Economic prosperity in the coming decades will depend on innovations built on scientific and technological breakthroughs. Unfortunately, findings from international assessments show that the U.S. no longer has an edge over other countries in educating its young people. This dialogue will take a critical look at current educational policies and practices, considering the extent to which they are creating the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, and technology innovators. Join Dr. Bruce Alberts, editor of Science and former president of the National Academy of Sciences, in dialogue with Dr. Barbara Means, Director of SRI International’s Center for Technology in Learning. Learn why science teaching has declined in most U.S. elementary schools at the very time in our history when it is of paramount importance and when new technologies are offering opportunities to engage students in learning that is both rigorous and inspiring.
When: Wednesday, November 2nd, 6-8 PM
Where: SRI, 333 Ravenswood Ave, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Speakers:
Bruce Alberts
Bruce Alberts, a prominent biochemist with a strong commitment to the improvement of science and mathematics education, serves as Editor-in-Chief of Science and as one of President Obama’s first three Science Envoys. Alberts is also Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco, to which he returned after serving two six-year terms as the president of the National Academy of Sciences.
Barbara Means
Dr. Barbara Means is an educational psychologist whose research focuses on ways in which technology can support students’ learning of advanced skills and the revitalization of classrooms and schools. She is regarded as a leader in defining issues and approaches for evaluating the implementation and efficacy of technology-supported educational innovations. Currently, she leads SRI’s research and assistance efforts in support of National Technology Activities within the U.S. Department of Education. She is also directing SRI’s documentation of the implementation of educational technology in schools participating in the national randomized field trials evaluating the Effectiveness of Educational Technology Innovations for the Institute of Education Sciences.
Her published works include the edited volumes Evaluating Educational Technology, Technology and Education Reform, and Teaching Advanced Skills to At-Risk Students as well as the jointly authored volumes Using Technology Evaluation to Advance Student Learning, The Connected School, and Comparative Studies of How People Think. Dr. Means earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stanford University and her Ph.D. in educational psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.
Moira Gunn (Moderator)
Dr. Moira Gunn is Host of Tech Nation and BioTech Nation, which air in such venues as National Public Radio’s SIRIUS Satellite Radio channels NPR Now and NPR Talk, and internationally to 177 countries via American Forces Radio International. Produced at the studios of KQED in San Francisco, the programming can also be heard on over 200 domestic public stations and through podcasts via iTunes and other Internet distribution venues.
Cost: FREE
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