C4T 2 Jerrid Kruse

Mr. Kruse has an amazing blog and a lot to say. The first blog post I read was on 9/25 and it was basically a warning about creativity. He explained that by using all of these wonderful forms of technology, important learning objectives might be missed. The student may become so involved in the project and how it is being done, that they are missing the point of the project. I commented back that I agreed. It is important that teachers are aware of this before they begin a project and remind students of the right direction.
The second post on 11/9 was about a STEM council that was created of less than 25% educators. The other 75% were business leaders. I'm not going to lie, I had never heard of this term and had to research to find out what it was all about. What I discovered is that there is a lot of buzz around this subject. STEM stands for: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The idea is a way to address the increasing demand for jobs requiring strong foundations in these areas. There are STEM councils being created in several states. I think it would be ignorant for anyone to deny the importance of these councils. Their purpose is correct and accurate. I agree with Mr. Kruse, however, in his anger over the way they are being put together. The ratio of 25%-75% sends a very loud message that education of the children is not at the center of the councils created. A council created with business objectives would not have a 75% council of educators. There is a serious disconnect that leaves me wondering what the true purpose is.