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STEM and Equity – Some thoughts | Tech4Teaching

STEM and Equity – Some thoughts

I turned 50 in November, so I’m old enough to remember when computers were “just for boys” and to have been told I couldn’t take industrial technology class in high school because I was a girl.

I’m also stubborn enough to have registered for industrial tech class anyway, and I was ready for a fight. I’d loved it in 8th grade, grew up with a mom who could use power tools, and was sick of being told “Girls don’t…” and “Girls shouldn’t…” the previous 13 years. I was one of two girls who’d registered for it in my school, and the teachers resisted, making sure we were scheduled into different sections. Note: they both retired by the time I graduated.

Fast forward a few decades. I’m a mother of two incredible daughters. I’m a teacher with a passion for technology and am married to an engineer. In our home, we let our nerd flags fly, and it was important to both of us that our daughters were raised to be stubborn girls as well, not letting gender be an obstacle for their opportunities.

So what’s a mom/teacher to do? I made sure every tech/STEM/engineering opportunity was offered to both my girls. Most of those opportunities were co-ed. In elementary school, it didn’t seem to bother them, but by middle school, things began to change. As an educator, I realized that if my girls – who had STEM nerds for parents and every opportunity we could afford – were hesitant to be “the only one in the room”, less confident girls or other underrepresented populations would be at a serious disadvantage. My stubbornness evolved into a mission – promoting equity in STEM whenever I have a chance.

Since I first started to do coding and engineering units in my middle school technology classes in the 2013-14 school year, my school has expanded CS and engineering instruction dramatically. We now include computer science and/or engineering units in science each year for grades K-8 and have required computer science courses in grades 6-7-8. Making STEM part of the experience for every student provides a basic foundation for all students to be confident enough to pursue other options.

In addition, I’m grateful to be part of several programs supporting the STEM equity mission:

Technovation – Several years ago, a student told me about an organization her mom was part of where girls worked together in teams to create apps to make the world a better place. Three years ago, a colleague and I decided to become mentors. Minnesota is fortunate to have CodeSavvy, an non-profit organization that promotes computer science education through engaging outreach to kids and educators. As a result, our Minnesota hosts its own Technovation event, Appapalooza, where teams of girls pitch their apps to panels of expert judges. With my school’s support, we’re in our third year of doing Technovation. This year, we have four teams of girls, and my youngest daughter, now a high school freshman, is an unofficial junior-mentor for our middle school teams. Most of the girls who join wouldn’t choose to be part of an activity like this if it was co-ed.

#MNCodes – This is another program from CodeSavvy. Each year, they sponsor a cohort of educators who are learning about best practices for computer science education. The culmination of the cohort is the #MNCodes Summit, a day of hands-on sessions that explore ways to empower ALL learners by integrating computer science, coding, and computational thinking into a variety of curricular areas, from K-12. A decade ago, computer science in K-12 classrooms in Minnesota was rare. #MNCodes is in its fifth year, and its work has provided thousands of children – of all backgrounds and genders – with engaging STEM opportunities.

STEPS (Science Technology Engineering Preview Summer) – This year, The University of St. Thomas will host its 21st year of STEPS. After completing the Engineering Education program at St. Thomas, I was invited to be part of the STEPS program. Thus summer will be my third year. STEPS has happened in many iterations, each year providing girls from around the region an opportunity to learn what engineers do through a variety of hands-on STEM activities. In its current form, middle school girls spend one day of their summer at St. Thomas understanding complex engineering concepts in age-appropriate ways, such as turning electic toothbrushes into artbots or building prosthetic hands. If you know a female-identifying student currently in 6th or 8th grade who might be interested, check out the STEPS site or check out the tweet below.

There are many ways of promoting equity in STEM. I’d love to hear what you’re doing and how it’s working for your kiddos.

PS: My husband, the engineer, joined SWE (Society of Women Engineers) to be an ally for women in engineering. Our oldest daughter is currently in her third year of college, double majoring in mathematics and engineering. Our younger daughter is also planning on a career in STEM and is hoping to do something related to space exploration. While they’re likely to be the only girl in the room many times in their lives, they’ve had enough experiences to build the self-confidence necessary to keep moving forward.

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