The December 18, 2006, issue of Time magazine has the following cover story: "How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20th Century" and teacher Charles Dershimer from the Henry Ford Academy in Dearborn, Michigan, is included in the article. His science class is teaching the interdisciplinary Ford PAS Module 5, Closing the Environmental Loop! Click here to read the article. If you are not a subscriber to Time, you can still view the article by watching a brief commercial.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1568480,00.html
By Alex, Amanda, Cody, Darryl, Jessica, and Tarina
Posted: 12/6/2006
Cell phones with cameras, satellite radio, cars with navigational systems, DVD players, and computers that can go anywhere, all of these technologies that are taken for granted by their users have a very important role in the modern world. But, how did people function between the 1950’s and 1970’s? Did they ever think science and technology could advance so much over a short period of time? Or, did they ever think they would have the career they have now? Everything is evolving and changing, including people’s views of the future from their childhood to adulthood.
For the purpose of this article, we interviewed approximately 15 people who have backgrounds in science and engineering. We asked them how their views of the future have changed throughout the years. We also took time to ask them if it had always been their dream to enter a career in science. With help from Shawne Duperon, a television producer from Michigan who gave us great interviewing tips, we were able to get amazing feedback from our respondents.
When our interviewees were children, they did not have half the technologies we possess today. One of our interviewees, Dawn Striker, a high school physics and calculus teacher at Smith Academy in Massachusetts, was a child when color TV was just being introduced. She said, “When I was a kid, color TV was a new thing and I was the remote.” Kate Soderstrom, a Ford PAS coordinator at West Bloomfield High School in Michigan, had a different view of the future as a child. She explained, “I thought the world would go on forever.” Then, she realized that humanity will eventually run out of natural resources at some point. Charles Dershimer, a teacher at the Henry Ford Academy in Michigan had a very far-fetched view of the future as a child. He declared, “I thought the future would be Star Trek.” Karen Powell, a science teacher at Romulus Community High School in Michigan said, “When I was a child, I didn’t think much [of the future].” Well, we must say that they had some very interesting views of the future as kids just like we did… and, still do.
One thing that everyone agreed on is that their view of the future now is different and more realistic. We all know that technology is growing rapidly and no one can really predict what is going to happen due to this rapid growth. However, some interviewees talked about how there would be more innovation and technology. Some said they had great expectations like finding the cure for AIDS. Many said they want to see more women in engineering, or frankly, just more engineers. Phyllis Lucy-Manuel from Therrell High School told us, “I want to see free education and the breaking down of gender barriers.” Sharon Campsey, a chemistry teacher from Taconic High School in Massachusetts wants to see more curricula like Ford PAS and better technology in all schools. Other respondents also noted the lack of technology in hundreds of schools across the nation.
The future is dependent on workers who are passionate about their careers, and this passion will be the key element in creating a brighter future. Everyone has bright ideas for the future and eventually these ideas will take shape and create opportunities that have never been offered before. Our interviewing sessions have opened our eyes to how much the future could change, whether it is for the good or the bad. The future is in the hands of youth across the world to make Earth a healthier place. It is exciting for us to know that we may come up with technologies that could exceed all others. We will be the ones saying: “Well, when I was ten, I never thought anything like that would ever happen…” The future is exhilarating and frightening at the same time, but as Dawn Striker says, “What the future will bring, I don’t know, but it will be fun.”
http://www.fordpas.org/students/studentfeatures.asp