Description
The nanotech revolution waits for no man, woman窶ｦor child. To revitalize science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) performance, the U.S. educational system requires a practical strategy to better educate students about nanoscale science and engineering research. This is particularly important in grades K窶�12, the effective gestation point for future ideas and information.
Optimize your use of free resources from the National Science Foundation
The first book of its kind, Nanoscience Education, Workforce Training, and K窶�12 Resources promotes nano-awareness in both the public and private sectors, presenting an overview of the current obstacles that must be overcome within the complex U.S. educational system before any reform is possible. It窶冱 a race against time窶蚤nd other countries窶蚤nd the fear is that U.S. students could lag behind for decades, with ineffective teaching and learning methods handicapping their ability to compete globally.
Focusing on the application of new knowledge, this concise and highly readable book explores the transdisciplinary nature of nanoscience and its societal impact, also addressing workforce training and risk management. Illustrating the historical perspective of the complexity of K窶�12 education communities, it defines nanotechnology and evaluates pertinent global and national landscapes, presenting examples of successful change within them.
This book is composed of four sections:
Foundations窶蚤ddresses the national educational matrix, exploring the scientific and social implications associated with the delay in adopting nanoscience education in public schools
Teaching Nanotechnology窶播iscusses the critical process of teaching K窶�12 students the skills to understand and evaluate emerging technologies they will encounter
Nanoscience Resources and Programs窶廃rovides a wide overview of the resources offered by funded outreach programs from universities with nanoscience centers
Framework Applied窶蚤nalyzes the structure of national government programs and skill level recommendations for nanoeducation from the National Nanotechnology Initiatives
This book offers plans of action and links to sustainable (largely free) development tools to help K窶�12 students acquire the skills to understand and evaluate emerging technologies. Promoting a holistic teaching approach that encompasses all aspects of science, the authors strive to help readers implement change so that decisions about resources and learning are no longer made "from the top down" by policymakers, but rather "from the bottom up" by teachers, parents, and students at the local level.
Akhlesh Lakhtakia, one of the contributors to this volume, was recently featured on CNN in a discussion on solar energy.
Table of Contents
Section I: Foundations
Introduction to Nanoscience, Technology, and Social Implications. Education Is a Complex System: History, Matrix, Politics, Solutions. Students Are Shifting the Paradigm. Nobel Laureates Are Role Models in Teaching Nanoscience.
Section II: Teaching Nanotechnology
What is Nanotechnological Literacy? How Do We Teach Nanotechnology窶冱 Identity? How Do We Teach about Change in Nanotechnology? How Do We Teach Evaluation of Nanotechnology?
Section III: Nanoscience Resources and Programs
K窶�12 Outreach Programs. Overviews of Nanotechnology Workforce Programs. Informal Science Resources. Overviews: Global Nanotechnology Initiatives and Resources.
Section IV: Framework Applied
Assessing the Options for Action and Implementation. The Twenty-First Century Paradigm窶埜orking Together. Rethinking Education窶任an We Succeed?
