OISE Centre for Science, Mathematics and Technology Education Forum Series
The STEM Movement: Golden Opportunity or Trojan Horse?
Thursday, October 30, 2014
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
OISE, NEXUS Lounge
Centre for Science, Mathematics & Technology Education
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
This event will be video-recorded in front of a live audience
FREE admission – No RSVP required
Panelists:
Larry Bencze (OISE); Jason Foster (U of T Engineering Science)
Samson Nashon (University of British Columbia); Ana Maria Navas (OISE)
John Wallace (OISE)
Moderator:
Indigo Esmonde (OISE)
The past several years have seen a surge of activity in education around the acronym STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Much of this effort has been spurred by an economic agenda, that is, to produce more graduates in science-related fields for the job market. In many cases, governments, universities and school systems (sometimes in concert with private enterprise) are gearing their curricula and resources toward programs to attract students in STEM fields. For some commentators, this is seen as a golden opportunity to revive interest in science and mathematics related subjects, to improve scientific literacy and to attract more females and minorities to the field. Others see the movement as more like a Trojan horse, attractive on the outside, but focused mainly on skills training to feed the capitalist enterprise, to the detriment of general public education.
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