Once we learn how nature works, we can develop new technologies that are the basis of new industries and jobs. We must get the message across that everyone can understand and contribute to the scientific process and benefit from technological advances. We need to reach out to all of our current students to make them feel the excitement of doing science. Effort is needed to reach out to those teaching at the K-12 level to make sure they have the ability and support to get and keep students interested in science and mathematics. I believe that the best way to motivate students is to give them hands on experience.
Laboratories do make a difference.
We are challenged to develop laboratories that allow students to be involved with discovery, not simply to demonstrate some fact or theory that we are trying to describe. Without the laboratory experience, it is very difficult for students to make the connection between the information we give them and the process we use to obtain the information. Without experiencing the process of discovery, they cannot understand why a scientific discovery reported one week, may contradict the discovery reported the week before and why it may take years before a discovery is turned into a practical solution to a problem. In order to become more involved in science education, l have recently switched my career path from one entirely devoted to research, to combining teaching and research at Skidmore College. The first and most important thing I can do to become a leader in science education is to listen to students, faculty colleagues, and administrators and to reflect on my own experience to see if new ideas for reaching out to students can be developed in a cost effective manner.