Newcomers+group+2009

__STEM THINK TANK NEWCOMERS SESSION__ REASONS WE ARE HERE:

· Collaboration – opportunity to talk with people from other schools, on a lesson plan level · Interdisciplinary – want to know what should be focusing on or not focusing on ·  How to get more girls in higher level math classes – how to encourage girls t stretch · Having good preparation for girls in math · What does need to be taught in Science – what really works on what we are teaching · What can we do moving forward? · How to prepare girls for college and beyond? Standard approach of teaching disciplines for what girls will do next. · Everyone is going to grad school now…so it’s not just preparing them for college · How to fit things into an already tight schedule? o One school uses a star period to offer extra class time, but kids miss out on the activities (bc it’s during an activities period) · How to bust down the doors and change the way things have been done for a long time. How to keep things moving forward? · Everyone is so grade conscious, which drives girls away from “hard classes.” What can we do to get girls appreciate learning for learning? · What’s been done at the elementary level to spark and interest for girls and prepare them for middle school? o Pushing spatial relations into curriculum. Tinkering stations in the hallways/gaming for kids. o Time on flexible grouping to fill gaps that the girls have. Integrate different approaches and have girls learn from each other. · Finding time to do more. ·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> Faculty getting pulled in different directions. Particularly, when asked to teach a variety of courses.