Reading, Writing ... And Engineering

[flashl]

In Room 10 at Odyssey Elementary School in Colorado Springs, Colo., teacher Erik Russell leads a class of 27 fourth-graders in a lesson not on reading or writing -- but engineering.

Chemical engineering, actually. As part of a unit on solids and liquids, the students are asked to gradually mix combinations of flour, water and salt -- marking down what happens as they go along -- to come up with an optimal play-dough consistency.

...

And the effort is being spurred, in part, by concerns that in math and science, American students are falling behind other countries -- particularly such industrial competitors as Japan and South Korea.

Corporate America has a business interest in creating more homegrown engineers as well, amid growing evidence of an impending shortage. In the U.S., 62% of doctoral degrees in engineering went to foreign nationals in 2006, compared with 50% in 2000, according to a recent report from the American Society for Engineering Education.

WSJ

It seems that sometime in the future American businesses are planning a return to using the ready, willing, and able American workforce.

[LiberalEsto]

1. Corporate America wants cheap labor

Frankly, I think they would rather hire low-paid engineers from other countries under the H1-B visa scam, than pay American college graduates enough to live on and pay off their student loans.

[Buzz Clik]

2. Ready and willing? Absolutely. Able? Not so much.

Underprepared US students is the norm for those entering engineering schools these days. Quite simply, American kids are finding it more and more difficult to compete against internationals. They have the brains but often lack the drive and preparation.

[flashl]

3. Do you believe business preparation in elementary is a good idea? nt