Verizon Foundation Official Talks STEM

Today’s job market and economy are more competitive than ever and are reliant on the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in schools, the president of the Verizon Foundation said Friday.

Rose Kirk, who graduated from Arkansas State University in 1984 with a degree in communications, spoke to nearly 50 teachers during a STEM workshop at the ASU Delta Center for Economic Development.

Kirk said the preparation for tomorrow’s engineers and computer programmers starts in schools today.

“We all share the common mission, a mission of possibilities,” Kirk told the group.

In the past decade or so, technology has become an important part of the classroom. Kirk said she remembers being taught math problems using an abacus as a student.

Today, teachers are using tablets and computer apps to reach students, Kirk said.

Some teachers may be afraid of using technology, but Kirk said it helps students and is no more distracting than the abacus or the atlas.

One of the programs that the Verizon Foundation uses is called the Verizon Innovation Learning Schools. Kirk said the program is being taught to 15,000 students in 32 schools in the United States, including Cotter Junior and Senior High School in Baxter County.

The program teaches both students and teachers to use tablets in classes.

Another program – the Verizon Innovative App Challenge – helps students develop apps on their own while the company’s Mobile Learning Academy helps teachers to use the technology.

Kirk said the use of the technology has made students much more engaged.

FUTURE
“The training is so important,” Kirk said of the future of creating more STEM students and jobs.

Kirk said recent studies have shown there are at least 3 million jobs in the STEM fields in the United States that have been left unfilled.

The company has built a series of innovation labs in Massachusetts, California and Washington D.C. to help look for future opportunities to grow technology.

Also, the company is working with Arizona State University and Philadelphia University to develop ideas.

Kirk said the work involves the engineering, computer and fashion design colleges.

“It helps to create solutions for us. Like developing 3-D glasses that create better amplified vision,” Kirk said, noting another project involves creating a pull-over shirt that helps detect health problems for the person wearing it.