Written by: Reagan Flowers, PhD The complete impact of the Coronavirus remains to be seen. Across the board, our efforts as a nation to keep our country safe are already having a significant impact on education. The announcements of school closings keep coming, and the dates for projected reopening continue to be extended. The hardest […]
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Preparing Students for a Changing Workplace
Written by: Reagan Flowers, PhD The days of slow-paced change, data kept in hard copy files, and only some workers needing to learn new technology, are long gone. Today’s students require different skill-sets and the changing workplace continues to outpace many schools, leaving students unprepared to enter the workplace right out of high school. Something […]
We’ve Got Work to Do
Written by: Reagan Flowers, PhD As a nation, we are making strides in STEM education, but there is still more work to be done. In the last decade, two million STEM jobs have been created in the United States. Which means there are two million new opportunities to bring about needed change in the world. […]
Ignite Passion for STEM with Reading
Written by: Dr. Reagan Flowers, PhD Though many activities associated with STEM are implemented through hands-on activity, reading is still a crucial skill for students. First, reading can help students discover which areas of science, technology, math, and engineering excite them. Second, it provides a crucial base of knowledge for engaging in these areas. Third, […]
Why Kids Need STEM Early and Often
Written by: Reagan Flowers, PhD Beginning STEM education when a child is very young is a natural fit, not only because of a young child’s curiosity, but also because of the way a young brain develops.We learn throughout our lives by creating connections in our brains. Several factors affect these connections. We create new connections […]
Digital World Results in New Career Paths
Written by: Reagan Flowers, PhD Twenty years ago, we were skeptical about even making a purchase on a computer, but today we store payment information, passwords and a wealth of personal information on laptops, phones and “in the cloud.” Hackers make fortunes stealing this information, and cybersecurity has become essential to prevent this from happening. […]
STEM Serves Key Role for Students with Disabilities
Written by: Reagan Flowers, PhD At C-STEM, we stand firmly behind the belief that every child deserves access to the education he or she needs. We often talk about barriers students face in terms of economic means, geographic location, lack of technology, and underfunded schools. Students with disabilities face everyday obstacles on top of these […]
Distance and Location Take a Toll
Written by: Reagan Flowers, PhD Many students dream of going to college far away, but the reality is that most seek higher education close to home. As referenced in the article “The Education Deserts of Rural America”, nearly 40 percent of college freshmen attend a school less than 50 miles from home. Though the article […]
TEA 2018-2019 Accountability Ratings Show HISD has Made Progress
Written by: Reagan Flowers, PhD With the newly released 2019 Texas Education Agency (TEA) accountability rating, it is clear that replacing the HISD board is not the best course of action at this point. The TEA ratings revealed that three of the four schools, which were poised to trigger closure of the individual schools or […]
Looking at the Whole Picture
Written by: Reagan Flowers, PhD Continually improving our schools is necessary and highly impactful; however, it doesn’t tell the whole story. As referenced in the article, Better Schools Won’t Fix America, school inequality is based on much bigger issues and takes a closer look at why schools in some neighborhoods have more impressive resources and […]
Fund the Future: Teacher Pay Increase
Written by: Reagan Flowers, PhD The passing of the 2019-2020 budget by Houston ISD, the largest public school district in the state of Texas, has naturally caused quite a stir, particularly with the controversy around teacher pay raises. The unanimous vote by the Texas House and Senate in support of House Bill 3, which approved an […]
Summer was Made for STEM
Written by: Reagan Flowers, PhD Throughout the year, educators work hard to give their students the STEM foundation they need to prepare for successful futures. The summer months may be a time to rest and relax, but parents can also help their children prepare for the upcoming school year with STEM activities during the break. […]