Why Teach? Why Science?

I'm not sure if I'm the only one that feels like this but over the years I've found myself so busy trying to figure out HOW to teach science I forget to think about WHY I teach science. The HOW of teaching, assessing and interacting is what is most often on my mind. And in many cases rightly so. How to apply best practices and connect students with what they are learning is arguably one of the most important jobs of a teacher. However WHY SCIENCE is no less important. Not only does it give science teachers an answer to questions like "Why are we learning X, Y and Z?" but it also makes apparent our own preconceptions about the world and how we pass those on to our students.

STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) have traditionally offered the best career prospects. This is probably the number one reason why students and parents are drawn to these subjects. I'm more of a purist when it comes to Math and Science; I learn and teach math and science because I find it interesting. It gives me a unique window into the world. Every student benefits from a firm grasp of science, even if they don't plan to pursue a STEM career. At its very basic level, Science is a baloney detector. It gives us tools to evaluate evidence and decide if what we're told is possible or true. Without that sort of detector we could make people believe the moon was actually made of cheese, the Earth rested on giant turtles and we could stop hurricanes with nuclear weapons.

I love learning about Science because it provides a window into the workings of the universe. I love teaching Science because it helps students create Baloney detectors.

Why do you teach?

Quality Curriculum

Having just moved back to Alberta this year I received my first taste of the new Alberta Physics curriculum. At first glance I was impressed with the level of technical difficulty in the course, particularly the Physics 30. However when I started looking at the specifics of the course some things started to bother me.
I've noticed several topics where students are asked to accept a number of brute facts. They are asked to know something without understanding it. A perfect example of this is the Compton effect. On of the big changes in many course materials is the inclusion of a new formula for calculating the wavelength change of photons when they interact with electrons:



On the face of it this isn't a problem, however all the resources I've looked at (which includes materials from Alberta Learning, Edmonton Public Schools and the Alberta Distance Learning Center) tell students they can use this equation to determine the change in wavelength. Never any explanation on how the equation was developed or why it works. And the reason? Its too difficult. That's not actually said, but to derive this particular expression you need to use relativistic mass & energy concepts which are not part of Physics 30.
As educators its important to remember that Quality Curriculum isn't necessarily Difficult Curriculum (or Easy Curriculum for that matter). Quality Curriculum in the 21st century is one that encourages students to think critically, engages them in what they are learning and is relevant to their lives. In the case of Science Education, and Physics in particular, this should be a curriculum that is free of brute facts. We shouldn't be telling our students to remember this or know that. We should be explaining why things are the way they are and the reason they need to know something. And yet, over and over I see curriculum and lessons where students are told to "use this formula to solve this type of question" without explaining why it works or more importantly why they should even care.
Hopefully the new push for 21st Century Learning will also look at ways we can continue to deliver a Curriculum rich in knowledge and ideas but also in critical thinking and engagement.