The Pedagogy of Passion
with Norma Thornburg

Abstract:

College enrollment in science and engineering is declining as the number of high paying jobs in these fields are continuing to increase. Even in the face of a stock market downturn, the shortage of high-tech workers has reached crisis proportions worldwide. Research has shown that this problem needs to be addressed in the middle and high-school years, and this presentation shows how to do just that!

Through a presentation with demos of novel software, we explore the pedagogy of passion -- methods for insuring that every learner can go beyond the mechanics of their subjects to understand why there are people who devote their lives to the fields of math and science. In short, we explore why we must move beyond simple competency in math and science to helping students know why there are mathematicians and scientists. Exemplary software tools that allow learners to creatively explore these fields will be presented along with some concrete suggestions for remedying a crisis that threatens the economic viability of the developed world.

Attendees will leave with practical guidelines and a renewed excitement for learning and teaching.

Presentation type...	keynote or breakout session
Audience................	all
Duration.................	1 hour
Handouts................	no

Dr. Thornburg will gladly tailor any presentation to your specific needs.