Chad Branum
EDT646
Assignment V
Introduction
After reading this
particular chapter in Thomas FriedmanÕs book The World Is Flat, it
certainly is alarming to consider the fact that our country is showing a steady
decline in the areas of science and engineering. It is equally alarming to consider the fact that American
citizens are getting lazy (Òambition gapÓ) and not taking full advantage of the
luxuries and opportunities that American citizens are provided. As Shirley Ann Jackson states, ÒIt is a
quiet crisis and this quiet crisis involves the steady erosion of AmericaÕs
scientific and engineering base, which has always been the source of American
innovation and our rising standard of livingÓ (pg. 252-253).
I also believe that a major issue we currently have in our society is
the fact that there is not a major emphasis in K-12 education on the sciences
and mathematics. A large number of
school districts from around the country simply do not provide a quality
foundation early on in studentsÕ academic careers to establish an appropriate
foundation. Without a proper
foundation, how do we expect our students to learn and build the knowledge
necessary to ultimately apply the information learned into real-life
situations? I absolutely agree
with Friedman in the fact that there is truly an Òeducation gapÓ that exists
today. We have to prepare now in
the hopes that in 15 to 20 years, the students of today can compete effectively
in our global society.
Overall, the ÒflatteningÓ of
our world is allowing foreign countries not only to catch up with America in
some ways but surpass us in many areas that were not possible before. In addition to this, companies within
the United States are outsourcing even more to create product and services in
order to reduce their overall costs and productivity. If we do not resolve the Òquiet crisisÓ now and prepare
ourselves for the future, the United States is going to struggle to be a global
leader in many areas and become reliant on other countries. The good news is that Òthe U.S. is
still the leading engine for innovation in the world. It has the best graduate programs, the best scientific
infrastructure, and the capital markets to exploit itÓ (pg. 253). However, we have to realize that this
can change very quickly so it is important to realize that change needs to take
place to prepare ourselves in the future.
Interviews
Appendix I
Electronic Interview
Questions
Thanks for your willingness to help me out. For my class, we read the book ÒThe World is Flat:
A brief history of the 21st century. In this book, Friedman
discusses what he calls this Òquiet crisisÓ by suggesting three Òdirty little
secretsÓ we may not be noticing in America. For this
interview/survey, you are asked to share your knowledge and understanding of
the three secrets
First, a Ònumbers gapÓ
is emerging that will Òsap AmericaÕs prowess in science, math and engineering.Ó
The nationÕs scientists and engineers, and those teaching science, are retiring
in huge numbers, and American young people are not entering those fields in
nearly sufficient numbers. Foreign-born people account for an ever-increasing
percentage of AmericaÕs science and engineering workers.
What is your knowledge/understanding of the numbers gap?
Second, we have an Òambition gap.Ó
While this may seem an unfairly harsh generalization, Friedman suggests that
too many American young people have grown up with plenty and with a sense of
entitlement. They too often lack a feeling of needing to work hard to attain a
better standard of living. They already have the good life. In contrast, Asian
and Indian students are often extremely motivated, much as the great
grandparents of todayÕs American students were when they first came to America.
What is your knowledge/understanding of the ambition gap?
Friedman refers to the third aspect of the Òquiet crisisÓ as
the Òeducation gap.Ó He maintains that
weÕve got to find ways to stimulate more of our young children to do better in
science and math. ÒJohns Hopkins University President Bill Brody remarked to
me, ÔOver 60 percent of our graduate students in the sciences are foreign
students.ÕÓ
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the education gap?
Appendix II
Interview - Ages 65+
Interviewee #1
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the numbers gap?
I am somewhat
familiar with this. I feel the
students in America are behind in reading and math as compared to foreign
countries and this has slowly led to more and more of a gap. A main reason is because the students
today are not as interested in math and science.
What
is your knowledge/understanding of the ambition gap?
Yes. Foreign countries and their schools
push their students harder to learn than the students in America. American citizens have it a lot easier
than people in foreign countries because everything in America is easy to get
and purchase. This has led to
foreign countries being hungry to have what we have.
What is your knowledge/understanding of the
education gap?
Yes. I am familiar with this. The students in America do not study as
much as students in foreign countries because they are simply not as focused
and interested in reading, math and science. Also, foreign students are pushed harder than students in
America.
Interviewee #2
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the numbers gap?
I am not really sure about this gap but I can certainly see where the retirement of a lot of people in the science and math areas could have a huge impact on critical areas. Hopefully we can find a way to reduce this in the future and be proactive about taking the education of our children seriously.
What
is your knowledge/understanding of the ambition gap?
I am
familiar with this specific gap and it is a problem in my opinion. I can tell you that it doesnÕt seem
that people these days seem to value the art of hard work anymore. Back when I was growing up, it was a
struggle just to pay the bills so you had to work extremely hard to make ends
meet. This is totally different in
todayÕs society. The climate has
changed.
What is your knowledge/understanding of the
education gap?
I am
aware of the education gap. We
need to find a way to better educate and engage the young students within the
United States so that future generations can take advantage of the many
resources that are available to us.
There are so many resources now than there were back when I was in
school.
Interviewee #3
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the numbers gap?
What I actually understand about the numbers gap is that people have noted that we have not educated enough American students to go into the science and math workplace. Is this completely true? Hard to say, but I feel that these types of things come in cycles and I feel that we will eventually complete this cycle and continue to grow our numbers in these fields.
What
is your knowledge/understanding of the ambition gap?
I
believe that people of my generation take great pride in the hard work and determination
in everything that is done. The
primary reason is that it was expected and necessary. Today, it is completely different because the children of
today have more comfort and are provided with more luxuries than what we had
when I was growing up. They are
more likely to not be as motivated or work as hardÉmainly because they donÕt
have to.
What is your knowledge/understanding of the
education gap?
It
is hard for me to understand why there might be such a large education
gap. Mostly because there are so
many more opportunities to grow and learn than what was available in my
day. I just canÕt imagine how
individuals would not take advantage of these opportunities. I hope that our educational system will
reinvent itself and get younger students involved earlier in their academic
career so that they are prepared when the time comes.
Appendix III
Interviews – 51 to 65
Interviewee #1
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the numbers gap?
Numbers gap is a threat and
it affects science and truly crosses all disciplines.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the ambition gap?
I do see a lack of ambition
in the younger generations. The fact that most of the people want to start off
in the highest paid position and do not want to learn the ropes. They donÕt
want to put forth the effort to gain the experience first before being in the
highest position. Often, there is not a platform for this to happen because the
current structure of American companies does not allow for this to happen b/c of
outsourcing, etc.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the education gap?
I donÕt think it is an
education gapÉit really is just a motivation gap. The coursework is available
to those students but the students are not taking advantage of these courses.
What is the incentive to do this? Why should I bust my butt for a degree that
will take me so long when I can get a degree in something else and make the
same if not more money?
Interviewee #2
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the numbers gap?
I am familiar with the
numbers gap and it has been a concern over the past 20 years and it is now
coming more into the light because there are a lot of people getting ready to
retire.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the ambition gap?
I donÕt feel that this gap
has happened over just one generation.
It has been a built up over multiple generations. I certainly see this within my own work
place. We have many employees that
simply come to work and go through the motions and expect to receive a large
bonus in return. The work ethic
has just gone down hill over time.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the education gap?
When I compare the
amount of math and science that I learned during my education, it doesnÕt even
compare to the level that my grandchildren are learning at their age right now. A question that I have isÉare we making
it interesting enough in school for kids to want to go into those fields? A huge part of getting students more
involved in their education, you have to have someone that brings you in and
makes you want to grow and learn.
Also, there is a big difference between American culture and
Asian/Indian cultures. America is
geared towards educating to the whole whereas the Asian/Indian cultures educate
to specific groups and individuals.
These are two very different ways of life.
Interviewee #3
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the numbers gap?
My understanding of
this gap is that in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the United States space
program created an extreme amount of interest, mostly among male students, in
order to get them to want to study in detail engineering, science and
mathematics fields. There was such
a competitive environment around the world at that time and America wanted to
stay on top. There was such an
emphasis by the government and across the country. I feel that today, this emphasis has continued for men but
that is not the case for women over the years. The real numbers gap is because women are not being pulled
into these fields.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the ambition gap?
Generally, younger
Americans are viewed as spoiled, pampered, lazy and not driven or goal
centered. However, I do not agree
with this. I think that we simply
have a different type of child today than we did in the past. An example is people that went through
the Great Depression or World War II will simply have a different view of the
world because they went through hard times. Because of these hard times, parents have wanted to provide
a better life for their children by making it easier for them. I donÕt feel that this is good or
badÉ.just different. I still feel
that children are still being held accountable and are not lazy.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the education gap?
My question isÉ.are all of
the students that are getting degrees in science and math really foreign
students or American born citizens?
How do we break down the real statistic for this? My main concern is that there is not
enough good science teachers at the elementary level to get children involved
in science and math at an early age.
American education needs to really look at its development of quality
teachers for science and math. We
need to pay them whatever it takes to keep them in the profession and also
provide quality staff development to help them grow and learn.
Interviewee #4
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the numbers gap?
Yes, there is definitely a
numbers gap. I know for years that
we have tried to encourage women to participate in the math and science fields
and we are gaining ground, but this is still a large issue. A lot of times there have been a
misconception that women are not oriented to do math and science and that is
just not the case. We need to find
ways to inspire and get everyone involved in both science and math if we expect
to close the gap.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the ambition gap?
I agree
100%. I feel that Americans are too
complacent and that there is a mindset of that it should be given to me instead
of having to earn it. This was not
the case of prior generations.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the education gap?
If you
look at our state standards (TEKS) and what we are held accountable for, we are
held accountable for reading and math starting in 3rd grade. Students are also only held accountable
for science in 5th and 11th grade. If we expect young students to grow and
learn effectively, we have to find a way for them to be held accountable every
year. This accountability will
ultimately help students learn more and target a better interest within the
science and math fields.
Appendix IV
Interviews - Age 25 to 35
Interviewee #1
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the numbers gap?
It is incredibly
scary for me to think about the fact that America was once at the forefront of
most science, math and technology innovations and slowly, it appears, we are
not always at the forefront anymore. I read an article recently that cited that
the number one college major today is in the area of general studies. In my
mind, this further enhances the numbers gap. We have more and more adults
entering the workforce not having a background in the fields that America needs
the most to continue their leadership in the global market.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the ambition gap?
I believe
wholeheartedly that there is an ever increasing ambition gap. I have seen it
evidenced through the actions in my generation in particular. Most of my
friends have had so much handed to them. When they were 16 they received their
dream car, they went to college for free, never had to work, had a dream
wedding, etc and see all of these ÒgiftsÓ as entitlements. They are entitled to
these material things just because. Most of my friends have very successful
parents and for some reason these friends fail to remember that their parents
had to sweat blood and tears to be in their current position. Sadly, even as
they enter the workforce they are often driven by the paycheck not by ambition.
Success is reached through a bigger house or a new car not by what they
contribute to society or the health of their family.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the education gap?
I work in the field
of education and am continuously faced with answering the question, ÒCan
American students compete with the rest of the world?Ó My answer to this question is yes and
no. For our top students there is not an education gap. The top 20% of our
graduating class take math, science and technology courses through their senior
year, plan on majoring in one of these fields, and believe they will make
contributions that will change the world. I do believe that America has a
different purpose in our pre-k through 12 educational systems that wants ALL
students to become productive citizens and have a knowledge foundation in all
disciplines. Many of our global competitors filter and only educate those
individuals they feel have the greatest potential. I do believe American
schools must reinvent their math, science and technology curriculum to inspire
more students to invest their lives in one of those fields.
Interviewee #2
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the numbers gap?
In order to not only
compete across the world but just to keep up with the basic daily jobs required
such as accountants and teachers we need to do something to make up for this
number gap. America is in trouble and unless we as a country decide universally
to address it nothing will change.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the ambition gap?
I have definitely
seen firsthand that many of my Asian and Indian friends tend to have a stronger
work ethic than many of my white friends. For my friends that have not had a
lot all of their lives they definitely do not feel they are entitled to
anything and in fact, get angry and those they think are taking the things they
have for granted.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the education gap?
One thing that must be addressed is the quality of the teachers in the math and science courses. Most of these teachers are not teaching the math and science content or skills they expect the students to teach themselves and Òfigure it outÓ on their own. Typically, the math and science classes were the classes that we dreaded going toÉthey need to find a way to make these courses much more interesting and maybe more kids would want to take more of these courses.
Interviewee #3
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the numbers gap?
I feel that America is truly
falling back in the math and sciences.
We are taking the easy route and not really exploring those aspects of
the educational experience anymore.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the ambition gap?
I totally agree with this
concept. You notice that there are
many children these days that simply get everything handed to them on a silver
platter. They are not motivated
because they get everything and go with the mindset ofÉwhy work if I can get it
for free.
What is your
knowledge/understanding of the education gap?
When I
was in school, science and math were my worst subjects because they were very
boring. There was not anything
exciting about it. Those subjects
need to be taught very differently in order to gain the interest of more
students and also done at an earlier age.
Findings and
Comparisons
Numbers Gap
Interviews
– Ages 65+
It was interesting to see
how the older age group opinion was similar in some ways to the other age
groups. It was stated that
students these days are not interested in science and math like they use to be. Also, another interviewee mentioned
that these types of things come in cycles and that we should get back on our
feet and prepares more students in both science and math just fine in the
future. You can certainly see this
pattern based upon the other responses that I received from the other people
that were interviewed. Overall, I
did find the responses a little surprising because I would not have expected most
of them to be as in tune with what is going on today and really understanding
what the Ònumbers gapÓ is all about.
Interviews
– Ages 51 to 65
I can say that all four
interviewees were very in tune with what the numbers gap is about. The first interviewee stated the fact
that there is a numbers gap across all disciplines and not just math and
science. Another interviewee
stated the fact that a large reason there is a numbers gap is because women
have not been drawn into both the science and mathematic fields over the
years. There was such an emphasis
in the 1950s and early 1960s for men to go into science and math but not
women. That was an interesting
point that I had not thought of before.
Interviews
– Ages 25 to 35
This was an interesting
group to interview because they are the ones that have truly grown up in the
time that could be considered not as focused or driven to go into the math and
science fields. One of the
interviewees stated that they read an article recently that cited that the
number one college major today is in the area of general studies. A second interviewee mentions that
America is in trouble and must do something now in order to address this
growing concern. A third
interviewee states the fact that they feel that students today are taking the
easy route and are not taking advantage of their educational experience. Overall, it seems that this age group
does understand that there is a problem and we must act now in order to get
more students going into the fields of math and science.
Ambition Gap
Interviews
- Ages 65+
The people
interviewed in this age group for the ambition gap clearly understood what this
issue. It was stated that foreign
countries and their schools push their students harder to learn than the
students in America. One
interviewee made it clear that the students of today do not put as much time
and effort in to learning like they did back in the day. Also, they do not work as hard in the
workforce either. This was a basic
common theme from each of the people that were interviewed. I can certainly see where they might feel
this way because the way in which we work and accomplish things have changed so
much over the years since they were young. This includes the methods in which we work and learn on a
daily basis as well.
Interviews
– Ages 51 to 65
I feel that this was the
most interesting of the age groups when it came to discussing the ambition gap
because they had the most insight.
One of the interviewees stated the fact that we do have a different type
of child today than we did in the past.
But this is because of the hard times that their parents went through
growing up. Because of these hard
times, the parents want to make their childÕs life easier so that they do not
have to go through those same hardships that they did growing up. Another interviewee mentioned that they
work with many employees that simply come to work and go through the motions
and expect to receive a large bonus in return. The work ethic has just gone down hill over time. Also, it was stated that younger Americans
today want to go directly into the workforce as a highly paid individual. They are not willing to put the time
and effort in to learn the ropes and climb the ladder. You can easily tell that these
particular interviewees strongly feel that the younger Americans of today do
not have the drive and ambition of previous generations.
Interviews
– Ages 25 to 35
You can easily see from
this particular age group that they clearly see a large ambition gap in America
today! One of the interviewees
mentioned that they have many friends that simply have so many things simply
handed to them instead of having to work for them. Also, this particular person stated the fact that people
today feel that success is reached through a bigger house or a new car not by
what they contribute to society or the health of their family. Another interviewee mentioned that he
has seen firsthand a large difference in the work ethic amongst his friends
just based upon their race. A
third interviewee mentions that people these days have the mindset of, why work
if I can get it for free. Overall,
this group had some harsh thoughts towards people today and how they are
practically given everything without having to work hard for it. These are very similar thoughts to the
51-65 age groups as stated above.
Education Gap
Interviews - Ages 65+
It was stated in this group
that students in America do not study as much as students in foreign countries
because they are simply not as focused and interested in reading, math and
science. Also, one interviewee points
out the fact that foreign students are simply pushed harder than students in
America. Another fact mentioned by
several of the interviewees is the fact that we need to find a way to better
engage students in the educational process to better prepare them early on in
their academic careers if we hope to have the changed needed in the future.
Interviews – Ages 51 to 65
I see a common theme in this
particular age group. Most of the
interviewees feel that there is an education gap because we are not making it
interesting enough for students at an early age to want to learn about math and
science. Also, it was express by
an interviewee that there are not enough quality teachers in education that
have the ability to teach science and math and that a huge part of getting
students more involved in their education is having someone that peaks your
interest and motivates you to grow and learn. Another interviewee mentioned that it is extremely important
to do what we can to pay teachers enough to keep them in the education
profession and also provide quality staff development to help them grow and
learn so that they can then get students excited about learning science and
math. Overall, this age group was
very concerned with having teachers that can teach students about science and
math at an early age so that they can create an appropriate foundation to build
on.
Interviews – Ages 25 to 35
This particular age group seemed to focus on the fact that the science and math classes that they participated in growing up in their education were very boring and didnÕt peak their interest at all. It was also clear that we need to find a way to gain more interest of the student if we want to get more of them involved and excited about learning science and math. One interviewee stated the fact that they believe that America has a different purpose in our pre-k through 12 educational systems that wants ALL students to become productive citizens and have a knowledge foundation in all disciplines while many of our global competitors filter and only educate those individuals they feel have the greatest potential.
References
Friedman, Thomas. The
World Is Flat A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. 1st
edition. New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005.
Marklin, Lin –
Interview Questions and Format – EDT 646 – Globalization &
Educational Technology