Prof. Emeritus Seymour Papert, a leading expert on using technology to help children learn, died on July 31, reports Glenn Rifkin for The New York Times. Prof. Mitchel Resnick notes that Papert was “the first person to see that the computer could be used to support children’s learning and development.”
Boston Globe reporter Cristela Guerra writes that Profs. Janet Conrad and Lindley Winslow helped ensure the science in the new “Ghostbusters” was as accurate as possible. “I am very fond of the original ‘Ghostbusters’,” says Conrad. “I have even used ‘Ghostbusters’ as a theme for my colloquium on neutrino physics, since neutrinos are often called the ghost particle.”
Graduate student Jamison Go, who was inspired to become an engineer by watching the show “BattleBots,” is now part of one of four MIT teams competing on the program, writes Jordan Graham for The Boston Herald. “It feels like I’m completing a cycle. To compete on a show which initially inspired me to become an engineer is amazing,” says Go.
Prof. Neil Gershenfeld speaks with Adam Shaw of BBC Horizons about how the fabrication labs he started at the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms have spread around the world. Gershenfeld explains that Fab Labs “are places where ordinary people can go and they can turn data into things and things into data,” adding that they are part of the maker revolution.
Prof. Daniel Hastings, director of SMART, writes for Today that in order to tackle complex social issues, policymakers must have an understanding of science. “Many of the issues faced by Singapore and other societies today are social-technical in nature. Having policymakers equipped with a knowledge in science and technology will be essential to meeting Singapore’s ambitions.”
A new study co-authored by MIT Prof. Susan Silbey examines why female students leave the field of engineering. When the researchers analyzed "more than 40 engineering students’ twice-monthly diaries, they found that female students often felt marginalized during group activities,” Inside Higher Ed reports.
Stephanie Couch has been named the new executive director of the Lemelson-MIT program, reports Curt Woodward for The Boston Globe. Woodward notes that Couch “comes to MIT from California State University at East Bay, where she specialized in advancing science, technology, engineering, and math education.”
Vice President for Open Learning Sanjay Sarma speaks with Politico’s Cogan Schneier about MITili, a new initiative aimed at fostering education research. “A defining feature of [MIT] is that when you create a challenge, everyone attacks it in different ways,” explains Sarma. “The integrated approach seems to unleash a lot here.”
Wall Street Journal reporter Sue Shellenbarger speaks with Prof. Mitchel Resnick about the benefits of teaching children how to code. Shellenbarger writes that Resnick explained that “coding games and puzzles helps children go beyond a passive role with technology…to seeing it as a tool for creating things, expressing their ideas and sharing them with others.”
MIT has launched a number of new initiatives “to expand and research digital and online education for learners of all ages,” reports Inside Higher Ed.
Prof. Frank Wilczek writes for The Wall Street Journal that integrating logic puzzles and games into math lessons could make math a more accessible subject. “We know that people like games of chance and gambling,” writes Wilczek. “These lead naturally into adventures in probability and statistics.”
BetaBoston reporter Elizabeth Preston writes that MIT graduate students are explaining complex aerospace engineering topics to a class of fifth grader students in Georgia. Teacher Alana Davis says of the MIT students that, “I don’t think they realize what a difference they’re making in these kids’ lives.”
Natalie Handy of The Cambridge Chronicle writes about the MIT Museum’s Chain Reaction event, during which teams of people came together to build a mega machine. “Getting people involved, getting people excited, and dreaming and thinking about what they can make is what it’s all about,” said Jennifer Novotney of the MIT Museum.
In an article for USA Today, Megan Flesch speaks with Andrea Garmilla, a senior at Charlotte Catholic who attended the E2@MIT program this summer. Garmilla explains that she was drawn to MIT because it “has so many quirks that make it awesome…the stellar academics and the amazing people really make MIT the best school.”
A team of students from Norwood High School is among the recipients of the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam awards for their design of a retractable awning to remove snow from roofs, writes Jean Lang for The Boston Globe. “It’s a great application of science, engineering, and technology,” says teacher Michael Crowley.