The lack of interest among America's youth to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related fields is well documented, and trying to encourage and engage students, especially young women, to become interested in science and math fields is a growing concern. Seventy-five percent of students who excel in science and math do not pursue a STEM degree in college. Today women make up almost half the U.S. workforce, but only 24 percent of them work in STEM related jobs1. It is estimated that by 2018, there will be more than 1.4 million American computing jobs open with only 29 percent of those positions expected to be filled by U.S. graduates2.
One solution to the challenge of inspiring more young minds to be interested in STEM subjects and careers is through the educational content and services of public media. Public media has a long history of providing educational programming and classroom tools for children and teachers. From the very beginning, with Sesame Street in 1969, to Square One Television in the late 80s, and today's SciGirls, science, technology, engineering, and math educational content have always been high priorities to public media stations and producers. Today increasing numbers of public media stations are producing their own STEM related content for their communities.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, WFYI produces Indiana Expeditions with Rick Crosslin, an educational science show for kids, grades 3-8. Crosslin — a former Christa McAuliffe Fellow and recipient of the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award — helps viewers relate STEM in their communities to the STEM disciplines that they are learning in the classroom.
There is no “junk science” in Indiana Expeditions — the show meets the state's science education standards and is endorsed by Dr. Tony Bennett, Indiana's Superintendent of Public Instruction. According to Clayton Taylor, Vice President, Production, “The show has been well-received by both the public and by educators, and has been featured in several statewide conferences of the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers, Inc. (HASTI). Rick is received like a rock star in his many public appearances. We have discovered that adults mention that they enjoy the programs as much as children.”
Learning and fun go hand-in-hand on the show. Past episodes include a real-life dinosaur dig, sports examples to understand the laws of motion, and an episode about density, in which Crosslin wears a swimsuit made out of full Diet Coke cans to test his hypothesis that he would float — he did.
Crosslin, who in addition to hosting Indiana Expeditions, serves as the science coordinator at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, believes in getting hands-on with learning, “Science is for everybody and demands that we get involved. Indiana Expeditions is about science that is accessible for all of us to try ourselves," says Crosslin.
To expand on the lessons taught on Indiana Expeditions, Crosslin and WFYI created a website with online extras to make classroom learning more fun and engaging for both teachers and students. The site includes podcasts of every episode and teacher extras, including lesson plans tied to each show and illustrated transcripts. Additionally, WFYI is loading Indiana Expeditions into PBS Learning Media.
In 2011, Duke Energy Indiana awarded WFYI more than $7,500 to distribute DVD sets of Indiana Expeditions free of charge to every elementary and middle school in the state. The two-disk DVD set includes a supplemental “Teacher Toolkit” which contains classroom resources that complement each program episode.
In the community, Crosslin — who has a special partnership with Wayne Township Schools — uses Indiana Expeditions content as a centerpiece for science lessons he creates for elementary students throughout the district. He also uses the show as a training tool for teachers. Crosslin works directly with the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) on presentations and has hosted science nights, science fair presentations, and speaking engagements featuring Indiana Expeditions around the state.
Indiana Expeditions with Rick Crosslin has won six Emmy Awards, about a half-dozen "Best in Indiana" Awards for Science and Environmental reporting, received national recognition through the Milken Foundation, and in 2010 earned the My Source Education Innovation award from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting.
WHRO in Norfolk, Virginia, is bringing technology to teachers through training seminars where teachers learn skills they can use to integrate technology into daily classroom lessons and activities.
Bringing technology into the classroom is nothing new to WHRO; in the mid-1980s the station created Tech Trek in response to the need for schools to take a strategic look at integrating technology into daily classroom practice. Almost 30 years later, Tech Trek is still bringing new technology to students and teachers.
“The emphasis back then was video and computers. We made it mandatory that participating schools send a team consisting of the principal and at least two pioneers to the training who could go back and act as change agents,” says Brian Callahan, Chief Education Officer at WHRO-TV. “Obviously things have changed since then and we now focus on all technologies, content creation, and project-based learning — and we don't require teams. We've always leaned toward Science and Mathematics but the real focus is Technology in all subject areas.”
Today Tech Trek training includes spreadsheets, databases, multimedia presentation tools, and the use of Internet and HTML document development in the classroom.
For more technically advanced teachers, WHRO offers Tech Trek: The Next Generation. Research shows that 87 percent of students are either visual or physical learners. Students need to see and be hands-on involved in their learning. Through multi-media teachers can develop materials for all learning styles.
In Tech Trek: The Next Generation teachers learn how to create those multimedia presentations that incorporate digital video, animation, and sound, as well as editing and digital audio production for original podcasts.
Additional topics include advanced uses of databases and spreadsheets integrating real-time data. With technology changing on an almost daily basis, Tech Trek: the Next Generation also updates teachers on how to use new and emerging technologies such as wireless networking, podcasting, blogs, streaming video and mobile devices.
In August of last year, WHRO hosted American Graduate Tech Trek. The weeklong technology camp exposed local teachers to using digital literacy and media development in the classroom. While at the camp, each teacher created a project to take back to their classroom.
Through professional development for teachers and by providing them with digital skills and multi-media teaching tools, whether it is a TV program or a podcast, being able to keep students engaged, curious, and excited about STEM is one way public media stations can help inspire more young students to pursue STEM subjects and careers.