Author: Mr. Bell

The profession of an educator has been one of isolation for too long. Teachers have worked mostly independently, in both their classroom and lesson planning. Over the past few decades, the tides have been slowly turning though with the role of educators and PLCs, collaboration, and teacher communities and associations are becoming more of the norm. The internet has brought educator creativity to Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers. Yet, despite all the efforts, there have still been more calls for working together.

Then over the past couple of weeks, the world changed with the outbreak of COVID-19. Isolation and social distancing became the norm. Teachers may have been one of the best-prepared professions for this. Working alone, at home and providing for students with educational and emotional support. Teachers are not doing this alone though. Resources have been shared all over the places. You can not scroll far on social mediane virtual meetings being held, and online-based resources being shared by the hundreds. Students are home learning with four weeks of printed off packets made in a matter of just hours. E-learning school is being hosted by teachers while taking care of their own families at home,  all at the same time.

One day soon this pandemic will be over with. How will this moment change education? Will the network of sharing resources, ideas, and practices continue? This may be the beginning of how education is done in the United State or change the way teachers work together. Whatever happens in the days, weeks and months after, be ready for a revolution in education, one of which is well overdue. The time is ripe for reform. May this not be the end or return to the same, but yet the beginning of something new.

On October 4^th, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the satellite Sputnik, the first-ever human-built object into space.  This event was a defining moment for the United States, in correlation with both the Cold War and the space race and has been referred to as a Sputnik Moment. Two months later, on December 6^th, 1957 the United States attempted to launch their first satellite into space but the fuel tanks on the rocket that was to send it in off the earth exploded. This became a moment of “science awakening” in the US, changing the course of science education.

 

Today, we look for the next Sputnik Moment, to change the direction of science education with policy, support and funding. There have been many moments that looked like they could be the next opportunity for us to change the course of science education. From the war on terror to climate change, to the most recent outbreak of Covid-19, which time could still tell if this is that moment. As large of an issue that climate change is across the world and the possibility that this could be that moment, it has not seemed to be the case, at least in the United States. While some believe we will not be able to engineer or science our way out this, there are ways that the field of STEM can slow down and perhaps reverse the effects of climate change. Investments in STEM fields and education can work to find alternatives to the damage that is being done. The response to Sputnik started with the work of the military but then progressed into the formation of NASA and involved over 400,000 people and 20,000 companies involved in the race to the moon. Every dollar spent on the program was spent right here on earth, as was every investment into STEM education. The same would be true with the issue of climate change. Any money spent to invest in renewable resources and protect life on our planet would be done so here on earth, benefiting the people of earth With the US withdraw from the Paris Climate accord we are getting left before in the issue of climate change, both financially and in aspects of infrastructure. Fighting climate change as the next Sputnik Moment would involve everyone, on every level and could change the direction of life on earth.

 

 

Resources:

Friedman, T.L. (2010, January 17). What’s our sputnik? [Op-Ed]. The New York Times [Late Edition (East Coast)].

 

Saadia, M. (2017, October 4). Is America facing another sputnik moment? The New Yorker. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/is-america-facing-another-sputnik-moment

 

Melina, R. (2010, December 7). What exactly is a ‘Sputnik Moment?’. Space.com. Retrieved from https://www.space.com/10437-sputnik-moment.html

 

Burke, S. & Squassoni, S. (2014, December 22). Why climate change isn’t a sputnik moment: military technology can’t innovate us out of this one. Slate.com Retrieved from https://slate.com/technology/2014/12/climate-change-isnt-a-sputnik-moment-why.html

 

Riley, C. (2009, July 1). The 400,000 strong backup team. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/jul/02/apollo-11-back-up-team