Science education is a floundering element of the United States educational system. Educators and science advocates are calling for change in the way this subject is taught to teachers and to students. Science lesson plans are lacking due to the scarce amount of resources available. When media options are made available, these plans can be given new life.
Those educators focused on science have argued that math and reading tests mandated by the federal government are taking valuable class time away from the necessary instruction science students so desperately need. There is hope that the new science testing under the NCLB will renew a healthy focus on this topic in the classroom.
The nation is facing a growing issue in terms of science performance as 82 percent of the nation's senior class performed below the proficient level on the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress. These disappointing results indicate this problem is bigger than once thought. There is hope, however, as teachers become more proficient in their creation of science lesson plans and media sources are readily available to enhance the curriculum.
It Starts in the Classroom
UC Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science and West Ed conducted a study in the spring of 2007 which found that 80 percent of teachers in San Francisco elementary schools spend 60 minutes or less on science education each week. One has to wonder how these teachers can expect their students to excel in a subject that is given so little time.
This situation is going on along with the loss in the arts. The Center in Education Policy found in 2007 that some school districts have increased the amount of time they spend on math and reading education by more than two hours per week. This increase is in lieu of time for science, social studies, music and art. Science lesson plans are being cut to make room for other subjects.
Is Change Coming?
More and more educators and policy makers are recognizing the loss in science education and are trying to make a change. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) announced a $43 million, five-year program to create a national Center for Science Education (CSE).
This initiative is expected to promote science literacy and produce the next generation of standards in science education. The CSE will also create a state-of-the-art facility to allow science educators throughout the country to participate in leadership and content-based learning opportunities.
Programs are popping up all over the country that are designed to improve the science education available to students today. With such programs in place, teachers can hope to create science lesson plans that deliver value, even if time in the classroom is limited.
Teachers can also improve upon these science lesson plans with the use of educational videos designed to introduce students to new concepts and methods for conducting scientific experiments and research. Not every student will find the subject of science engaging, but these videos can go a long way to grab their interest by taking the subject to a whole new level.
The small company I work for is committed to creating quality educational videos for classroom instruction. From the earliest script stages, all subject area content, images, and music are intensely reviewed and selected for meeting appropriate grade level, curriculum objectives and standards for our proprietary productions. The videos we distribute are also screened to meet our high standards.
Teachers in the 21st century classroom will be better educators if they understand how to use multi media in their lessons, if they understand the processes that research has shown to be the most effective for improved student performance, and if they know how to find quality video resources that will enhance their lessons.
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