iSTEM: Using iPods to Empower Young Female ScientistBy Cathleen Richardson Did you know that women receive only 20 percent of all bachelor’s degrees in engineering and physics? This is due in part to freshmen enrollment in engineering remaining nearly at the same level today as it was 20 years ago. From 1984 to 2004, the number of freshmen women actually dropped 2.6% from 17,356 to 16,896. Additionally, women make up a small percentage of science and engineering faculty members at major research universities and tend to receive fewer institutional resources for their research than their male colleagues do. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson seeks to change these statistics by introducing H.R. 1144, the Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Act, which she also introduced in the 110th Congress. The legislation promotes gender parity in the academic disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at the university faculty level. The provisions of H.R. 1144 are derived from recommendations of the National Academies report "Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering," which found that women are under-represented in the STEM fields, in part due to gender bias. "Gender bias doesn’t just hurt those students and professors, it hurts all of us, because it diminishes our global competitiveness in science and technology. I believe that once we have successfully fought gender bias, we will all have won," Johnson said. Atlanta Girls' School, a nondiscriminatory, nonsectarian college preparatory school for girls grades 6 through 12 is taking a prolific step in changing this issue, but much earlier than college. This Georgia based school has launched the first strategic initiative combining a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program with iPod technology. iSTEM is AGS’ new strategic initiative that seeks to create a more robust awareness and interest in the STEM fields by infusing grade-level appropriate technology tools into the curriculum. “No other areas will offer more employment opportunity for our students as they enter their adult lives,” said Pinney Allen, Head of School. “Even if students choose to work in other fields, an understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics has probably never been more required as a basic skill.” Atlanta Girls’ School has a science curriculum that begins with physical science in the eighth grade, biology in the ninth grade, and chemistry in the tenth grade. This makes it possible for girls in the eleventh and twelfth grades to experience computer programming, advanced physics or to pursue independent research and work, actually participating hands-on in the scientific field. iSTEM Program Outline:
- Students in eighth grade are iPod Touches to enhance Physical Science curriculum.
- Ninth grades students use the iPod Touch to enhance Geometry curriculum.
- Tenth grade students use the iPod Touch to enhance Algebra II and Chemistry curriculum.
- Eleventh grade students begin Programming 101 using Cocoa Programming/Objective C to create applications for the iPod Touch
- Twelth grade students begin Programming 201 using Cocoa Programming/Objective C to program an artificial life called, Pleo.
- Each grade uses the iPod Touch for additional purposes: recording notes, 3D simulations, student-response device, note cards, graphic calculator, ruler, lab timer, study cards, graphing, iTutor, fractal editor, wireless presentation device, podcasts, recorded lessons, showcase student-created work, assessments and much more.
Atlanta Girls’ School is one of the first independent schools in the country – and the only school in Georgia – to develop educational programs for the iPod Touch. Many predict that the computer of the future will be the smartphone – variations on Apple’s iPod Touch or iPhone or Research In Motion’s BlackBerry. The iSTEM program will allow AGS girls to stand on the forefront of technology advancements like the aforementioned. AGS students have already created student work on these devices as an educational tool. Suzanne Coleman’s eighth grade class has created a virtual period table using Apple’s Keynote software application. The students are also able to view and touch the elements on the virtual table via their iPod Touch – extending the learning process outside of the classroom. The iSTEM program begins in eighth grade with a physical science curriculum infused with technology applications and will end in twelfth grade with AGS girls becoming Cocoa and Objective C programmers. The curriculum for this project will be aligned with National Science, Math, Engineering and Technology Standards and guided by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills Framework. The school’s goal is through its curriculum mapping technology to add iPod applications to all science and math curricula. Eleventh and twelfth grade girls, once the program is fully instituted, will be able to take two programming courses. The first will be offered by Tech 2000inc. This course will be provided via eLearning. The Tech 2000inc. team has created a very robust course, but they have tailored it for the young ladies to be able to achieve a rich understanding of the Cocoa and Objective C programming languages. Through webinars, video conferencing and training videos several students from AGS will have their first iPhone/iPod Touch application created by May. The more advanced level course will infuse the courseware from Tech 2000 inc. with a college level iPhone-programming curriculum from Stanford. The course will expand their knowledge of Cocoa programming allowing them to program an artificial life called Pleo. A recent survey by MentorNet states, “Mentoring is a key factor in keeping women and minorities on track to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (the STEM professions). When asked, female students and early-career women overwhelmingly reported a lack of mentoring opportunities.” In order for AGS to counteract this reality the school is in collaboration with Stanford’s Women in Computer Science student organization to serve as mentors. AGS is also receiving mentorship from Georgia Tech’s Computer Science Department. Atlanta Girls’ School is not alone in recognizing this need. The National Coalition of Girls' Schools (NCGS) has announced its own STEM program and is committed to closing the gender gap in the crucial STEM fields. They note that the talent sought by STEM industries is trickling out the end of a conduit that begins well before secondary school and does not end until the granting of a college degree. According to NCGS, “Too few of America's students are choosing STEM majors as undergrads, fewer still are continuing on at the graduate and PhD level. In terms of national statistics, this is especially true of young women.” NCGS notes that the types of approaches we are developing through iSTEM have been especially successful. “. . . teachers at girls' schools have enjoyed remarkable success in their classrooms, with hands-on experiences, through real-world connections.” Introducing educational applications through a device students are anxious to use and understand makes the prospects for success very high. These devices are the future direction of computers and will place Atlanta Girls’ School students at the forefront of this technology wave. Atlanta Girls’ School is a nondiscriminatory, nonsectarian college preparatory school for girls grades 6 through 12. Opened in August 2000, the school provides a challenging college preparatory program in a learning environment designed to allow girls to achieve their full potential. To learn more about the iSTEM program visit the official Website at: http://ags411.org/istem/. Resources: Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson’s Official Website: www.house.gov/list/press/tx30_johnson/FPWASEA.html National Coalition of Girls’ Schools: http://www.ncgs.org/stem/ MentorNet: http://www.mentornet.net/ Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology. Engineering Workforce Commission, http://www.cpst.org/SiteResult.cfm, Engineering & Technology Enrollments, Fall 1984 through Fall 2004. Dave Nagel, http://www.thejournal.com/articles/22871/, State Agencies Bring K-12 Education Content to iTunes U
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