STEM for All: Increase Diversity, Access, and Engagement!
My students need robots, STEM Star posters, and the book, “The Crayon Box that Talked” to learn about tolerance via identity, diversity, justice and action.
FULLY FUNDED! Dr. Grizzle's classroom raised $762
This project is fully funded
My Students
Students at my school love to learn, and can acquire so much more knowledge if only we had the resources. Some of these students are described as limited English students, delinquent, migratory students, or students with disabilities. The total enrollment is approximately 776 students. The ethnic composition is comprised of approximately 62% Black, 11% White, 20% Hispanic, .2% American Indian, 3% Asian, and 3% two or more races. In my school, 64.5% of the students are eligible for free or reduced meals.
As a result of the ethnic composition of my school, teaching the four Social Justice Standards of identity, diversity, justice, and action will bring awareness to how conditions for underrepresented groups can be improved.
Inequality of diversity can be seen in STEM professions. However, the Social Justice Standards allow educators to engage in a range of anti-bias, multicultural and social justice issues, which will help bring awareness to the lack of women and minorities in the STEM fields.
My Project
Collective action challenges inequality directly by raising consciousness and focusing on improving conditions for under-represented groups. The Social Justice Standards recognize that in today’s diverse classrooms, students need knowledge and skills related to collective action.
It's no secret that the STEM fields lack gender and racial diversity, and there is a need to encourage these underrepresented groups to pursue a career in STEM.
As a K-5 STEM lab teacher, I want to teach tolerance and acceptance through identity, diversity, justice, and action. To accomplish this goal, students will focus on computer science by solving a series of coding challenges where students will not only focus on coding, but learn how to understand, appreciate, and work with others. Students will complete these coding challenges in heterogeneous teams, otherwise, if teachers allow isolation to exist in the classroom, then certain tribal instincts will take over. After teams share their solutions with the class, students will realize that intelligence is not tied to skin color or gender. For girls, this activity can break down stereotypes of computer scientists as a male-dominated field.
To drive the point of tolerance and acceptance, I also want to include language arts into my STEM curriculum. One way is to read “The Crayon Box that Talked,” which illustrates how differences help create a bigger picture, just as increasing minorities and women in STEM can bring new perspectives and successes to the STEM fields. Finally, when practicing tolerance, students must be able to appreciate the work of others. Students will research minorities and women (past and present) with successful occupations in the STEM fields and report their findings on the STEM Star posters. These posters will be displayed in the school’s hallways to promote a sense of pride, encouragement, and inspiration to pursue a career in STEM.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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