Science is often considered a male-dominated field. In fact, according to United Nations data, less than 30% of scientific researchers worldwide are women.
Studies have shown that women are discouraged from, or become less interested in, entering the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) beginning at a young age. And according to the Pew Research Center, women remain underrepresented in engineering, computer science and physical science.
But despite challenges of gender discrimination and lack of recognition in the scientific community, countless inspiring women in these fields have made historic contributions to science and helped advance understanding of the world around us.
Many were not recognized in their own lifetimes, but their achievements have helped generations of female scientists to come. We all learned about Marie Curie and Jane Goodall, but here are 10 more women in science you should know.
As we sail through the 21st century, technology in the classroom is becoming more and more predominant. Tablets are replacing our textbooks, and we can research just about anything that we want to on our smartphones. Social media has become commonplace, and the way we use technology has completely transformed the way we live our lives.
Educators, too, have seen firsthand the benefits of technology in the classroom. They also recognize the importance of developing these technological skills in students so they will be prepared to enter the workforce once they complete their schooling.
Teachers are a huge influence on a student’s choice of subject matter or their decision to pursue a STEM career. The evidence from the ICM-S survey suggests that students’ decisions to study STEM in college can be directly influenced by classroom instruction and teacher advising. However, student motivation can be a huge problem for even the best of teachers. But teachers also face a lot of challenges when it comes to STEM education.
Here are the top challenges that most teachers face and a few suggestions for how to tackle them.
Makerspace is a rapidly growing trend in schools across the country, but to be honest, I’ve never implemented one myself, and I can’t quite picture the logistics of orchestrating a Makerspace. How do kids know what to do? How can you find out what they’re learning? How do you make time for that with all the other tasks crammed into the school day? And how do you keep the Makerspace from turning into a chaotic mess?
As technology advances, STEM for girls is becoming increasingly relevant. Yet, despite this importance, many still believe that STEM is not for girls. Nonetheless, evidence shows that such thinking is not the reason but the cause of us having a lack of women in STEM.
Let’s investigate what the benefits of STEM for girls are.
While the debate regarding how much screen time is appropriate for children rages on among educators, psychologists, and parents, it’s another emerging technology in the form of artificial intelligence and machine learning that is beginning to alter education tools and institutions and changing what the future might look like in education. It is expected that artificial intelligence in U.S. education will grow by 47.5% from 2017-2021 according to the Artificial Intelligence Market in the US Education Sector report. Even though most experts believe the critical presence of teachers is irreplaceable, there will be many changes to a teacher’s job and to educational best practices.
As a nation, our education industry has recognized a shortcoming in our students. We’ve fallen behind other industrialized countries in terms of STEM-related fields, which include Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Not only does a STEM-focused education open students to new subjects, it also allows for different learning methodologies to be utilized.