In this monthly briefing memo, which you have requested, my colleagues at the International Center and I share information that we have gathered on trends and technologies that will have an impact on education.  

The age of accountability is clearly upon us with the increasing number of state tests, as science and multiple grades now being required to be tested.  

While these tests assess basic knowledge and skills, we must be careful not to let them become the finish line for student achievement. Rather, they should be considered as the starting line. Students must learn how to apply the skills and knowledge assessed on the state tests to the real-world predictable and unpredictable situations they will face in their post-school lives.  

Our newly revised rigor and relevance resource kit showcases strategies to assist teachers in moving instruction toward real-world applications of the tested skills and knowledge.
( www.leadered.com/rig_rel_instructions.html )

 Sincerely,    Bill Daggett

 Information Technology  

The Birds and the Bees ... and the Robots  

Biology teachers have taught for many years that reproductive ability is one way to distinguish living creatures from inanimate objects, but self-replicating robots may alter that assumption. Researchers at Cornell University ’s Computational Synthesis Lab have built a robotic device that can reproduce by grabbing cube-like, electronically equipped modules from a “feeder station” and assembling them into a replica of itself. A program tells the device when and where to get the building blocks and where to put them. The scientists admit that the process is not as sexy as biological reproduction, but point out that “... on the other hand, rabbits can’t reproduce in deep space.” This technology may have applications in, for example, repairing and replacing worn-out or damaged components in nuclear reactors or in deep space, where humans cannot go.    

Source: Stephen Leahy, “Go Forth and Multiply, Little Bot,” Wirednews.com, May 12, 2005

www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,67493,00.
html?tw=wn_story_mailer  

Technology continues to blur traditional distinctions. We must train our students to develop those higher order thinking skills in Quadrant D of the Rigor/Relevance Framework that will equip them to deal with the unexpected and the unconventional.  

Replace Your Batteries  

Georgia Tech researchers have developed a microgenerator the size of a dime that can produce up to 1.1 watts of power – enough to run a cellular telephone. Researchers are trying to increase the power output enough to run a laptop computer. Future applications could eliminate the need for heavy, space-consuming power-storage batteries in military electronics, portable consumer devices, and anything else that runs on batteries.

Source: “Microscale Generator Yields Macroscale Power,” Small Times, May 19, 2005

www.smalltimes.com  

The frontiers of micro- and nanotechnology will continue to be pushed ahead by researchers and engineers. We need to encourage more students to take the rigorous math and science coursework that will prepare them for careers in research and development.  

Pointing a Finger at Retail  

Biometric-based security systems already use facial and iris optical recognition in national defense and consumer security systems, for example, at airports and ATMs. Soon, fingerprint-based IDs may replace cash and check payments at retail outlets. Consumers will “enroll” in the system by having the prints of their index fingers scanned into a database that will be cross-referenced to their checking accounts. After entering a password, users will place their index fingers on a countertop reader that will automatically subtract their purchase amount from their checking account.    

Source: Ellen McCarthy, “Cash, Charge, or Fingerprint?” washingtonpost.com, June 9, 2005

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article
/2005/06/08/AR2005060802335.html?referrer=emailarticle 

Biometrics will continue to make inroads into our everyday lives, including perhaps in school security and student identification. Educators need to anticipate such innovations, always balancing privacy concerns with security issues.  

  Biotechnology  

Move Over, Double Helix  

DNA has long been considered the primary device for storing genetic information, but scientists are increasingly recognizing that RNA molecules may be more than passive messenger molecules and play a greater role in heredity than was previously believed. By examining a rare species of plant, scientists have discovered that RNA has the ability to reshape itself and to bring about chemical reactions that cause replication of genetic data. The research suggests that life may have been begun from RNA rather than from DNA.    

Source: JR Minkel, “RNA to the Rescue,” ScientificAmerican.com, May 23, 2005

www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa004&article
ID=000BBD15-0985-1289-BC2083414B7F0000  

I’ll Have a Hamburger. No, Make that Two  

Milk and meat from cloned animals are safe for human consumption, scientists at University of Connecticut report. In fact, researchers found that cloned cows produce healthier meat and more milk than do cows bred using traditional methods. Proponents argue that cloning will reduce the number of dairy cows needed to provide our supply of milk and will also help developing countries, where cows typically produce far less meat and milk than do today’s selectively-bred stocks in the U.S. The findings will be considered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which asked for additional research on the safety of products from cloned cows a year ago. Research continues.  

Source: Kristen Philipkoski, “Cloned Cows Yummy and Safe,” Wired News, April 11, 2005 www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,67175,00.html  

Our students need to discuss issues such as cloning so they can make informed decisions about the benefits vs. the ethical limits of technology.     

Programming Imitates Life  

Biosimulation uses complex computer programs to imitate biological processes. The programs simulate such bodily functions as absorption of nutrients, insulin release, and muscle activity so scientists can, for example, more accurately predict the impact of drug treatments on body systems. While not a substitute for clinical trials, biosimulation is helping drug companies and the FDA avoid costly errors in the development and testing of new drugs. As the programming becomes even more sophisticated, biosimulation could save years of time in the testing and approval of new pharmaceutical solutions.   

Source: “Models That Take Drugs,” The Economist, June 17, 2005  

The increasing integration of computer technology and medicine reminds us that our students need to develop high levels of technical know-how in a wide variety of fields of study.

 Nanotechnology  

Smile and Say Nano  

Swallowable, camera-in-a-pill nanotech devices for diagnosing gastrointestinal problems in the small intestine have been in use for several years. The microminiature camera-in-a-capsule records thousands of pictures over the eight hours it takes for the body’s normal processes to move it through the small intestine, an organ that was previously inaccessible to endoscopes. Scientists are now experimenting with adding robotic “legs” to the capsules, so they can pause them or even back them up when they want to inspect a site of interest more closely.   

Source: Nano Robotics Lab

www.me.cmu.edu/faculty1/sitti/nano/projects/capsules/  

 Education Trends  

Putting Out the Grad Studies Welcome Mat

A new report by the National Academies Press makes the case that U.S. colleges and universities need to recruit foreign students more actively for graduate studies in science, engineering, and technology. A third of the Ph.D.’s in science and engineering in the United States in 2003 were conferred on international students, many of whom have, fortunately, stayed in the United States and become part of our nation’s scientific-technical elite. The report cautions that post-September 11 anxieties and the federal government’s recent tightening of visa-granting procedures should not be allowed to send the wrong signals to would-be graduate students from other countries. The report also urges American colleges and universities to recruit more American students for advanced studies in science and engineering. A complete copy of the report is available at  http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11289.html  

Source: National Science Teachers Association. NSTA Express May 23, 2005 http://science.nsta.org/nstaexpress/nstaexpress
_2005_05_23.htm  

As a land of immigrants and opportunity, America has always welcomed international workers and scholars. Today more than ever, we need to draw from that global talent pool – as well as tap our own domestic potential – in order to ensure a supply of the brightest and the best scientific minds to maintain our leadership position in technology.  

By the Numbers  

In 2003:  

·         42% of the students in U.S. public schools were designated as minorities, up from 22% in 1972.

·         The corresponding percentage of white students decreased to 58% from 78% in 1972.

·         Hispanic enrollment increased from 6% in 1973 to 19%.

·         Hispanic students have outnumbered African-American students since 2002. In the West, minority enrollment surpassed white enrollment.

·         Approximately one in five students had at least one foreign-born parent.

·         Nearly 60% of children aged three and four were enrolled in pre-kindergarten.

·         2.2% of all students were home schooled

·         46% of high school graduates were enrolled in college, with about one third of undergrads in two-year colleges.  

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census

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