Sputnik is something that occurred way before my time as I am only 28 years old. However, I did know a great deal about Sputnik prior to reading the article because 1-I learned about it in science class in school and 2- I grew up in West Virginia where the “October Sky” boys invented their rocket, and so because of this we talked a great deal about Sputnik and what it did for our country in school. In reference to the United States during the Sputnik era, we did not want to be labeled second place, nor did we want to feel as though we were behind the times so to speak. It seemed to be a frightening thought at that time as if the whole country’s existence was a stake if our scientists did not find a way to compete with Sputnik. Today, I would argue that we have lost that sense of urgency here in America. I believe that a great deal of Americans are have grown complacent and believe that we are bigger, better, and smarter than other countries. We need to recapture that sense of fear and urgency, especially in the 21st century and talks of nuclear technologies in other countries around the world.
Freidman made a great statement in his article that I believe really hits the nail on the head “Our response to Sputnik made us better educated, more productive, more technologically advanced and more ingenious,’ said the Johns Hopkins foreign policy expert Michael Mandelbaum.”
It’s time for educators to inspire our students to take a stand and aspire to accomplish more, much like the generation of students in the Sputnik era.
Resources:
Friedman, T. L. (2010, January 17). What’s our sputnik? [Op-Ed]. The New York Times [Late Edition (East Coast)], p. WK.8.
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