Welcome to NSTA's WebNews Analysis, a monthly feature to help science educators monitor and study the latest issues in education and science. The NSTA WebNews Analysis offers teachers a digest of online news articles focusing on a particular issue of importance to science educators.
We hope this new service will enable you to catch up on the news you may have missed during the past month, but more importantly, NSTA's WebNews Analysis can help you stay on top of issues affecting your science classroom. Don't forget to look for NSTA's WebNews Analysis on the last Friday of every month!
Women in Science
Science has traditionally been a male-dominated field, one in which women have struggled to succeed. Many young women avoid entering the field for that reason. Some noted female scientists and well-known technology companies, however, are trying to reverse that trend.
This summer, hundreds of camps are being held nationwide to expose young women to the fields of science, math, engineering, and technology and encourage them to seek careers in these fields. Sally Ride, the first American woman to travel into space, created a summer camp, for example, for sixth-through eighth-grade girls at Stanford University in California. IBM is expanding its Excite program—a project to interest young women in technology—to 30 cities across the globe, while Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, and other technology companies have sponsored similar education-related initiatives.
NSTA member Stephanie Rafanelli, a California camp director and science teacher, said studies and reports that show girls’ lack of interest in science has spurred parents to provide their daughters with “more dynamic science learning opportunities.” “Hands-on science, math, and engineering activities and projects are particularly valuable in terms of building confidence, enthusiasm, and scientific curiosity,” added Karen A. McDonald, a chemical engineering and materials science professor at the University of California, Davis.
Teachers can play a vital role in sparking and sustaining girls’ interest in science and technology. Click on the articles listed below to see how you make a difference in the lives of your students.