« Back to NewsLOCAL EDUCATOR INVITED TO CAPITOL HILL TO DELIVER THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF STEM EDUCATION

National Institute of Aerospace Educator In Residence, Sharon Bowers, featured second from right.

Washington, D.C. - - On March 21, 2012 The Harris Foundation (THF), with support from ExxonMobil, hosted an Education Forum on Capitol Hill that brought together award-winning educators, policy makers, business leaders, and Hampton Road's resident, Sharon Bowers. The conversation, presented as a moderated panel discussion, and featured as a National Forum on STEM Education, was the first nationally highlighted component of the Harris Foundation’s “Listening to America” tour.  Similar Education Forums are hosted in major cities across the nation to bring discussions on the state of education, education policy, and opportunities to create STEM literate citizens of tomorrow to local communities. 

Bowers, a Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) teacher and Educator in Residence at the National Institute of Aerospace’s (NIA) Center for Integrative STEM Education (CISE) was present in her role as faculty with the Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teacher’s Academy (MEMTA). 

“It was an opportunity to draw attention to the importance of teacher professional development in the STEM education,” Bowers said of the Forum. “One of CISE’s areas of expertise is the development and implementation of exemplary professional development, particularly for elementary and middle school math and science teachers,” she explained.

CISE Educators at NIA have managed the Pre-Service Teacher Institute (PSTI) on behalf of NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) for over five years and have recently expanded to conduct teacher training seminars and workshops for the American Air Force Academy (AAFA) and Regent University in Virginia Beach. Bowers is currently developing and will teach five graduate level courses for McDaniel College (Westminster, MD) for their STEM Elementary Education Certificate. 

Other panelists included, Dr. Steven J. Robinson of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Dr. Patricia Simmons of the National Science Teachers Association, Larry Harlan with Exxon Mobil, Dr. Linda P. Rosen of Change the Equation, and Yohance Maquelba with the Howard University Middle School. 

“All of the panelists agreed that teacher professional development is important to the success of STEM education.  Many also stressed the need to get businesses and organization’s involved in the classroom in constructive ways,” continued Bowers. 

“An unintended consequence of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) for some schools is that science education is not being taught. Because NCLB focuses on math and reading, in many classrooms across the country science was has dropped in importance, ” explains Bowers. She states that STEM education is much more than the four content areas.  , “Its not just about the content, but also the process skills such as critical thinking, creative thinking, and collaboration inherent to STEM education." 

“The new science standards include a strand of engineering. This is wonderful to really introduce students to authentic STEM, but may be difficult for teachers who are unprepared for this new direction,",” warned Bowers. 

The Bernard Harris brought the Forum to Capitol Hill so that these voices could be heard at the national level, where many educational initiatives begin. Bowers and the other panelists agreed that the time for reform  may have passed and the time for revolution in education policy and implementation may be upon us.“STEM literacy is critical for all  kids, Bowers urged.  "And teachers deserve to be well prepared to deliver STEM content through inquiry and design-based learning. Our students must be STEM literate to compete for jobs and have productive lives. Not a single career or job in our students' futures will not somehow connect to STEM. 

The Harris Foundation (THF) is a non-profit organization based in Houston, Texas that believes that success in the 21^st century can only be achieved by a population well-served in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). 

For more information, visit www.theharrisfoundation.org

The Mickelson Exxon Mobil Academy is a one-week professional development opportunity for teachers that aim to enhance grade appropriate mathematics and science content knowledge, demonstrate the interrelationship between scientific inquiry and mathematics, increase understanding of mathematic tools and highlight connections to science concepts while modeling best practices in teaching and learning. Mickelson Academy Faculty are chosen by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Math Solutions.

For more information, visit http://mickelson.nsta.org

The National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) is a non-profit graduate education, research and development, institution that is a strategic partner of NASA Langley Research Center, both in Hampton, Virginia. 

For more information, visit www.nianet.org

The Center for Integrative STEM Education (CISE) at the National Institute of Aerospace is a collaborative of award-winning Educators, Project Manager, and Media Specialists, who employ emerging technologies and best practices in education to deliver unique, custom developed, products for the K-12 education spectrum and beyond. 

For more information, visit www.nia-cise.org