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Journal ArticleDOI

The National Defense Education Act, Current STEM Initiative, and the Gifted

01 Jan 2009-Gifted Child Today (SAGE Publications)-Vol. 32, Iss: 2, pp 50-53
TL;DR: Friedman et al. as mentioned in this paper examined the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) and present-day STEM initiatives in relation to gifted education and found that America has had a long-standing involvement with STEM issues that dates back to the establishment of West Point.
Abstract: Oh little Sputnik, flying highWith made-in-Moscow beep, You tell the world it’s a Commie skyAnd Uncle Sam’s asleep.You say on fairway and on roughThe Kremlin knows it allWe hope our golfer knows enoughTo get us on the ball.—Gov. G. Mennen Williams (Michigan)During the past several years, much discus-sion has focused on developing America’s future scientists, technologists, engineers, and math-ematicians (STEM) in order to remain viable and competitive in a growing global economy (Friedman, 2005). In retrospect, America has had a long-standing involvement with STEM issues that dates back to the establishment of West Point in 1802. West Point graduates designed many of the railroads, bridges, and roads so important to this country’s early expansion. The Morrill Act of 1862, originally intended to estab-lish colleges and universities to study agricul-ture and mechanical arts, also supported science and engineering programs. This indirectly led to the establishment of the university research system (Butz et al., 2004). In more recent history, parallels can be drawn between STEM initia-tives involving the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957, its legislative history, and the current “quiet crisis” over America’s ability to compete globally (Friedman, 2005). This article examines the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) and present-day STEM initiatives in relation to gifted education. More than 50 years ago, on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union propelled Sputnik, a 185-pound sphere of aluminum, into space; it orbited the Earth for a brief 98 minutes. “As a technical achievement, Sputnik caught the world’s atten-tion and the American public off-guard,” and also garnered swift action from the U.S. federal government (National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], 2008, para. 4). The United States’ reaction to the launch of Sputnik, coupled with an already ongoing criticism of the American educational system, set the stage for an unprecedented infusion of funding from the federal government to reform public education at all levels. In 1958, the U.S. Congress passed the National Defense Education Act (P.L. 85–864) in order to counteract the seemingly superior Soviet school system that focused on training young scientists and creating an “elite genera-tion” of our own pipeline of STEM workers (Passow, 1957).

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Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A multicultural STEM-focused career development framework is offered to encourage career development professionals' knowledge and awareness of STEM education and careers and delineates considerations for practice aimed at increasing the attainment and achievement of diverse groups in STEM fields.
Abstract: Numerous federal and national commissions have called for policies, funds, and initiatives aimed at expanding the nation's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce and education investments to create a significantly larger, more diverse talent pool of individuals who pursue technical careers. Career development professionals are poised to contribute to the equity discourse about broadening STEM participation. However, few are aware of STEM-related career development matters, career opportunities and pathways, or strategies for promoting STEM pursuits. The author summarizes STEM education and workforce trends and articulates an equity imperative for broadening and diversifying STEM participation. The author then offers a multicultural STEM-focused career development framework to encourage career development professionals' knowledge and awareness of STEM education and careers and delineates considerations for practice aimed at increasing the attainment and achievement of diverse groups in STEM fields.

89 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors used Revised Bloom's Taxonomy (RBT) in conjunction with Efklides's metacognition framework to design questions to address the different RBT cognitive processes and knowledge types.

33 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article examined the history in the United States and the sociopolitical commitments that have, in parallel, guided science education in Canada, concluding that STEM may be best viewed as a boundary object, highlighting its value as a collaboration gathering point.
Abstract: The term STEM, used to describe science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, has come to prominence in Canada over the last decade, raising questions about its meaning. Here we examine its history in the United States and the sociopolitical commitments that have, in parallel, guided science education in Canada. The divergent nature of these histories suggests that STEM may be best viewed as a boundary object, highlighting its value as a collaboration gathering point. This can allow science educators to engage with STEM in ways that are meaningful without necessarily accepting associated definitions and priorities.

32 citations

01 Jan 2016
TL;DR: Foran et al. as discussed by the authors contextualize this case study of contemporary counter-hegemony in South Africa through a theoretical-conceptual approach, and a deep, colonial, historical approach.
Abstract: Author(s): Irvine, Timothy | Advisor(s): Foran, John; Lezra, Esther | Abstract: Despite apartheid’s 1994 de jure abolition, contemporary university students in South Africa transgressively protest for ongoing, radical, de facto “decolonization” that they allege, and I agree, has not occurred. My thesis historicizes and analyzes the Rhodes Must Fall (RMF) and Open Stellenbosch (OS) protests at University of Cape Town (UCT) and Stellenbosch University (SU), respectively. I analyze how university students’ protests drive counter-hegemonic social movements locally, regionally, and potentially globally. I highlight marginalized students’ imagination and articulation of alternatives to global neoliberalism, which is transgressive and perceived as radical. I contextualize this case study of contemporary counter-hegemony in South Africa through a theoretical-conceptual approach, and a deep, colonial, historical approach. I present three critical premises: (1) neoliberalism is de-democratization and covert authoritarianism; (2) universities are potential sites of critical democratization; and (3) marginalized university students drive a radical, transgressive imagination of alternative worlds. I provide critical historical background to situate South Africa within Contemporary Globalization before chronicling the emergent themes of ongoing protests. Following my South Africa case study, I briefly compare RMF and OS to other university student protests around the globe, including California and Germany. I suggest that under Contemporary Globalization, apparently dissimilar social movements share much in common, including universities’ simultaneous assimilation into, and potential for resistance against, the new, covert authoritarianism and de-democratization of global neoliberalism.

27 citations


Cites background from "The National Defense Education Act,..."

  • ...(Leslie, 1993; Evans, 1995; Jolly, 2009; Mettler, 2011) This was wrapped up, however, in the military-industrial complex, which further necessitated large-scale, institutionalized education systems that would produce knowledge that served “the public,” meaning mostly pro-capitalist, anti-USSR…...

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References
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Book
05 Apr 2005
TL;DR: Friedman and Friedman went to the same high school and used the Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention as inspiration for his column "The GoldenArches theory of conflict prevention" as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: People always wonder, where does a talent like this come from? They ask, where does he come up with the inspiration for his columns and the titles for his books? Well, it just so happens that, in this case, I know I have insider information Tom Friedman and I went to the same high school, St Louis Park Senior High School, St Louis Park, Minnesota I know, for example, that there was a McDonald's directly across the street from our high school This first franchise McDonald's in America was the inspiration for his widely acclaimed column, "The Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention"

3,763 citations

11 Jun 2008

1,235 citations


"The National Defense Education Act,..." refers background in this paper

  • ...In more recent history, parallels can be drawn between STEM initiatives involving the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957, its legislative history, and the current “quiet crisis” over America’s ability to compete globally (Friedman, 2005)....

    [...]

  • ...In more recent history, parallels can be drawn between STEM initiatives involving the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957, its legislative history, and the current “quiet crisis” over America’s ability to compete globally (Friedman, 2005)....

    [...]

  • ...—Gov. G. Mennen Williams (Michigan) During the past several years, much discussion has focused on developing America’s future scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians (STEM) in order to remain viable and competitive in a growing global economy (Friedman, 2005)....

    [...]

  • ...In contrast to the era of NDEA, the current “quiet [STEM] crisis” as coined by Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has not experienced a galvanizing event such as Sputnik to garner the attention and level of funding on the scale that resulted from Sputnik and NDEA (Friedman, 2005)....

    [...]

  • ...…to the era of NDEA, the current “quiet [STEM] crisis” as coined by Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has not experienced a galvanizing event such as Sputnik to garner the attention and level of funding on the scale that resulted from Sputnik and NDEA (Friedman, 2005)....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI

772 citations