By Carmela Jones, MNS
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” -Alan Kay
What is the future forecast for trends in employment? According to a 2017 U.S. Bureau of Labor & Statistics Report, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) is the trend (Fayer, Lacey, & Watson, 2017).
"Employment in STEM occupations grew by 10.5 percent, or 817,260 jobs, between May 2009 and May 2015, compared with 5.2 percent net growth in non-STEM occupations. The STEM group that is projected to grow fastest from 2014 to 2024 is the mathematical science occupations group at 28.2 percent, compared with the average projected growth for all occupations of 6.5 percent…
Employment in computer occupations is projected to increase by 12.5 percent from 2014 to 2024, and due to its large employment size, this growth is expected to result in nearly half a million new jobs, far more than any other STEM group. The group projected to add the second largest number of new jobs from 2014 to 2024 is engineering occupations, with 65,000 new jobs…
Over 66 percent of employment in the computer systems design and related services industry was in STEM occupations. STEM occupations also made up over 60 percent of employment in architectural, engineering, and related services and software publishers. The computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing industry had nearly 60 percent STEM employment. Two other manufacturing industries, communications equipment manufacturing and semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing, had nearly 40 percent STEM employment."
What does all of this mean for teachers and students? It means that future work (including work in STEM fields) is changing so quickly that if kids aren't taught how to think, then they will not be able to survive within the vastness of this new, ever-evolving, professional marketplace.
Support and promote a learning and teaching pedagogy that is innately designed to address critical thinking skills, as well as innovation, digital proficiency, and communication. Hint, hint...like Modeling Instruction (MI) does.
Reference:
Fayer, S., Lacey, A., & Watson, A. (2017). “STEM occupations: past, present, and future,” Spotlight on Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report.
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Response to Clark's thoughts on the Modeling Digest listserve:
I would like to add a few words to Clark's (who btw is an extremely talented instructor) answer as his response is the result of 15+ years of research along with a successful PhD thesis in psychology. But before I do that let me add this observation. The thing that is missing in action in education is how it is possible for humans to learn anything at all. Knowledge of the mental tools necessary for content acquisition is not part of any curriculum.
First with regard to Clark’s comments, understanding anything is the result of the development of an interpretive framework (ITF) that provides the basic structure that supports metacognition…
Thoughts from a Modeling Teacher retrieved from the Modeling Digest listserve:
Change the way that they think and reason. Period. This is complicated; but, doing a few simple things for a long time lightens the load. I apologize in advance for grotesquely oversimplifying the following points, which could be extended to chapter length in a book.
1. Multiple Representational Systems (MRS). Never pass up the opportunity to describe something using at least three representational systems. Words, symbols and pictures are probably the best three to use, especially for the STEM areas. Take the time to explain and then assess student articulations of how the words correspond to the symbols and the pictures, and vice versa. This forces the student to…