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Rachel Lehmann-Haupt

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How can we make science, technology, engineering, and math education more fun for kids? Join our live Q&A on February 13th at 3PM Eastern

In "Save Our Science: How to Inspire a New Generation of Scientists," Yale professor Ainissa Ramirez makes an impassioned call for a recommitment to improve science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in our schools and throughout our society. She describes what habits we need to change to make STEM fun again, as well as a plan for how to increase every child’s participation in these disciplines.

Ramirez notes that the artist Pablo Picasso once said that all children are born artists and that the trick is to stay that way as an adult. She believes that all children have an inner scientist within them, and we need to get them in touch with their inner scientist again.

Buy and read the book:

Kindle:
http://tinyurl.com/amnqcc2

Nook:
http://tinyurl.com/aclgs4g

iBookstore:
http://tinyurl.com/ar3a6xj

Or download the TED Books app for your iPad or iPhone . (http://www.ted.com/pages/tedbooks) A subscription costs $4.99 a month, and is an all-you-can-read buffet.

Author and TED Speaker Ainissa Ramirez will be joining us for a one-hour live conversation on Wednesday, FEB 13th at 12PM PST/3PM EST.

Mark your calendars!

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  • Kevin Kopec

    • 0
    Feb 13 2013: It appears that fun equates to easy or continuation of the traditional models for education. At a young age, have the students in small classrooms with dedicated teachers who love the fields that engulf science. Mathematics being the purest of sciences is difficult to comprehend at the beginning because most people never teach that this subject is the language of the universe and the body.

    Most elementary teachers do not specialize in the sciences and therefore might corrupt young minds into thinking that science is boring or simply difficult. Instead, if you had specialized individuals working on enhancing the logic center of the mind at an early age, you might find the task of learning science easier as you progress through education.

    The American mind is usually set as impatient and desires immediate gratification, this is not the case with science. We need not only enforce the "fun" of science but the diligence that the subjects offer. The pride of comprehending something beyond "yourself" allows for more exciting and "fun" discussions amongst students and teachers.

    I hate to say it but...

    You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

    I wish the prefrontal lobe formed much earlier than it does. Perhaps with more logic and understanding, we could all look at math/science not as fun or not fun but simply enjoy discovering something that is beyond yourself.
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      Ainissa Ramirez 50+

      • +1
      TED Speaker
      Feb 13 2013: What we are doing isn't working, so this is worth a shot. If we need to train teachers better, let's do it. But, what we really need to do is change the perception of science. TV shows could show the relevance, and that will drive the need.

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