Ok, so I already posted some final thoughts about this semester, but I read an article this afternoon that I absolutely must share: NASA's dwindling budget: Why has America stopped reaching for the stars? "Space travel inspires us to dream about tomorrow, says Neil deGrasse Tyson. So why did we give up?
The space shuttle Endeavor made its way to NYC yesterday. My mother watched its televised progression up the northern seaboard with such delight, you would have thought she was actually on board the spacecraft. We had a brief phone conversation about how her generation was much more enamored of space travel than mine is. This afternoon I was flipping through The Week magazine and stumbled upon this article, and it flipped my opinion of the necessity of the space program. I love when something stops me in my tracks and makes me think.
Dr. Tyson's article will naturally appeal to astronomers, science and mathematics enthusiasts, economists and politicians. But educators? And me, the pre-service art teacher? Frankly, anyone who cares about the future success of the USA should read Tyson's article and reflect on where they stand in regards to space exploration.
Scroll back up, click the link and read the article. It's not that long, and Tyson's writing style is enjoyable.
Creativity. Imagination. Innovation. Those are three things which Tyson claims will propel our country not just into space, but back into economic stability and growth. Those three qualities are why we live the way we do today in regards to technology and media. Those are also three things that the arts cultivate intrinsically - the ability to release the imagination in order to come up with creative ideas which become innovative possibilities and realities.
Share comments on how your subject area supports the future of our country!
Laura, very interesting article. Believe it or not before I wanted to be an art teacher I seriously thought about becoming an astrophysicist. I thought it would be the greatest thing, learn about space, all my questions could be answered, and I would help the world move forward. Somehow that dream got lost, like Dr. Tyson said- our generation has lost the love for space. But why? I relate this article to art in a different way, because I feel Dr. Tyson's situation is similar to ours as art teachers. We want to motivate children to love art and motivate people to see the benefits. What I do know is teaching art will allow our students to develop the skills to help push our country forward. I feel like his dreaded question of "Why spend money up there when there's a problem down here" is similar to the uneasiness some parents have when their children take up an interest in art. Or similar to the issue of budget cuts in the arts classes. Either way thanks for sharing this article!
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ReplyDeleteIts funny, I realized that I have not heard much about the outside world since early middle school. I feel like education about outer space and space travel has sort of left the planet (pun intended). I wish that more could be done about this issue. It makes me think that if we have given up on space exploration what else could we give up on, art? or music? I feel like if it is not purely academic, then it does not matter in the eyes of the higher ups.
I think what is most important to remember as educators is that everything we have today is the result of someone else's ingenuity. If we stop being creative and looking beyond what already is, we will stop progressing on many levels. All subject levels should allow students to follow their imaginations!
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