STEM Education Through the Eyes of a STEM Student

As a child, I grew up thinking that I had to become a doctor, lawyer, athlete or scientist. Little did I know there were many opportunities available to me, especially in the sciences. The scientific field has expanded extensively over the past decade. Being a scientist no longer involves simply hovering over a microscope and lab bench anymore. A STEM education provides students with a plethora of skills suited to new developing career opportunities available in STEM fields. It is my belief that continued funding of STEM education is necessary to encourage the participation of students in careers in the STEM field.

I’ve been lucky enough to grow up in the Newton Public School system for all my life. Newton Public Schools are a very strong advocate of STEM education. Growing up in the Newton Public School system has provided me with many opportunities to discover an interest in the sciences.

I remember in elementary school, the highlight of my school year was always our annual school-sponsored trip to the Museum of Science in Boston. One year, I even slept over at the Museum of Science on a Newton sponsored student engagement trip. I remember thinking that was the coolest thing ever, and just wanting to live in a science museum for all of my life.

In middle school, the Science Club for Girls visited and encouraged all the girls to pursue a career in the sciences. I thought all the women running it were the most powerful and gung-ho women ever and I wanted to grow up to be just like them, pursuing a career in a mostly men dominated field.

In high school, my AP Biology class went to visit the Broad Institute and actually got to use their labs to learn how to run gels and do DNA analysis. We also spoke to other researchers that worked there and learned how they got into the field. I remember being fascinated by the research they were doing. The research they were doing sounded unreal, almost like science fiction.

Every experience provided to me by my school system has definitely shaped and influenced who I have become as a student and what I want to do with my career. Without being exposed to those experiences, I would have never discovered my love for the sciences and my desire to spread science education to those unfortunate enough to not have been provided with the opportunities that I was as a student.

As I mentioned before, it is my belief that STEM education continues to be supported and pursued by the education system. Although I believe that the purpose of STEM Education should not be to convince students to pursue a career in the STEM field but rather to provide students with the opportunity to discover for themselves what career path they want to pursue. Being provided opportunities to be exposed to the STEM field is essential to developing a personal interest in the field. STEM Education should continue to be supported by the government but in the interest of fostering an independent interest in the sciences. 

I am currently an undergraduate at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst pursuing a Biology/Psychology Major with an Education Minor.

Written by: Daryl Choa

Is the Iceman a Real Life Superhero?

Wim “Iceman” Hof possesses the ability to control his body through just the power of his mind. He currently holds 18 world records for his daredevil activities including being immersed in an ice bath for 1 hour, 13 minutes and 48 seconds. His superpower abilities come into play when Hof is able to keep his core temperature at a steady rate during the entire immersion and his heart rate remains constant.

Hof has continuously stunned science and medicine by mentally controlling his body’s thermostat which prevents his body from entering the hypothermia state. The Iceman also ran a half marathon above the polar circle in negative 35 degree temperatures, barefoot, and wearing only a pair of shorts. Is he a real life superhero? Hof possesses abnormal abilities to keep him-self alive and unharmed in extreme circumstances, and he has mastered the art of mind over matter.

Ancient Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Found in Isolated Cave

Michael Nichols/National Geographic/Getty Images

 

Microbiologists have uncovered multiple strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria on the walls of the Lachuguilla cave system, which is part of New Mexico’s Carlsbad Cavern National Park. Located deep beneath the earth’s surface the bacteria have been isolated from the rest of the world for an estimated 4 to 7 million years. In fact the area is so difficult to access researchers had to camp while collecting samples.

Even though the bacteria have never encountered modern medicine a majority of strains were resistant to antibiotics. Researcher Gerry Wright and his colleagues from McMaster infectious disease isolated 93 strains with seventy percent able to resist three or four, and a few strains were resistant to an array of 14 different types of antibiotics including newer synthetic ones.  The results implicate that resistance is not man-made, researchers have suggested that “bacteria in the cave may have evolved to produce antibiotic compounds to outcompete other bacteria in a harsh environment with limited resources”. Gerry Wright adding “the great diversity of resistance among the cave bacteria suggests there could also be undiscovered antibiotics among them”.

 

Stem Initiative Boosts Advanced Placement Rates

Fifty-three schools from rural, urban, and suburban areas across Massachusetts participated in the Mass Math and Science Initiative (MMSI), which is the state’s largest high school math and science education program.  A study issued in March released data that concluded the program significantly increased Advanced Placement (AP) enrollment among high school students and exam passing rates.

 

One of the distinguishing features of MMSI is the “program is designed to directly improve students’ academic competency and performance in STEM content” by expanding access to college-level courses to high school students. Overall students enrolled in the program improved AP exam passing rates by 96%.

 

To measure the further impact of the program students are tracked after high school graduation. Data presented by the National Student Clearing House identified an overall college attendance rate of 76%. Expanding access to AP courses the program has enabled high school students to improve their college readiness and academic success in STEM fields.

 

Light Shed on the Flipped Clasroom

The flipped classroom is a philosophical approach to learning that rids the classroom of the traditional setting where lectures are done during class and exercises on the subject matter are tackled at home. During their own time students study topics by themselves first, typically using video lectures and are expected to learn subject matter anyway they want to. The core concept of the flipped classroom is to literally flip the instructional approach and allow teachers adequate time to work with students individually.

Benefits of the concept include self-paced learning where the student has the ability to view lectures at home, at their own pace, and as many times as needed. With lectures being viewed at home, the instructor now has adequate time for meaningful interaction with students, as well as the opportunity to guide students through concept mastery.

As Earth Day Approaches

Earth day is dedicated to spreading awareness of the Earth’s natural environment and issues that threaten our habitat. Nature is being attacked on several different fronts and the holiday is intended to assist humanity in combating these attacks. It is a day to reflect and ask ourselves what we can do to help protect nature, humankind, and future generations to come.

Celebrations have sprung up all over the world, including 175 countries. In South America Project SERES (Supporting Ecological Resilience and Environmental Sustainability) is holding a month long series of events that will teach Guatemalan’s how to compost, organic farm, and other various skills. The 4-H Million Trees Project has committed to plant one million trees in multiple Kenyan Villages. Europe and Asia’s Plant A Tree Today Foundation intends to counteract deforestation and restore degradation of forest habitats.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst campus is holding its own Earth Day Festival where students and faculty can volunteer to do a campus wide clean-up. A Student Farm Aid Concert and Sustainability Fair will be held Sunday April 22 from 1-6 pm. The day will kick off with a battle of the bands following live performances by nationally renowned artists Tony Vacca, World Rhythms Ensemble, Seth Glier, Ryan Hommer, and Melodeego. Locate an event near you and celebrate the beauty and wonders of the world we live in!

Chemistry of Ocean Threatens Existence of Coral Reefs

 The very existence of Earth’s coral reefs are threatened by ever increasing levels of carbonic acid in sea water. Approximately one-fourth of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere enters the ocean where it forms carbonic acid. Since the industrial revolution atmospheric levels of carbon have increased dramatically from 280 parts per million to 392. Scientists from the Carnegie Institutions Department of Global Ecology have calculated “if current carbon dioxide emission trends continue, by mid-century 98% of present-day reef habitats will be bathed in water too acidic for reef growth”.

The presence of carbonic acid is causing an ongoing decrease of pH levels in sea water. Acidifying water eats away at the exoskeleton of coral which protects their delicate bodies. Coral Reefs also form diverse ecosystems housing fish, mollusks, crustaceans, sponges, and other organisms. Changes in the oceans chemistry jeopardizes many of the reef dwelling organisms habitat and hence their lives.

The primary cause of pH decrease is the continual upsurge of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere by way of fossil fuel burning. Coral reefs are among the most vulnerable organisms of global climate changes. Unless carbon dioxide emissions are reduced dramatically, acidification will continue to increase and extinction of coral reefs is inevitable.