she blinded me with... part II

A couple of weeks back we posted on the topic of science and its quickly decaying image among youth here and abroad. The inherent problem is in how kids are educated, and Seed Magazine posted a nice summary today of two recent studies on science education in the U.S.

Throwing money at the problem won't necessarily help children become more interested, we need to change how science is taught:

"A way to improve science teaching is to tell the stories behind the facts, says Ursula Goodenough, professor of biology at Washington University in St. Louis. As part of a team of six scientists, Goodenough reviewed the science curriculums in all 50 states, concluding that teachers need to emphasize the historical narrative of science and focus more on interdisciplinary connections.

'Students go into science classes and hear about cells one day and atoms another day, but lack any opportunity for integrating these understandings into larger contexts,' she said.

By changing the way educators teach and weaving together various fields into a coherent picture of scientific discovery, Goodenough believes schools can do a better job of keeping students interested."

This storytelling idea is intriguing because we've all been hearing about brands and storytelling for quite a while now, and this method does make perfect sense as the way to talk to kids about science. Stories capture the imagination of us all, and especially the minds of children.

On a semi-related note, is there a better last name out there than Goodenough?