool science and engineering program for girls, was featured on PBS NewsHour last month as part of its series highlighting solutions to the dropout issue. You can view the nine-minute video here, which follows one Techbridge student, Ebony, in her school, afterschool, and home life. Techbridge was also recently featured in EdWeek in the article “ Out-of-School Time Drawing Girls Into STEM.”
The Girl Scout pictured above participated in Techbridge’s “Engineers to the Rescue” program through her Girl Scout troop, designing water filters, wind-powered cranks, a message-carrying car, and safe shelter for the troop’s (make-believe) camping trip in Yellowstone National Park.
Strengthening Science Education: The Power of More Time to Deepen Inquiry and Engagement
The National Center on Time & Learning released its case studies on science in expanded learning time schools. Hands-on learning, student engagement with science, partnerships with businesses and community organizations, and connections to careers are highlighted at the five high-poverty schools studied. The Noyce Foundation supported the production and dissemination of the report, which has received substantial press coverage, including in EdWeek’s blog by Eric Robelen. Read the executive summary and full report here.
EdWeek published a special report, "Science Learning Outside the Classroom." As concern mounts that U.S. students lack sufficient understanding of science and related fields, it has become increasingly clear that schools can’t tackle the challenge alone. This special report explores the field often called “informal science education,” which is gaining broader recognition for its role in helping young people acquire scientific knowledge and skills. Opportunities abound outside the classroom to learn about science, and to inspire a passion for it. Zoos and science museums, robotics clubs, science competitions, and online games are just a few of the options to engage American youths. Education Week reporters examine what informal science education looks like in practice, and what we know about its impact, its potential, and the challenges it faces. The report was sponsored by the Noyce Foundation.
Science Buddies, the online science fair resource for students and teachers, received a Science Prize for Online Resources in Education (SPORE) by AAAS and the journal Science. The essay "Science Buddies: Advancing Informal Science Education" written by Science Buddies founder Ken Hess and published in Science shows how Science Buddies helps students choose an appropriate project, guides students appropriately, and connects students with scientists for online advice. In 2010, 9.8 million unique individuals visited the Science Buddies website . The Noyce Foundation has supported Science Buddies during 2009-2011 to develop science career profiles connected to science fair projects as well as to create engineering project resources.
Amidst the recent flow of discouraging reports on science and math achievement among US school children, a new study shows that it is, in fact, possible to boost outcomes and career aspirations in science for urban teenagers at the highest risk of being left behind. Based on surveys and interviews with students who have participated over the last 10 years in Chicago-based Project Exploration's out-of-school time (OST) science programs, researchers found that: • 95% have graduated high school or are on track to graduate, nearly double the overall rate of Chicago Public Schools; • 60% of students enrolled in a four-year college are pursuing degrees in science, technology, education and math - STEM-related - fields; • 60% of students who graduated college graduated with a degree in a STEM-related field. The 10-year longitudinal study of Project Exploration alumni by evaluators from the Center for Research, Evaluation, and Assessment (REA) at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley validates the impact of the non-profit's model of providing highly personalized, hands-on learning with working scientists in after-school and summer programs. Learn more about the study here.
Robot origami, science fairs, and zombie ants – these and other captivating science stories for youth are featured at TalkingScience, a project of Science Friday Initiative. TalkingScience uses new media technologies and live events to create public platforms for youth and educators to discuss and understand the latest scientific discoveries, innovations, and controversies. Teachers should also check out the Teachers’ TalkingScience section, home to video resources and companion lesson plans developed by the New York Hall of Science.
The Science Career Ladder, created in 1986, is the New York Hall of Science’s hallmark program that uses students, middle school through undergraduate, as floor staff and Explainers to interpret exhibits. The model combines youth development and youth employment, giving young people increasing levels of responsibility, pay, and skill through a rigorous system of training and assessment. The Explainers model inquiry to the public and engage all ages in the content and process of science. Between 150 and 200 young people participate at any given time, about 90 percent of whom are minorities. Evaluations have found that the Science Career Ladder has powerful impacts on the Explainers and the New York Hall of Science itself. Of more than 2,500 alumni, 98% have completed college and 60% have gone into STEM careers, far exceeding local, state, and national percentages. Learn more about the Science Career Ladder in the New York Hall of Science’s report on the program from 1986-2010.
Program in Education, Afterschool & Resiliency (PEAR), a Harvard University-McLean Hospital team led by Dr. Gil Noam, has launched the Assessment Tools in Informal Science website, an online resource designed to help practitioners, evaluators, researchers, and policymakers select instruments to assess science learning and child outcomes in out-of-school programs. The site includes reviews and ratings by practitioners who are using these tools. The site will be continuously updated in collaboration with youth development researchers at 4-H.
News About Friends of the Noyce Foundation:
Noyce Trustee Phil Daro was one of the lead writers of the Common Core State Standards in mathematics. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce. You can read more about the Common Core State Standards here.
Uri Treisman, Noyce senior advisor, and Dennis Bartels, head of grantee The Exploratorium, are serving on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). PCAST’s recent report, “Prepare and Inspire: K-12 Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) for America’s Future” acknowledges the importance of out-of-school STEM experiences in engaging kids with science. The report makes the case that to increase the STEM pipeline, kids will need to be engaged and interested in STEM, as well as needing STEM skills and knowledge.
Trustee Penny Noyce spoke at the Iowa Science and Mathematics Teacher Educators Summit 2010 at Grinnell College, a convening on Iowa’s need for exemplary teachers of science and mathematics, and how all of Iowa’s programs can work together toward that common goal. Download the PowerPoint of her keynote address, “Grand Challenges and Inspiration: Lighting the Fire in the Next Generation.”
Noyce Foundation Areas of Interest:
Reversing the Swing from Science: Implications from a Century of Research
A review of research on how to increase student interest in science was prepared by Cary Sneider of Portland State University for the ITEST convening “Advancing Research on Youth Motivation in STEM” in September. Findings consistent across multiple studies include: student attitudes are malleable; age 8-13 is a critical period for influencing youth; students who like science get turned off in school; and engaging teaching methods can make a difference for students. You can download the paper here.
The 95 Percent Solution: School Is Not Where Most Americans Learn Most of Their Science
It is common knowledge that U.S. students have fallen behind in the acquisition of science knowledge and that the necessary solution is greater investment and better practices in our schools. But is better schooling really the solution? Drawing on a large base of research, John Falk and Lynn Dierking demonstrate that by the time U.S. citizens are young adults, they are better informed about science than their international peers; that the most important sources of scientific knowledge are not schools; and that the informal infrastructure of museums, aquariums, broadcast programming and other sources of science exposure, with which the United States is richly endowed, is a far more potent source of public understanding of science than has been previously acknowledged. Download Falk and Dierking’s article in Nov/Dec 2010 American Scientist here.
Science for All: What do Our Kids Say?
How do we interest more children in science – particularly those who come from communities not well served by classroom, informal, after-school, or summer science programs? The Noyce Foundation partnered with Techbridge, the World Café Community Foundation, and Youth Radio to host a series of conversations on science with 7th and 8th graders from Edendale Middle School in San Lorenzo, California. Highlights of these conversations can be seen in the video “Science for All: What Do Our Kids Say?” The video was created as part of the Noyce Foundation’s efforts to encourage science in afterschool programs which offer a safe, hands-on setting for kids to explore science ideas in ways that aren’t possible in school. The video illustrates what youth think about science and what would turn them on to learning science. The accompanying “conversation guide” was developed by the project partners to share what they learned about creating similar conversations with youth that could be used as a way to help invite and motivate youth to become more engaged in science activities and learning in and out of school.
Why we sponsor out-of-school science: Elementary students love hands-on science, but it’s increasingly squeezed out of the school year to make room for math and language arts. In “Making Science Elementary,” the Boston Globe shares the story of Boston elementary schools struggling to find time for science in the school day.
“A Priority for California’s Future: Science for Students,” a report by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning based on public opinion research, finds that Californians believe science education should be a priority for the state’s schools and want it to be taught early and more often. Key findings of Californians’ views on what should be done to strengthen science education include: • More than eight out of ten Californians surveyed say that middle and high school science teachers should have extra preparation and special training. More than half say that elementary teachers also should have more preparation and training; • Seven in ten think that more resources and better equipment would make a big difference in science education; and • Roughly six in ten say more time spent on science would be effective at the high school (63% big difference) and middle school (57%) grades. Nearly half (45%) say more time on science education would make a big difference in the lower grades.
Pathways Report: Dead Ends and Wrong Turns on the Path Through Algebra
This report by Steve Waterman, educational consultant and former superintendent of Brisbane and Bayshore school districts, reflects on the implications of a study that examines the progression of students in several Bay Area school districts as they proceed from eighth to ninth grade math classes. The findings indicate that students and their parents face a bewildering array of course titles, that many students – even those who are successful – repeat Algebra, that repeating Algebra is not certain to yield better grades in ninth grade, and that placement decisions are correlated to ethnicity and parent education, but not gender. The study was funded by the Noyce Foundation.
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