As a parent I’m sure you think about your kid’s future like every day…like every second of every day.
I know I do.
I look around at how quickly the world is changing and see that technology is playing a huge role in how fast we are seeing advancement in all areas of our lives from connect ability, to how we function in our homes, to the way that people are able to do business.I wonder how my children can live out their best lives by maximizing their gifts and talents in a world that is so technology heavy. Kids today have access to large amounts of technology through video games, iPads, cell phones, and robotics.
In the 80’s many of us were just dreaming about the things that we are able to accomplish today through technology.
There was a time when I thought making a movie required large amounts of money and a life in Hollywood. Today, technology has created opportunities for many more people to express themselves through visual story telling with an iPhone and free editing software.
As my DNA would have it, my kids have expressed creativity in acting, drawing, writing, and dancing. I’ve had to drag my pre-teen daughter to her science fairs. She just qualified for the district level and will be attending our local STEM science fair tonight. The interesting thing I discovered is that as she goes deeper with her project the more she gets more excited about what she is learning. (But it definitely took some convincing at first!)
Kids are sometimes curious about how things work but that curiosity can give way to just wanting to play games on the iPad or with computer games at the end of a long day.
I know that is not unique to my kids. Young people (I can’t believe I said that!) have such a wonderful quality of wonderment, creativity and belief that they can accomplish anything. As a parent I want to keep that creative curiosity and belief alive well into adulthood.
As a mom I want my kids to be more than consumers of technology but creative with technology. I want them to see that technology is more than a way to be entertained or a way to connect with family across the globe but a way solve major community and worldwide issues. Imagine coupling the creativity and ingenuity of children with the knowledge of STEM education. Imagine our children being able to express their ideas and dreams through technology. They are our future; they are the ones who might have the answer to many of our world’s problems with the right education.
One way to get your kids more interested in what STEM education can really do is to expose them to real world data and experiences that make them feel like they are a part of something magical. Stratostar has an amazing program that allows kids to collect awesome data by being first hand witnesses to a weather balloon traveling far into the atmosphere to collect data. They will have a chance to watch the balloon travel through on board cameras and boldly go where no kid has ever gone before!
If you noticed that I used the words “awesome” and “magical” a lot it’s because I believe that when children can see those elements in STEM education it’s good place to start to get them excited and involved.
“Magical” and “awesome” worked for Disney, right?
If you want some magical and awesome ways to get kids into STEM education download this free ebook and “STEM On”!
(Seriously. Can we make that a thing?)
