RESOURCES, ACTIVITIES, AND STRATEGIES FOR
OPTIMIZING THE LEARNING
OF FEMALE STUDENTS IN SCIENCE
June and July 1996
This course will provide secondary and upper elementary school teachers with opportunities to gain experience using print, audio-visual, calculator, and manipulative/hands-on curriculum materials. Emphasis will be on research-based strategies for increasing the motivation and achievement of female students. Class sessions last four and three-quarters hours per day for eight days.
I. Professor and Project Director
Patsy Ann Giese, Ph. D., Professor, Department of Secondary Education/Foundations of Education, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, Slippery Rock, PA.
II. Assistant Project Directors
Alfred B. Bortz, Ph. D., Children's Science Books Author and Consultant, Monroeville, PA.
Kay Shager, M. S., Mathematics Teacher, North High School, North St. Paul, MN, and Instructor, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, and Macalester College, St. Paul, MN.
III. Guest Speakers
Susan E. Calderbank, D. M. D., Susan E. Calderbank, D. M. D., Family Dentistry, Greenville, PA.
Eden Fisher, Ph. D., Strategic Analysis and Planning Specialist, Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA), Pittsburgh, PA.
Paula E. Gregory, Ph. D., Chief of Genetics Education, National Center for Human Genome Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Susan Henry, Ph. D., Professor and Dean, Mellon College of Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
Mary Jo Lackey, PC Training Consultant, Mary Jo Lackey PC Training, West Middlesex, PA.
Indira Nair, Ph. D., Associate Professor and Associate Department Head, Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
John West, Biology and Chemistry Teacher, Los Lunas High School, Los Lunas, NM.
Candice West, M. S., Associate Field Specialist, Systemic Initiative in Math and Science Education (SIMSE); University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.
Carl Wolgemuth, Ph. D., Professor Emeritus and former Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, College of Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.
IV. Assistants
Jim Lear, Physics and Biology Teacher, Oakland Catholic High School, Pittsburgh, PA.
Cherry Lee, Graduate Assistant, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, Slippery Rock, PA.
Ron Monaco, M. S., Coordinator of Continuing Education, Midwestern Intermediate Unit 4, Grove City, PA
V. Textbooks
American Association of University Women Educational Foundation and National Education Association. (1992). The AAUW Report: How Schools Shortchange Girls. Washington DC: Author.
Campbell, P. B. (1992). Nothing Can Stop Us Now: Designing Effective Programs for Girls in Math, Science, and Engineering. Newton, MA: WEEA Publishing Center.
Campbell, P. B. (1992). What Works and What Doesn't? Newton, MA: WEEA Publishing Center.
Campbell, P. B. (1992). Working Together, Making Changes: Working in and out of School to Encourage Girls in Math and Science. Newton, MA: WEEA Publishing Center.
Campbell, P. B., & Storo, J. N. (1995). Girls Are...Boys Are...: Myths, Stereotypes & Gender Differences. Newton, MA: WEEA Publishing Center.
Campbell, P. B., & Storo, J. N. (1995). Making It Happen: Pizza Parties, Chemistry Goddesses & Other Strategies that Work for Girls and Others. Newton, MA: WEEA Publishing Center.
Campbell, P. B., & Storo, J. N. (1995). Why Me? Why My Classroom?: The Need for Equity in Coed Math and Science Classes. Newton, MA: WEEA Publishing Center.
Campbell, P. B., & Storo, J. N. (1996). Teacher Strategies That Work for Girls and Boys. Newton, MA: WEEA Publishing Center.
Conwell, C. (1990). Science EQUALS Success. Newton, MA: WEEA Publishing Center.
Epstein, V. S. (1994). The History of Women in Science for Young People. Denver, CO: VSE Publisher.
Erickson, T . (1989). Get it Together: Math Problems for Groups. Berkeley CA: EQUALS Project, Lawrence Hall of Science.
Fraser, S. (1983). SPACES: Solving Problems of Access to Careers in Engineering and Science. Palo Alto, CA: EQUALS Project, Dale Seymour Publications.
McCormick, T. M. (1994). Creating the Nonsexist Classroom: A Multicultural Approach. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
National Committee on Science Education Standards and Assessment, National Research Council. (1995). National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Ogilvie, M. B. (1986). Women in Science: Antiquity through the Nineteenth Century. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Rosser, S. V. (1990). Female-Friendly Science: Applying Women's Studies Methods and Theories to Attract Students. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Sadker, M., & Sadker, D. (1994). Failing at Fairness: How America's Schools Cheat Girls. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons.
Skolnick, J., Langbort, C., & Day, L. (1982). How to Encourage Girls in Math & Science: Strategies for Parents and Educators. Palo Alto, CA: Dale Seymour Publications.
Wilson, M. (Ed.). (1972). Options for Girls: A door to The Future. Austin, Texas: Pro-Ed.
VI. Competencies
Participants will demonstrate the following abilities while attending sessions and completing assignments for this course:
a. comprehend basic tenets of the history and philosophy of science,
b. comprehend the nature of prejudice and its relation to the history of women who have excelled in science,
c. comprehend aspects of women's lives, including their education, employment, poverty, and self-esteem,
d. comprehend the stereotypical and realistic views of scientists and the needs of society for individuals trained in science,
e. comprehend the variety of occupations requiring an understanding of science and the importance of science in the common experiences of all individuals,
f. comprehend the causes and consequences of the under representation of women in scientific endeavors,
g. comprehend common characteristics of classroom interactions and materials (the hidden curriculum) that are detrimental to female students,
h. comprehend ways to reduce science anxiety that occurs more frequently for females than for males,
i. analyze and evaluate software, books and other materials available to aid females in learning science, using principles stated in the NCTM Curriculum and Evaluation Standards, the NRC National Science Education Standards, the AAAS Science for All Americans, and the NSTA The Content Core, particularly the sections about equity,
j. apply strategies for optimizing the learning of females through the use of print, audio-visual, calculator, and manipulative/hands-on materials,
k. synthesize science content, apply this content to students' experiences beyond the classroom, and comprehend the advantages of integrating these subjects,
l. apply skills for data collection, pattern recognition, and prediction,
m. apply skills for higher-order analytical thinking and problem solving,
n. apply skills for spatial visualization, including the use of charts and graphs,
o. use a graphics calculator,
p. comprehend the requirements for facilitation of cooperative learning as shown in research studies to increase girls' learning,
q. synthesize information about alternative assessment methods and comprehend their potential for increasing girls' motivation and achievement,
r. keep a journal and develop a portfolio.
Participants will display their willingness to change the status quo by accomplishing the following as they teach students in grades 5 - 12:
a. use high-quality resources and activities for mathematics and science instruction,
b. use strategies for optimizing the learning of females,
c. help students fully develop their capabilities, talents, self understanding, and feelings of self worth,
d. give students opportunities to learn about and share their knowledge of the history of science, especially the existence and effects of various forms of prejudice,
e. help students creatively locate and manage information, solve problems, and make decisions,
f. motivate students to become independent, life-long learners by helping them assess how changes in society, technology, and the economy affect individuals and their careers,
g. give students opportunities to investigate the multiple purposes of work and explore the range of career options, relating them to their individual interests, aptitudes, skills, and values,
h. interest, motivate, and encourage students to pursue course work and careers in science,
i. give students planned opportunities to collaborate with others in constructing knowledge and developing skills,
j. prepare students for a world of constant change by helping them increase their adaptability,
k. provide experiences for students to interact with each other for the common good, recognizing the intrinsic uniqueness, worth, and rights of each person,
l. use alternative assessment methods.
VII. Course Outline
Monday, June 24, morning
The Dateline NBC videotape Failing at Fairness will be shown. Teachers' beliefs, student-teacher interactions, and students' opinions about their successes/failures, and the hidden curriculum will be discussed. Another topic of discussion will be methods for providing a supportive environment for encouraging risk-taking. Science anxiety will be a third topic of discussion. Graphics calculators will be introduced. A "Startling Statements" activity from the EQUALS and TEAM projects will be distributed.
Monday, June 24, afternoon
The influences of culture, family, and education on gender roles will be discussed. Females' perceptions of their ability will be related to their motivation for and persistence in reaching education and career goals. The meaning of equity in the doing of science will be another presentation topic. Nair will be the guest speaker.
Tuesday, June 25, morning
A section of the NCTM videotape Subtracting Bias and Multiplying Options will be shown. Learning about probable outcomes for young people will occur through participation in the EQUALS simulation "Odds on You." Another simulation will be used on graphics calculators to aid in the understanding of probability. The videotape Career Encounters: Women in Engineering will be shown.
Tuesday, June 25, afternoon
Education and employment statistics will be presented. Ways to recruit and retain women in engineering will be described. Wolgemuth will be the guest speaker.
Wednesday, June 26, morning
Examples of textbook bias will be presented. Children's drawings will be examined for evidences of stereotypes held by children. A discussion will be focused on how scientists and engineers integrate their work with other aspects of their lives. A videotape of an interview with the Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker will be shown. Career education activities will be conducted from the SPACES book produced by the EQUALS project. Real data will be graphed on graphics calculators.
Wednesday, June 26, afternoon
The main topic will be facilitating planning by business leaders/policy makers using graphing and other tools to identify and communicate technical opportunities. Applications discussed will include environmental analyses. Fisher will be the guest speaker.
Thursday, June 27, morning
Discussion will be about cooperative learning, primarily the Johnson and Johnson model. Activities from the EQUALS books Get It Together and SPACES will be used. Teaching in a constructivist manner will be compared to teaching in a transmissionist manner. Ways to integrate the teaching of mathematics, science, and language skills will be described. Alternative assessment methods will be discussed, with emphasis on the production of a portfolio. Student-authored manuals produced at a girls' high school will be displayed. A section of the MAA and NCTM videotape Discovery Workshop and the WGBH Tops and Yo-Yos will be shown. In cooperative groups, a program will be loaded into and used on graphics calculators.
Thursday, June 27, afternoon
Hurdles encountered in preparing for a health profession will be discussed. Another topic will be techniques for management of career and family obligations by working women. Successful integration of professional expertise into service to school and community groups will be the third topic. Calderbank will be the guest speaker.
Friday, June 28, morning
The history of women in science will be discussed. The EQUALS card game "Women Scientists" will be played. Ways to incorporate role models into curricula will be considered. A section of the CPC videotape Connecting the Past with the Future: Women in Mathematics and Science (Maria Goeppart Mayer) will be shown. A section of the PBS videotape Discovering Women: DNA Detective (Lydia Villa-Komaroff) will be shown. Programing for graphics calculators will be introduced.
Friday, June 28, afternoon
The influences of family, life situations and educators on career choice will be discussed. Part-time and flex-time career options will be explored as methods for balancing personal life, family time, and work responsibilities. The role of women entrepreneurs will be considered. Lackey will be the guest speaker.
Monday, July 1, morning
A section of the AAUW videotape Shortchanging Girls, Shortchanging America will be shown. The seven basic intelligences defined by Howard Gardener will be presented. A section of the WGBH videotape from the NOVA program The Secrets of the Sexes will be shown. Research on achievement differences related to gender will be summarized. Activities from the WEEA book Spatial Encounters and the MGMP book Spatial Visualization will be conducted. The importance of hands-on/manipulative materials for learning will be discussed. The Calculator-Based Laboratory (CBL) system will be introduced.
Monday, July 1, afternoon
Some parts of the NCTM Curriculum and Evaluation Standards and the NRC National Science Education Standards will be summarized. An award winning program in which eighth-grade students mentored first-grade students will be described. The program required coordination of the science content learned in both grades and facilitation of hands-on projects done and field trips taken by both grades together. Candice and John West will be the guest speakers.
Tuesday, July 2 morning
Some parts of the AAAS Science for All Americans and the NSTA The Content Core will be summarized. Classroom use of role-playing and case studies will be discussed. A section of the TI videotape Quantitative Literacy will be shown. Using technology in gender-fair ways unintimidating to female students will be discussed. High school students' comments in portfolios will be shared. Practice will be given with the Calculator-Based Laboratory (CBL) system. A discussion about dissemination will be held. Monaco will provide information about the role of Intermediate Unit IV.
Tuesday, July 2, afternoon
Experiences of women in higher education as student, professor, researcher, and administrator will be presented. Discussion will be centered on how scientists and their work are unlike common stereotypes of them. Henry will be the guest speaker.
Wednesday, July 3, morning
A presentation about the Human Genome Project will be made. This project is an international effort to understand the human blueprint that promises to usher in a new era of molecular medicine with precise approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Ethical implications of this work will be considered. Gregory will be the guest speaker.
Wednesday, July 3, afternoon
Peggy McIntosh's model of curriculum transformation will be related to previous course activities. Ways of knowing will be considered. A section of the National Geographic videotape Miniature Miracle: The Computer Chip will be shown. The Pennsylvania Student Learning Outcomes will be distributed. Obstacles to change and ways around these obstacles will be discussed. Evaluation of the course will be conducted.
VIII. Grading
One-half of each person's grade will be based on the quality of his or her portfolio according to the criteria specified in the next section. The other half of each person's grade will be determined by the quality of his or her dissemination plan to present gender equity information to other teachers. The criteria used to grade this plan are given in the next section, also.
Both of these assignments must be turned in by August 15. Late assignments lower one's grade unless a written excuse is provided by a person other than the student, for example, a doctor, employer, or funeral director. Anyone who does not complete a portfolio and dissemination plan will not receive a stipend for this course.
Responses to the Science/Mathematics Teacher's Attitude and Belief Questionnaire and other course evaluation instruments will not affect anyone's grade. However, completion of these forms honestly and thoroughly is a requirement for payment of a stipend. No examinations will be given in this course.
IX. Requirements
You are primarily responsible for constructing your own knowledge in this class through performing interesting activities and through discussing these activities with your classmates, professor, assistants, and guest speakers in a meaningful manner. During each class session, you will write in your insights/confusions journal about your learning. You should record your initial thinking about the topics investigated that day, and you should describe changes in your thinking during the class session. You should also write about anything else that seems important to you. You are encouraged to ask your professor questions in your journal. Besides being valuable for assessment, journal writing is a powerful catalyst for thinking. A substantive passage in your insights/confusions journal for each day is one of the requirements for earning the entire stipend offered for this course. You will not be allowed to take your journal home so all entries must be made during class time.
You will need to make a portfolio to satisfactorily complete this course. Evidence in portfolios may be classified into four categories. Artifacts are samples of usual work such as homework papers. A reproduction gives a record of work not ordinarily captured in permanent form. A list of books read or a videotape of a skit are reproductions. Attestations are commendations by someone other than the student compiling the portfolio, for example, letters of gratitude, prizes, and acknowledgments of individual effort in group activities. Productions, including the reflection statements described below, are prepared especially for the portfolio. Documents put into portfolios may include (but do not have to include) the following:
charts and graphs
data gathered from hands-on activities
data gathered from survey questionnaires or interviews
data generated from a simulation or mathematical model
data obtained from published sources or mass communication media
audio-tapes or videotapes
performances by students
facilitation of learning by teachers
drawings or photographs
observations of natural phenomena
diagrams used for solving problems or presenting models
cooperative learning activities
written work
personal reactions to articles or books
classroom notes
outlines of textbook chapters
concept maps
essays
lesson plans
research reports.
Lesson plans should meet the Criteria for Equitable Activities published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The AAAS criteria require the following: an enthusiastic teacher with equal expectations for all students, gender-free and race-free language in written materials and verbal instructions, hands-on experience required for all students, small group work, activities relevant to students' lives, activities that develop science process skills and mathematical understanding and problem solving skills, problems and exercises that do not always demand one "right" answer, career information, and examples of female and/or minority role models. Avoidance of materials and/or resources exclusively familiar to white, male students is one of the AAAS criteria, too.
Choosing too many similar documents for inclusion into a portfolio does not show ability to discriminate. You should ask yourself, "What additional knowledge, skill, or attitude will I have evidence of by including this piece into my portfolio?" If you cannot supply a concrete answer to this question, then you should omit the document. Your portfolio is limited to twenty-five pages. Count the front and back of a sheet as two pages if you have written on both sides of the page.
Portfolios may be organized in a number of ways. Documents may be put in chronological order. They may be grouped by content themes. Learning goals may be the organizational schema. Another option is to order documents from strongest evidence of learning to weakest evidence or visa versa. As you think about taking any of these options, you may discuss your plans with your Patsy Ann Giese to get constructive feedback.
Each document put into a portfolio should be labeled with the date it was produced. For group work, all members of the group should be listed on the document. If it is not obvious what the document is, a caption should be provided.
An essential element of your portfolio is reflection statements concerning the significance of documents. For each document included in a portfolio, there needs to be an accompanying statement giving the reasons for the selection of this document. This reflection statement may be taped onto the document discussed or it may be put on a separate piece of paper inserted before or after the document. You should reflect upon how you produced a document and what knowledge and skills you developed while producing it. You should comment on salient characteristics of the document, aspects that changed as you produced the document, and things you would still like to modify in the document if you had more time. In addition, you need to state what you learned about learning as you produced the document. You should give an appraisal of your own strengths as a learner. Also, you need to articulate any changes in your own attitudes that occurred during the learning. Reflection statements should be specific, thorough, accurate, and thoughtful. Support of ideas stated should be made by referring to evidence in the portfolio.
The following criteria will be used to judge the merit of portfolios:
the amount of evidence included,
the level of organization used,
the quality of the pieces selected,
the variety in the learning substantiated,
the amount of growth in knowledge documented,
the connections between topics made,
the increase in skills established,
the changes in attitudes displayed,
the creativity in compiling shown,
the depth of the reflection statements written.
You will be asked to self-evaluate your portfolio on a criteria sheet before submitting it to Patsy Ann Giese.
Selecting documents and writing reflection statements are valuable instruction activities besides being assessment activities. You will practice higher-order thinking like analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Self-assessment is a valuable skill throughout one's lifetime, and producing a portfolio should help you develop this skill.
Each participant in this course must also submit a clear dissemination plan to accomplish stated objectives during a meeting within his or her school district or at a regional conference. This plan should not be in the same binder or notebook as the portfolio. You may borrow videotapes and books from Patsy Ann Giese to use while you plan and conduct your dissemination. Also, she will provide advice and other assistance as you request it in the planning of these dissemination activities.
The plan must include an outline of activities to be engaged in and ideas to be discussed. Describe the audience for whom your dissemination is intended. You may present for teachers at any grade level, school administrators, parents, or any others concerned with the education of females. Efforts to arrange sponsorship, obtain facilities, and recruit an audience should be described. Any commitments of support from your school district or other organizations should be mentioned, and, if possible, documented with letters. To fulfill requirements for this course, at least ten teachers or other adults should attend each participant's presentation. The presentations should last at least two hours if done by one participant, four hours if done by a team of two participants, and six hours if done by a team of three participants. Forming teams of more than three people is discouraged.
The following criteria will be used to judge the merit of dissemination plans:
the level of organization used,
the appropriateness of the objectives stated,
the quality and variety of the curriculum materials and other resources used,
the quality, variety, and sequence of the learning activities selected,
the amount of involvement planned for the audience,
the connections between topics made,
the strategies for maximizing the achievement and motivation of females emphasized,
the coherence of the plan,
the imaginativeness of the plan,
the degree of advance preparations already completed.
You will be asked to self-evaluate your dissemination plan on a criteria sheet before submitting it to Patsy Ann Giese.
The dissemination described in these plans should be completed during the year following the summer sessions for this course. Participants should videotape their presentations if equipment is available. It is imperative that participants distribute an evaluation form to each teacher or other adult attending their presentations. These forms are needed for evaluation of this course. The completed evaluation forms should be sent to Patsy Ann Giese. You should also turn in a copy of any written announcements made and any handouts used.
Participants are expected to attend a follow-up meeting for giving written responses about their classroom activities and giving an oral report about their dissemination activities. This meeting will be conducted during April of 1997.