Posts Tagged ‘STEM for girls’

Marymount Mobile Computing Initiative

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Marymount School NYC student using mobile technology in the classroom

Marymount School NYC student using mobile technology in the classroom

In his book Rewired: Understanding the iGeneration and the Way They Learn, professor and author Larry D. Rosen states “iGeners are growing up with portable technology. But I look as the little ‘I’ as reflecting the individualized culture.” Portable technology can take on many forms in education, including a 1:1 laptop program or the integration of smartphones and other mobile technology into the curriculum. No longer are our students sitting behind a desk with an open textbook, reviewing the “end of the chapter problems” on stoichiometry. They are blogging, commenting, sharing; they are accessing multimedia, multitasking and evaluating. Whether they are commuting on the subway on the way to school; hanging out in social spaces within school or sitting on the bench at sports practices, how our students access, interpret and respond to knowledge is rapidly changing. And its changing at a rate at which educators often cannot keep up with.

At Marymount, we have taken several steps to integrate mobile technology into our curriculum. We also tip our hat to the Atlanta Girls’ School, whose nationally recognized technology program was the impetus for our foray into mobile technology. We developed our program, the Marymount Mobile Computing Initiative, through the lens of research on how girls learn. Cognizant of the 2009 UCLA study, which noted that girls’ school graduates have more confidence in mathematics and computer abilities, and further supported by the 2010 AAUW report, which suggested that there has been an increase in the number of women in STEM careers, we sought to create a program that would allow girls to interact in an environment of interconnectedness while using a wide range of instructional strategies. The goals of this initiative were also fully in line with the Marymount Model of STEM education: an interdisciplinary focus, supported by technology, pedagogically-sound resources, all under the umbrella of a real world context.

Phase I of the initiative focused on the integration of mobile technology in two Advanced Placement courses: French Language and Physics C: Mechanics. Students in each class were given an iPod Touch for use during the school year. In AP Physics C: Mechanics, the curriculum was supported by pedagogically-sound Apps from the iTunes Store. For example, the study of oscillations was enhanced by the MassSpring app, a basic physics lab in which a block is attached to an ideal spring; students could then investigate the influence of the mass of the block and the spring constant, for example, on simple harmonic motion. Using the Newton’s Cradle app, students could investigate Newton’s Third Law and Conservation of Momentum. These Apps were used to supplement the curriculum and did not replace the required lab activity. However, the students were able to complete the activities “anytime, anywhere.” Moreover, students were able to access a variety of physics-related podcasts found on iTunes as well as additional teacher-produced, interactive podcasts.

In AP French Language, students used Twitterific and TweetMike to further develop their speaking, listening and comprehension skills in the target language. For example, on a weekly basis, the teacher would “Tweet” the link to an article on French culture found in LeFigaro or Paris Match. Students would then read the article on their iPod Touch and, using TweetMike, produce an audio recording or “TweetCast” that included a response in the target language. Students were also able to Tweet their peers the links to any article, audio or video file as well as access current events and other content in French on through a variety of apps, including Radio24 and TV5.

The student response to the use of the iPod Touch in the classroom has been very positive. Students commented:

  • I am a visual learner so being able to conduct basic demos of physics concepts made learning more dynamic and enhanced my basic understanding.
  • I appreciated being able to access course material and podcasts at any time.
  • All of the French radio apps allowed me to listen to French in real time. It definitely improved my listening comprehension and speaking
  • The iPod Touch is a terrific way to learn a language!

Planning of phase II of the Mobile Computing Initiative, for 2010-2011, is currently underway. Students in AP Biology will receive an iPod Touch, which will allow them to access teacher-produced and student-produced course-related podcasts and vodcasts. Students in Atmospheric Science will use the iPod Touch to become “Mobile Meteorologists,” in which they will be able to access current weather information and numerical model data to remotely write and produce audio forecasts for the school community here in New York as well as for our sister school in Los Angeles.

Perhaps the biggest paradigm shift, though, in education is the introduction of the iPad. The iPad provides a new education platform for both teachers and students. While some may argue that the iPad allows for people to consume media and not create it, others contend that the iPad will further enhance and drive the interactive nature of education. Marymount faculty has already embraced the iPad as part of the faculty pilot program this spring.

In the fall of 2010, the iPad will be integrated into our curriculum in all divisions. This additional strand of the Mobile Computing Initiative comes after careful consideration and evaluation by the faculty. As Larry Cuban suggests, “One reason technology integration has historically failed in schools is because technology is initiated with a top-down approach, in which administration forces certain technologies on teachers, and teachers force these same technologies onto students.”

To support the integration of the iPad into the curriculum, Marymount faculty is being given the opportunity to be iPad Innovators this summer. Participating faculty will receive an iPad for the summer, with the overarching goal to redesign a course curriculum using Apps available for the iPad. So far, potential redesigns of Lower School Music, AP Statistics and Middle School Science have been proposed, among others.

The success of the Marymount Mobile Computing Initiative results from a thoughtful approach to technology integration and has given our students the opportunity for individualized, yet instructional avenues using portable technology.

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NCGS Environmental Think Tank Brings Sustainability Ideas to Campus

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

The all-girls Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, CT, hosted educators from independent, public, elementary, secondary and higher education institutions from Connecticut and as far away as New Orleans and Washington state for a groundbreaking NCGS Think Tank on taking sustainability education to the next level: beyond lightbulbs and recycled paper. The Think Tank model was originated by the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools to encourage an exchange of ideas among participants that will benefit their educational missions and of course, their students. Walker’s has placed significant focus on sustainability both on campus and off, offering classes in environmental science specifically, and co-operative learning where an economics class, for instance, addresses the impact of the environment on our economy.

The daytime event was preceded by dinner and animated conversation at The Firebox Restaurant, a cornerstone of the successful neighborhood rehabilitation project at Billings Forge in Hartford’s Frog Hollow neighborhood. Cary Wheaton, Executive Director of the Billings Forge project, along with Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, spoke with attendees about collaboration between schools and other non-profits, such as municipalities and environmentally conscious organizations like Billings Forge. This kind of collaboration resulted in Walker’s becoming a founding partner of the Community Farm of Simsbury, a project which is focused on farm-based education as well as community service, sustainable farming techniques and service to the poor. The Town, Billings Forge, and Walker’s play a significant role in the direction of this important community project.

The daytime sessions on Walker’s campus started with a keynote by Brooke Redmond, a 1990 graduate of Walker’s and Executive Director of the national Farm-Based Education Association. Redmond spoke about the benefit of collaborations between schools and local farms across the country – students participate in results-oriented work, have ready opportunities for community service that directly impacts the sustenance of others, and learn food system literacy.

Further sessions focused on student-driven change on campus – for instance, having students build and present business plans to administrators promoting the adoption of new sustainable practices. This session was led by Walker’s faculty Jill Harrington and Carol Clark-Flanagan, co-teachers of the School’s acclaimed Environmental Studies class. Creating and Sustaining a Campus Organic Garden was a popular choice for the day. Many schools have or are looking to build gardens that not only educate students about where their food comes from, but encourages physical activity, recycling practices and wellness. Walker’s own organic garden was the site of this session, led by Garden Club faculty advisor Grace Epstein.

Cultivating Dynamic Partnerships for Education, the Economy and a Sustainable Environment, led by Pine Point School head Paul Geise, addressed collaboration with third party corporations using schools as measurement sites for environmentally beneficial, innovative products, such as wind turbines. Pine Point. located in Stonington, is hoping to be a prototype school by partnering with numerous Connecticut-based corporations and schools to allow students to measure results as well as to give companies the opportunity to see their products in use in a learning environment.

St. Luke’s School in New Canaan, CT, has benefited tremendously from the installation of an outdoor classroom on campus, used not only by science classes, but by all others most notably English, where students reflect on Thoreau’s works in a natural setting. The St. Luke’s boardwalks and gazebo were built by a team of students and teacher David Havens and plans are in the works to expand the project due to its success in enhancing education.

The School Campus and a Sense of Place, led by Hopkins School faculty member Priscilla Kellert, encouraged educators to give their students an understanding of the history, geology and ecology of the site their school sits on to foster a deeper connection with the land they are learning on and in many cases, helping to sustain.

Katrina Linthorst Homan shared her work at Choate, where she was instrumental in building a Student Environmental Task force, and keeping momentum at peak levels. Special attention needs to be paid to the specific culture of each school, and Choate has built an enviable and sustainable program.

The day closed with Katy Perry, a faculty member at Miss Porter’s who is actively involved with the Green Schools Alliance, an organization that has grown many times over in the past few years as it joins schools together to pool resources for on campus sustainability efforts. The GSA introduced the Green Cup Challenge several years ago, where independent schools compete during a two-week period to see which school can reduce their energy expenditure the most. This year, Avon Old Farms School was the winner of the Challenge, and public school districts are now emulating the competition. Perry’s session focused on the many different working parts of a school, such as administration, engineering and grounds maintenance, marketing, faculty, famiies – and understanding the contributions each entity has and can make towards environmentally sound practices.

Attendance at the Think Tank was diverse, from classroom teachers to school administrators to grounds and maintenance staff, promoting cross-departmental conversation from many regions of the country.

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Girls and mathematics: confidence and success are directly proportional

Monday, February 1st, 2010

This post was written by guest blogger Sally Reid, whose name is similar but not identical to mine, and whose skill set is vastly different! She has taught mathematics at girls’ schools for many years, and now teaches at Dana Hall School, (longtime NCGS member) in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

math-problems-for-girls-

A study recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that female elementary school teachers who suffered from math anxiety could instill negative gender-biased stereotypes in the girls they teach.  Really? Now that’s not good! From my own personal experience (not statistically significant, I know) as a young girl it never occurred to me that boys could be better in math than girls, never mind that they actually were.  Maybe my teachers suffered no math unease, or maybe I simply just loved math no matter what, or maybe my parents both valued math as much as they valued reading and made that quite obvious at home.  As a young student, the only thing I objected to was a boring teacher or one who was unfair.  I don’t remember any who demonstrated angst of any sort; perhaps they hid it well.  But, let’s assume for a minute that the research is conclusive and that there really are girls out there identifying with their overly math-anxious female teachers to the detriment of their mathematical future.

To use math terminology, success and confidence are directly proportional.  One of the most loved and competent teachers I have ever known taught first grade for over thirty years.  When asked to identify the most profound indicator of student success she replied, “It is amazing to see what kids can do when they think they can, compared to what they can do when they think they can’t.” How true this is for all of us.  I received phone calls from two of my sons last week; both had just started up new courses, one an undergraduate -level mathematics course and the other a graduate-level course about security in the Middle East.  Both guys remarked that their professors were fabulous, and went on to explain that what made these men so extraordinary was their robust, self-assured delivery, which made them absolutely convincing.  Confidence matters!

So what about math education for girls?  Girls need confident, competent women around them every day from the time they first set foot in a school building.  We have come a long way in our understanding of math anxiety, girls and math, and gender differences in learning, but we must still have a way to go if this research is accurate.  I send a big thank you to every elementary school teacher for helping our girls build the foundation they need to succeed in this modern, technical world.

And, for those teachers who are anxious when arithmetic time rolls around, I encourage you to do something about it.  Like your own students, you must be confident about what you do to be the best you can be for the kids.  If this means diving into another math class at the local university, do it.  If it means signing up for a summer math program for educators, do it.  You owe it to yourself and to the girls you teach.

For the parents out there, look for signs that your girls are losing confidence in their math ability and address it.  If you, yourself, disliked math in school or thought you were terrible at it, consider keeping that to yourself (let’s face it, you don’t tell them everything you think or did).  Don’t give girls license to dislike math, don’t let them think it is only for boys, and don’t let them fall behind.  The National Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM http://www.stemedcoalition.org/) initiative is funding programs in our schools across the country to promote these fields; the premise being that we cannot compete as a nation unless we produce top-thinkers in these disciplines.  Now, more than ever, we need the female perspective in design and research.

Girls deserve a solid mathematical foundation.  As a math teacher at an all girls’ school in Massachusetts, I see first-hand that a single-sex environment could be the answer for many of our students.  Here the best math student is a girl, the most outspoken math student is a girl, and all of the kids in the BC Calculus class are girls.  But, for a typical young woman in high school, the boy sitting next to her in math class can influence her in ways I won’t even begin to address.  The bottom line:  If she has a strong foundation and believes in herself, she’ll have what it takes to succeed in mathematics and the future will be a better one for all of us.  Let’s do what we can to make sure this happens.

—Sally Reid

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