In a span of about 10 minutes she had confronted a new and novel problem, tested different solutions, found one that worked, demonstrated it, and refined the whole process.It got me thinking...she did this all in 10 minutes with me and a free iPad app....did she get to do anything like this level of problem solving in her 7 hours at school today?
the [NRC] report calls for teachers to use engineering as the principal medium to teach science. As an electrical engineer and university professor, I am convinced that engineering is the best way to teach science to kids. That's because engineering is tangible. It is not abstract.
Engineers design and build things. They use math, science and carefully observed trial and error to create products that are useful, that help solve problems.
Children learn in much the same way. Making things comes naturally to them. Their brains learn by doing. Just look at how youngsters play with Legos. They use hands-on trial and error to design a finished product.
We've tended to teach science by telling. But when you talk to young people about algorithms, extrapolation and optimization -- all tools of the scientist -- their eyes understandably glaze over.
When you can get them using their hands and brains to design something, suddenly the science inherent in the exercise starts to make sense.
