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PUBLICATION INFORMATION

TITLE OF PUBLICATION
INTERNET TO RESTORE SCIENTIFIC VOCATIONS: THE SITE MéDIACHIMIE
NAME OF AUTHOR(S)
Paul Rigny
NAME OF PUBLISHER
L’actualité chimique n 362
YEAR OF PUBLICATION
2012
LANGUAGE OF PUBLICATION
French
PUBLICATION TYPOLOGY
Web Article
TARGET GROUP OF PUBLICATION
Young People, Teachers
SIZE OF THE PUBLICATION
3 – 10 pages
DESCRIPTION OF CONTENTS
ENG:
First image. In his seminar, Professor Krzysztof Matyjaszewski presented a picture of his "group" (see p. 12). Question: "Many of your scientists are apparently Asian, does that mean that you recruit abroad?” Answer: "No, these Asians are simply second-generation Americans.” Commentary: “native” Americans rather want to be where things happen - in finance, in marketing. Second comment: today, young Asian Americans also want increasingly to be "where things happen" and are less attracted by the science and technique.

Nothing like it to illustrate what we live without believing: science, technology, what motivated us, what we believe, is losing value in the students of the rising generation: soon, we are not going to have candidates to continue the adventure of the science and technology that structured us. The "scientific vocations" won't longer exist...

So there is a risk: both here and in the U.S., we must guide this young generation according to our values, make it interested in science. This is exactly the challenge that education has at all levels today. Animated by these analyzes or rather by these findings on the attitudes of students, the General Inspectorate of National Education sets up teaching programs of chemistry in the classes of the second, first and terminal that can amaze us. Instead of talking about disciplines, we talk about goals, rather than talking about organic, inorganic or physical chemistry we talk about chemistry for the energy, quality of life, health, etc... How in this way to teach the basics, one asks right away. But how to keep students' attention otherwise practitioners teachers of the day ask. The difficulty, considerable, arrives to teachers who have to pass this tour de force: starting from chemistry presented based on objectives and still teaching disciplinary knowledge.

Second image. What is a public nursery school like in the U.S.? Answer: a series of computer screens one per desk well arranged in front of the teacher's desk. Note: Students today have nothing in common with those that we were, they no longer read nor write but they speak and live "computer" as we never will, even if we are part of the informed people. We must therefore address them differently.

Both images must demoralize us teach us that can no longer grasp the way to apprehend the young students. They must lead us to trust the experts, if necessary those teachers who offer us educational programs that inspire a priori so much reserves. And then we see clearly the articulation- key: establish a framework that puts in correspondence programs built "by objectives" and the disciplines that are the essential body of knowledge to share. The Internet, of course is the king means to succeed in this articulation.

The Foundation of the House of Chemistry and the CNDP (National Center for Educational Documentation , National Education Service) approached the publisher EDP Sciences known for its expertise in the dissemination of scientific information via the Internet to build a site already called Médiachimie designed for teachers , in order that they find supports to define the path from the objectives to disciplines and that they enhance it on the articles or videos - in technical terms on modern and validated “resource”. The Chemical Society of France , UIC, Universcience , the UdPPC and soon other partners could contribute to the richness and quality of this future site, which should be released the next school year; other resources will join them. It is a challenge that our generation may have difficulty in evaluating but if it is to restore scientific vocations among our young successors it is obviously necessary to join.

FR :
Première image. Lors de son séminaire, le professeur Krzysztof Matyjaszewski a présenté une photo de « son groupe » (voir p. 12). Question : « Beaucoup de vos chercheurs apparemment sont asiatiques, est-ce que cela veut dire que vous recrutez à l'étranger ? » Réponse : « Mais non, ces Asiatiques sont simplement des Américains de seconde génération. » Commentaire : les Américains « de souche » veulent plutôt se trouver là où les choses se passent - dans la finance, dans le marketing. Deuxième commentaire : aujourd'hui, les jeunes Américains d'origine asiatique veulent aussi de plus en plus être « là où les choses se passent » et sont moins attirés par la science et la technique.

Rien de tel pour illustrer ce que nous vivons sans y croire : la science, la technique, ce qui nous a motivés, ce à quoi nous croyons, est en perte de valeur chez les étudiants de la génération montante : bientôt, nous n'allons plus avoir de candidats pour poursuivre l'aventure de la science et de la technique qui nous a structurés. Les « vocations scientifiques » n'existeront plus...

Il y a donc péril : cette jeune génération, chez nous comme aux États-Unis, il nous faut l'orienter, c'est-à- dire, selon nos valeurs, faire qu'elle s'intéresse à la science. C'est exactement le défi qui s'offre à l'enseignement aujourd'hui à tous les niveaux. Animée par ces analyses ou plutôt par ces constatations sur la mentalité des élèves, l'Inspection générale de l'Éducation nationale met en place des programmes d'enseignement de la chimie dans les classes de seconde, première et terminale qui peuvent nous stupéfier. Au lieu de parler disciplines, on parle objectifs ; au lieu de parler chimie organique, minérale ou physique, on parle de chimie pour l'énergie, pour la qualité de la vie, pour la santé, etc. Comment par ce biais enseigner les bases, demande-t-on tout de suite. Mais comment retenir l'attention des élèves autrement, demandent les praticiens enseignants du jour. La difficulté, considérable, atterrit chez les professeurs qui devront réussir ce tour de force : partir de la chimie présentée selon des objectifs et enseigner tout de même des connaissances disciplinaires.

Deuxième image. À quoi ressemble une école maternelle publique aux États-Unis ? Réponse : à une série d'écrans d'ordinateurs, un par pupitre, bien rangés devant le bureau du professeur. Remarque : les élèves d'aujourd'hui n'ont rien de commun avec ceux que nous étions ; ils ne lisent plus, n'écrivent plus, mais ils parlent et vivent « informatique » comme nous ne le ferons jamais, même si nous faisons partie des gens avertis. Il faut donc s'adresser à eux différemment.

Ces deux images doivent nous démoraliser, nous apprendre que l'on ne peut plus saisir la façon d'appréhender les jeunes élèves. Elles doivent nous conduire à faire confiance aux spécialistes, en l'occurrence à ces professeurs qui nous proposent des programmes d'enseignement qui nous inspirent a priori tant de réserves. Et nous voyons bien alors l'articulation-clé : établir une grille qui mette en correspondance les programmes construits « par objectifs » et les disciplines qui sont le corps incontournable des connaissances à transmettre. L'Internet, bien sûr, est le moyen roi pour réussir cette articulation.

La Fondation de la Maison de la Chimie et le CNDP (Centre national de documentation pédagogique, service de l'Éducation nationale) se sont approchés de l'éditeur EDP Sciences, connu pour ses compétences techniques en matière de diffusion d'informations scientifiques par Internet, pour construire un site, déjà dénommé Médiachimie, conçu pour les enseignants, pour qu'ils trouvent les supports permettant de définir le cheminement qui va des objectifs aux disciplines et qu'ils l'appuient sur des articles ou des vidéos − en terme technique, « sur des ressources » modernes et validées. La Société Chimique de France, l'UIC, Universcience, l'UdPPC et bientôt d'autres partenaires pourront contribuer à la richesse et à la qualité de ce futur site, qui devrait voir le jour à la prochaine rentrée scolaire ; d'autres ressources les rejoindront. C'est un défi, que notre génération a peut-être de la peine à évaluer, mais si c'est celui de restaurer des vocations scientifiques chez nos jeunes successeurs, il faut évidemment y adhérer.
REVIEWER’S COMMENTS ON THE PUBLICATION
ENG:
Findings: young people today in the U.S. and Europe are less attracted by science and there is a lack of motivation.
Solutions proposed:
1. The education must find solutions and change programs for the teaching of chemistry.
2. Students today have nothing in common with those that we were; they no longer read, nor write, but they speak and live "computer". We must therefore address them differently using ICT as INTERNET to build a site, already called Médiachimie, designed for teachers, in order that they find the supports to define the path from the objectives to disciplines and that they enhance it on articles or videos - in technical terms, on modern "resources".

FR :
Constations :aujourd’hui les jeunes aux Etats -Unis et en Europe sont moins attirés par les sciences il y a un manque de motivation.
SOLUTIONS proposées :
1.L’éducation doit donc trouver des solutions et modifier les programmes pour l’enseignement de la chimie .
2. Les élèves d'aujourd'hui n'ont rien de commun avec ceux que nous étions ; ils ne lisent plus, n'écrivent plus, mais ils parlent et vivent « informatique » . Il faut donc s'adresser à eux différemment en utilisant les TIC comme INTERNET pour construire un site, déjà dénommé Médiachimie, conçu pour les enseignants, pour qu'ils trouvent les supports permettant de définir le cheminement qui va des objectifs aux disciplines et qu'ils l'appuient sur des articles ou des vidéos − en terme technique, « sur des ressources » modernes .
PDF OF THE PUBLICATION
NAME OF THE REVIEWING ORGANISATION
INFOREF

Comments about this Publication

Your comments are welcome


Date: 2013.01.21

Posted by Ana Martín Lasanta (Spain)

Message: I think that this document is not particularly interesting, but explain the the causes for the students’ lack of motivation to study chemistry, they “rather want to be where things happen - in finance, in marketing.”

The paper explain the students’ obstacles in addressing chemistry because “Students today have nothing in common with those that we were, they no longer read nor write but they speak and live \"computer\" as we never will, even if we are part of the informed people. We must therefore address them differently.”

The paper does not explain the students’ obstacles in adressing chemistry because they do not read and do not write: “Students today have nothing in common with those that we were, they no longer read nor write but they speak and live \"computer\" as we never will, even if we are part of the informed people. We must therefore address them differently.”

The paper does not propose successful experiences in motivating students to study chemistry, only proposes changes in didactic guidelines: “(…) They must lead us to trust the experts, if necessary those teachers who offer us educational programs that inspire a priori so much reserves. And then we see clearly the articulation- key: establish a framework that puts in correspondence programs built \"by objectives\" and the disciplines that are the essential body of knowledge to share. The Internet, of course is the king means to succeed in this articulation.”

The paper does not present the difficulties of chemistry teachers to keep update to the continuous progresses of the research. This document question to us how to attract the atention of students in science and at the same time that teachers teach the basic program “But how to keep students\' attention otherwise practitioners teachers of the day ask. The difficulty, considerable, arrives to teachers who have to pass this tour de force: starting from chemistry presented based on objectives and still teaching disciplinary knowledge.”

Finally, the paper talk about became Chemistry into a more attractive subject for pupils: “The Foundation of the House of Chemistry and the CNDP (National Center for Educational Documentation , National Education Service) approached the publisher EDP Sciences known for its expertise in the dissemination of scientific information via the Internet to build a site already called Médiachimie designed for teachers , in order that they find supports to define the path from the objectives to disciplines and that they enhance it on the articles or videos - in technical terms on modern and validated “resource”. The Chemical Society of France , UIC, Universcience , the UdPPC and soon other partners could contribute to the richness and quality of this future site, which should be released the next school year; other resources will join them. It is a challenge that our generation may have difficulty in evaluating but if it is to restore scientific vocations among our young successors it is obviously necessary to join.”

National Reports on successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry The national reports on chemistry successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry are now available on the related section of the project portal. The reports presents examples of successful experiences in the partner countries and the results of testing of ICT resources with science teachers.

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