Before I begin the connection between Hobb's chapter 8 in her book Digital and Media Literacy and the Tedx video below. I want to begin by talking about a the WVSTA Conference (West Virginia Science Teacher) I attended this weekend. First as an employee NASA's IV&V Educator Resource Center supports the WVSTA Conference every year in more than one way, which essentially means I go every year and get to meet some pretty awesome people and experience some amazing Keynote speakers. This year's Keynote was Dr. Fredric Bertley from the Franklin Institute and his powerful speech called The Bridge to the Future, and it revolved around the scientists of today (not yesterday), their contributions in technology today, and how much we know about them. Here is an example of one of Dr. Bertley's slides:
He asked, "Which of these individuals do you recognize?" This was an animated slide, therefore the phones were not visible. Of course, everyone in the room recognized Morgan Freeman. He is a pretty awesome actor. No one recognized Prof. James West the co inventor of the foil-electret transducer that revolutionized cell phones, hearing aids, microphones, and other acoustical equipment. His technology exists in almost ALL of these devices. Why don't we know who he is? Is it because the media chooses to focus on sensationalizes Hollywood instead of the heros of today's STEM-based inventions? Does anyone know who created the touch screen we use on everyday on our various Smart tablets, computers, and phones? Have you ever thought about who he or she even is? I know now after Dr. Bertley's speech but only because he pointed these individuals out, not because of my curiosity of ever wondering who these present day inventors were. Maybe I should blame the media but I don't like pointing fingers. As an educator I need to start pointing out who these people are. Hell, maybe I'll create a sensation and the media will want to report on these individuals more than celebrities. For Dr. Bertley's full presentation click on this link: Dr. Franklin Bertley ~ The Bridge to the Future.
TEDxRainier - Sarah Stuteville - Journalism Revived
Sarah Stuteville is a different kind of journalist. She and her friends where able to see the direction of journalism as well as the death of the art of journalism. They sought out a way to travel the world and deliver the news on individual and groups of individuals that were making a difference in the world. Telling stories they felt the world should know.
Hobbs pointed out that News is a responsibility. We all know that bad news is good for business. Although I don't actually understand this concept. Case and point - when I talk about the creation of NASA's IV&V Facility in West Virginia, I refer to watching the Today show in 1986 when the News included more than just celebrity news. I avoid the news at all cost. I want to see relevant news not just celebrity and "bad" news. I want to see inspirational news. I want to see news that brings the unknown forward. News such as Stuteville brought forth like the former child soldier that works to rid his country of explosives that he once was forced to plant.
As Hobbs points out that once we reveal news, then action can take place. If the environmental disaster of the shrinking Aral Sea in Asia would have come forth sooner, then action to stop over irrigation could have started sooner. Instead, we watched its death in the end. Today nearly nothing is left and it has been labeled as the worst man-made natural disaster. I attempted to use the Aral Sea in the classroom as an example of a real world problem and future career option in conservation and ecology. Unfortunately it really is too late to correct the Aral Sea disaster, so my students are not going to be able to gather efforts to stop the degradation of this precious sea. I can be proud in the fact that I opened the eyes of my students to this sort of news so they can seek it on their own. But I do have to ask, where is all the News to make the public aware?
If we focus on news today, beyond celebrity news, we help our students decipher more relevant news. Once again, how many of our students know who today's heroes in technology are? How often do our students question where their technology was born from? This is Civic Based engagement in the Science Classroom. Sure Einstein was an important scientist in our PAST but who is the scientist today that has made strides in Einstein's work? Anyone? There is a key scientist TODAY that has furthered Einstein's work but our students don't know who he is. That is relevant information today. THATS the news our students need to hear because anyone of them could become the next scientist who furthers a past scientists work.
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