Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are the essentials for a better future. June 13, 2014 the scientific method, and problem solving abilities are needed in almost every job across the fields. With this wide-ranging lexicon of knowledge, your children can improve the world while working at their dream job. There is a broad range of job opportunities in the STEM fields, giving your kids a higher possibility of getting a job after college. Additionally, there is a surplus of available jobs within the science and engineering fields We must encourage todays youth to pursue the STEM fields in order to create a better world for the future. Anyone can impact the whole world through inventions and innovation, but it is crucial to understand the math and science behind them. It is often said that those in the STEM fields are the "drivers of the 21st century" and thats because new developments and improvements are constantly shaping the world for a better future. Majors in the STEM fields are known as the often known as the Swiss Army Knife majors because of the collective skills acquired while studying them. The fundamental skills learned during the training for a STEM career such as basic math, the basics of By Stephen OConnor Why should you listen to me? Donec sit amet arcu. Growing up, I was your average kid who wanted to go outside and play wiffleball and then go inside to play Gameboy and as most kids are, I was fascinated in the unknown. Magic tricks, dinosaurs, and playing with my parents new digital camera put a smile on my face no matter what. I was not a child prodigy; I have always had trouble reading, and in middle school I got straight Cs in math and science. As my parents started realizing my general curiosity of the world, they started seamlessly integrating learning experiences more and more into my daily life. Little did I know, the frequent trips to the museum of science and the Christmas gifts, such as LEGOs and construction computer games, were a result of me potentially expressing an interest in science or engineering. It became a cycle of positive reinforcement between my parents and me, yet I was completely unaware of it. As my interest for the sciences grew, my parents encouragement grew even more. In high school, when my parents would ask about my academics, I would always start with the demonstration that my chemistry teacher made or the natural phenomena I discovered in physics class. Specifically, they recognized my interest in chemistry and they encouraged me to take the advanced placement chemistry class my senior year, although I had barely taken any honors level classes before. I struggled through the class, but whenever I was upset about it, my parents advised me to talk to my teacher. Little did I know, at the parent teacher conferences, my parents would tell my teacher how interested I was and how hard I tried, and they asked him to help me persevere. One day, my teacher asked me to stay after class to talk and he told me that he believed that I was extremely intelligent and I could do anything I want if I applied myself. He then continued to ask me what I want to do in the future and after telling him what I am interested in, he told me to think about trying chemical engineering. Three years later, I am attending Northeastern University majoring in chemical engineering with a dual minor in physics and mathematics. I have loved every second of my time studying engineering, and I couldnt see myself doing anything else. I tell you this, not to brag, but to show you that anyone can do what I have with just a bit of encouragement and motivation. With a nudge or a poke here and there, inspiration can spark.
Imagine What Your Kid Can Do! If your kid is interested in: Videogames, they can make videogames themselves Sports, they can make a new faster and lighter shoe to wear. Photography, they can make better cameras or other imaging machines. Hacking computers, they can be a legal hacker. Cars and racing, they can engineer faster cars. Airplanes, they can design more aerodynamic aircrafts. Riding bikes, they can create faster and lighter bicycles. Music, they can create the perfect concert hall. Smart phones, they can create applications. Humanitarian work, they can supply the world with clean water. Gadgets, they can make artificial limbs.
With your help, your kids can pursue their passion, while improving our world. Inform your kids about what they can do and encourage them to do what they love.
Other Resources: 1. STEM Career - www.stemcareer.com 2. National STEM Centre - www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk 3. National Academy of Engineering - www.nae.edu/Projects/iSTEM/113355.aspx 4. Discover Science and Engineering Youtube Page - www.youtube.com/user/DSEvideo/videos 5. STEM Jobs of the Future Youtube Page - www.youtube.com/user/STEMJobsOfTheFuture/about How Can I Get My Kids Interested? 3. Perform experiments with your kids for fun. Remember when you made the cardboard volcano erupt with vinegar and baking soda? And who didn't go wild eyed after popping a Mentos into a coke bottle? Research and share information about jobs that relate to your kid's interests. Keep your ears open for interesting science and technology related stories and share them with your kids. Breakfast can be a great time as it gives them something interesting to daydream about during downtime on the bus, at recess, or during lunch. Visiting a science museum, discovery center, or even a construction site can be a great way to spark interest in technology and learning. Science museums often have learning centers that engage your kids curiosity through experimentation and discovery. 2. 1. Encourage your kid to attend local or state science and technology conferences or to watch TED talks to learn about current studies and inventions in science and technology. Tips For Elementary School Kids: 2. 1. Tips For Middle and High School Kids: Context Note (Im sorry it is below the article, I couldnt figure out an easy way to put it above it.)
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to encourage parents to inspire their kids to indulge in the STEM career paths. Almost everyone who reads a newspaper would know the importance of the STEM careers and they do not need to be told the facts time after time, so I gave a very brief overview of the reasons for encouraging STEM careers. I follow this with a personal story of how my parents played a role in helping me find my interest in STEM. I then give some ways for parents to connect their kids interests to the STEM fields as well as some ways to get their children interested. In order to keep the audiences attention, I gave them advice on how they could go about getting their children interested in the STEM fields rather than bombarding the audience with reasons why STEM is important.
Audience: This document is a newspaper article published in the Family/Lifestyle section of The Boston Globe. I chose The Boston Globe because its audience has a wide variety of parents from all social economic statuses. The article is intended for the parents of high school students who are thinking of or are getting ready for college, but it does not exclude those who have younger kids. There is advice for parents with elementary school kids as well. All parents want the same thing for their kids and that is success and happiness. Happiness is the main focus of parents, but an article from a college student is most likely not the most effective way to help parents make their children happy, so I have focused on their success. I would expect almost all parents to read this article due to the fact that they want the best for their children. This is a very short and easy to read article, so even the busiest of parents would have enough time to read it. The most likely readers are parents of juniors and seniors in high school because they are actively trying to find good colleges and majors for their kids.
Persona: The tone of this article is friendly and encouraging. I use an optimistic voice using words like improving and informing to give the audience the sense that they can make the change. The article contains bright colors and pictures of happy kids to create a relaxed and cheerful mood. I used longer (maybe medium) sentences that flow into each other to make the article less bland and easier to read.
Response Letter:
Thank you to my peer reviewers. I took your input to heart and I believe I have made a more powerful article with your help. After reviewing Christens comments about the content of my article, I decided to publish my article in the Boston Globe rather than the Wellesley Townsend because the audience I would get from the Wellesley Townsend would already have a good sense of why encouraging STEM careers. Although the purpose does say that there isnt much reasoning for encouragement, I believe that my article will be more effective for the Boston Globes audience. Also, both Christen and Sean commented on the advice I gave to the parents being different from the intended age group of the children. So, I decided to include the parents of all age groups (elementary through high school) because there is no reason for them to not start early. Sean also commented on the fact that the list of ways to get kids interested seemed to be out of place, so I tried to change up the layout to make it more practical. - Steve OConnor