Living in a college dorm was a unique experience. There were certainly fellow residents I called friends. Then, there were the others. It isn’t that we didn’t like each other. It was simply that we didn’t know each other. How is it possible to live four feet away from someone and not even know their name, much less their major? Looking back, I wished I had overcome the initial awkwardness, walked across the hall, and introduced myself. Sadly, this experience is not unique to dorm life. The same relationship (or lack thereof) exists between industry and education. Besides a few brave exceptions, we tend to stay on our side of the professional fence. Prior to my Kenan Fellowship, I did not give this issue considerable thought. However, by working with Bayer CropScience and participating in Kenan Fellows professional development, I have become cognizant of how much we have to offer each other.
What education offers Business:
Education 101: Businesses are stakeholders in education. However, that reality comes to life when entering the corporate world. Each research scientist, lab tech, communications specialists, and CEO depended on their education to help them arrive at their position (or even read the job description). To me, that is one of the biggest challenges of education, especially at the younger grades. Although certain students already have a tenacious interest in a subject, they still need a well balanced education so the options are open for whatever the future may hold. It is a real challenge to prepare a child for anything and everything. I love the saying, “teachers are preparing students for jobs that do not exist yet.” The business dependence on the education world can be summed up in two words ‘dynamic workforce.’
What can businesses offer education?
This is where I get stuck. After spending hours on the Bayer CropScience campus, I am aware of what Bayer has to offer. In fact, my own classroom has benefited from their nationally recognized Making Science Make Sense program. What about the numerous other businesses in my school’s community? What can businesses outside of my own community offer to their local schools? I don’t know yet, but Lindsey and I are on a mission to find out! We are possibly changing directions in our curriculum product. (Thanks Craig for the input.) It is comfortable for us to design lessons for other teachers (which is what we originally planned). However, we are leaning more towards developing a teacher training on leveraging local businesses to promote student growth. First, we have to identify what they have to offer. Both of us are meeting with our cities’ Chamber of Commerce and local business leaders to see what insight they have. I will update this blog on any new insights after our meetings. At this point, our product is back to the drawing board to answer a new question, “How can educators invite businesses into their world to promote student learning?”
Today’s Takeaway: Businesses and education can transform their symbiotic relationship to model the acacia tree and ants….where both species benefit!