Week 8 DQC – EDUC 342: Child Development & New Technologies

Crowley- Girls and Science

nhardson — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 08:54:47 +0000

I found this article to be incredibly interesting. Particularly because it brought me back to a video I viewed a couple of years ago: https://youtu.be/XP3cyRRAfX0.

The lack of encouragement and development girls receive around STEM at a young age is incredibly disheartening. I think we are moving towards attempting to create tools to give girls access to STEM. Tools like GoldieBlox are incredibly exciting. However, I believe the true problem is cultural and subconscious. How do we change the ways parents approach girls and science? I think everyone wants their children to succeed but I do think that there are perceptions around how to raise girls that need to change. I wonder how we can make that change possible. I wonder if it must be through awareness and assuring that parents take a very active approach in assuring that they are motivating a girl to pursue STEM as much as they would a boy.

Experiential Education

hgamble — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 07:30:39 +0000

I found Zimmerman’s study of place based learning to be particularly interesting because it rests on a similar educational philosophy as that of Programs like Outward Bounds of SPOT. The motivating philosophy behind outdoor educational experiences is that, with the guidance of an expert, people may push themselves to adapt to often inclement or less than ideal situations, challenge themselves to accomplish tasks that are both physically and mentally demanding, integrate themselves into an environment by not just learning but experiencing the flora, fauna, topography and weather patterns of that area, and reflect on the above experiences with the ultimate goal being personal growth. I am a strong advocate for these types of educational experiences because they emphasize the application and contextualization of knowledge, something that is often difficult to communicate in a classroom setting.

DQC Week 8

eanders7 — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 19:00:43 +0000

It was sad, but not shocking, to read in the research report by Crowley et al that parents are explaining STEM topics to boys three times more often when compared to girls. While wondering around the California Science Museum, young boys are being engaged more often by their parents sharing explanations that may inform a boy’s interests and background knowledge in STEM.

In homes and schools, how do we breakdown this gender gap once and for all? For my female classmates in STEM fields, do you remember what sparked your interest in STEM? Did parents or teachers speak to you in a particular way? How can we support the movement to open STEM fields up to more women? Does anyone think that a great deal has changed since the study was published in 2001?