Submitted by Cathy Davidson on Nov 23, 2009, 05:36 AM

The New York Times has just revealed the outlines of an enormous and visionary educational initiative to improve the sciences and mathematics in the United States, including the third HASTAC/MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning Competition that will be announced by the President today. 

 

Here's the url to "WHITE HOUSE PUSHES SCIENCES AND MATH EDUCATION" by Kenneth Chang in the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/education/23educ.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

 

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To improve science and mathematics education for American children, the White House is recruiting Elmo and Big Bird, video game programmers and thousands of scientists.

Elmo and his Sesame Street co-star Big Bird will be among those trying to show students the value of science and math.

President Obama will announce a campaign Monday to enlist companies and nonprofit groups to spend money, time and volunteer effort to encourage students, especially in middle and high school, to pursue science, technology, engineering and math, officials say.

The campaign, called Educate to Innovate, will focus mainly on activities outside the classroom. For example, Discovery Communications has promised to use two hours of the afternoon schedule on its Science Channel cable network for commercial-free programming geared toward middle school students.

Science and engineering societies are promising to provide volunteers to work with students in the classroom, culminating in a National Lab Day in May.

The MacArthur Foundation and technology industry organizations are giving out prizes in a contest to develop video games that teach science and math.

The different sectors are responding to the presidents call for all hands on deck, John P. Holdren, the White House science adviser, said in an interview.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/education/23educ.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

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This is wonderful news, of
Posted on Nov 23, 2009-11:27am by cecire
cecire
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This is wonderful news, of course, and it speaks to HASTAC's interdisciplinarity. But I must admit it gives me a pang to see the digital humanities funded insofar as it can be identified with something outside the humanities, i.e. by piggybacking on a math and science initiative. When will President Obama enlist companies and nonprofit groups to spend money, time and volunteer effort to encourage students, especially in middle and high school, to pursue the humanities and the arts?

Yes, And . . .
Posted on Nov 23, 2009-02:56pm by Cathy Davidson

I know exactly what you mean . . . and all the research I've been doing on education shows that, when you put huge amounts of money in one area, it ALSO benefits all the others.  The thing that hurts the arts and humanities is NO funding in education.  STEM funding requires high levels of literacy and creativity.  They go hand in hand.  And, yes, we are dedicated to making that case!    Thanks so much for sharing that sentiment.  Write your congressman!

Congradulations
Posted on Nov 24, 2009-04:33pm by Trevor Owens
Trevor Owens
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This is really exciting! I look forward to the call for participation.

I have been a little confused about what exactly is happening. Is the "STEM NATIONAL VIDEO GAME COMPETITION" mentioned on the Games for Change website part of the DML competition this year, or is that a separate thing?

Also is the young innovator competition no longer a part of DML?

A separate Games for Change Competition
Posted on Nov 25, 2009-05:58am by Cathy Davidson

There's a separate competition at Games for Change that is part of the STEM competition---check out their site for details.  For the part managed by HASTAC, please check back on December 14 for answers.   Now that it is out there, we're working with many different partners to work out details, who is doing what, where, why, and how.  More to come!