What We're Reading

Survey reveals potential innovation gap in the U.S.....

MIT researchers have released study results of the Lemelson MIT Invention Index, which guages innovation aptitude in young adults, revealing that 60% of respondents identified at least one barrier to pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields as career choices. On the other hand, 80% of those respondents expressed interest in courses that "would help them become more creative and innovative."  Given the ongoing emphasis at federal and state levels to encourage STEM careers and workforce development, this study uncovers opportunities for the STEM education community to more richly tap the well of personal inventiveness for inspiring STEM interest...

"...80 percent said they'd be interested in courses that would help them become more inventive and creative."

MIT press release: Survey reveals potential innovation gap in the U.S....

Related Huffington Post article: Youth unlikely to pursue science, technology, engineering jobs, survey finds

 

Thanks to John W. Moore at ChemEd DL, University of Wisconsin, for giving us the heads-up on these articles.

How Do We Identify Good Ideas?

Interesting article from Wired Science Blogs/Frontal Cortex:  How Do We Identify Good Ideas? by Jonah Lehrer:  "I've always been fascinated by the failures of genius" - what enables good self-editing? The article cites a new study by Simone Ritter at the Netherlands Radboud University to explore this question - and its the activity of the unconscious mind, in addition to solid reflection.

'Adrift' in Adulthood: critical thinking capacity strongly influences later success

A Chronicle of Higher Education article comments on a report titled Documenting Uncertain Times: Postgraduate Transitions of the Academically Adrift Cohort, by Richard Arum (New York University), released at the annual meeting of the Association of Colleges and Universities.  The report further expands on issues contained in a book titled Academically Adrift, released in early 2011. 

See full article: 'Adrift' in Adulthood: Students Who Struggled in College Find Life Harsher After Graduation

Concord Consortium snags Google grant....

NSDL collection partner Concord Consortium has been awarded a Google grant for digital curricula building around the Molecular Workbench:  

"This funding will increase access to the organization’s award-winning Molecular Workbench software and curriculum. Students using browser-based devices will be able to study the science of atoms and molecules by experimenting with sophisticated computational models and collect real-time data via probes and sensors. These activities will form examples of next-generation—deeply digital—curricula."

Congratulations, Concord Consortium!

NSDL: one of the essential Twitter feeds....

...one of the 50 Essential Twitter Feeds for STEM Educators by bestcollegesonline.com.....

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