Go Green to Get Girls

Green Technology Improves Classroom Gender Equity

Who I AmRetireeGraduate studentRecovering engineerGrandnannySWE FY11 Outreach ChairConsultantTeacherMusician

Why I CareSeek to understand:

Why girls are approximately 50% of the population, yet at 1:10 ratio, they are significantly UNDER-REPRESENTED in most Technology Education secondary classrooms and technology based college programs.

Why those figures haven’t changed that much over the last 30 years.

What I can personally do differently to change that ratio.

What Do Girls Want?Varies, depending on age and cultural norm

Top 5 across all age groups Fun Teams Make a difference Acceptance Flexibility

Survey Says…When choosing a class to take, type of

projects is more important than teacherTop 5 Project preferences

Projects that help others Projects that help the environment Build a Dance Pad Recycled toy Home Design

Survey Also Says40% prefer female technology education teacherTop 5 reasons they would choose to take class:

Working in teamsFreedom to talk and walk around during classGet to design and build thingsGet to use creativity

1/3 of first-timers aren’t likely to take another classTop reasons they wouldn’t choose TE as an elective

Too much bookworkToo much math

Green Technology ProjectsPrimarily use recycled materials from home

or businessEncourage creativityOften involve researchWork both individually and in teams of twoDo not involve “smash and crash”

Green Technology Projects

Recycled ToyCereal Box Marble MazeCardboard ChairProsthetic DeviceHome and Site Design

Recycled Toy (7th grade)Lesson on creativity and ideationDesign Brief outlines objective,

specifications, constraints and scoringObjective – design and build a toy from recycled

materials suitable for elementary grade childrenSpecifications – use recycled materials from

home; use graphic and verbal ideationConstraints – size, safetyScoring – can estimate before submitting

Cereal Box Maze (6th grade)Lesson on problem solving prior to activityDesign Brief outlines objective,

specifications, constraints and scoringObjective – design and build a marble maze

from cereal or other thin cardboard boxesSpecifications – use recycled boxes, tape, glue;

required travel time, direction changes, eventsConstraints – size, supportScoring – can estimate before submitting

Cardboard Chair (8th grade)Design Brief outlines objective,

specifications, constraints and scoringObjective – design and build a full size chair

from large corrugated cardboard boxesSpecifications –teacher must sit in it, three

scaled down modelsConstraints – No tape/glue, sizeScoring – can estimate before submitting

Prosthetic Device (7th grade)Lesson on biotechnology, specifically

prosthetic devicesDesign Brief outlines objective,

specifications, constraints and scoringObjective – design and build a model of a

prosthetic deviceSpecifications –use recycled materials brought

from home, must make sketchesConstraints – size, functionalityScoring – can estimate before submitting

Home Design (6th grade)Lesson on floor and site plansDesign Brief outlines objective,

specifications, constraints and scoringObjective – Using small box (provided), design

and build a model home and site plan.Specifications –LR, DR, KIT, 3 BR, 2BA, laundry,

egress, floor plansConstraints – # rooms, sizeScoring – based on aesthetics, detailing,

artisanship

SummaryMost female engineers and technologists

had some exposure to hands-on technology activities during K-12 years

Girls are more likely to be interested and successful in activities that: Help others or make a difference Allow them to work in teams Define the rules ahead of time (grading rubric) Allow them to be creative and use their hands

Resources Society of Women Engineers

Activity Plans Role Models/ Activity Partners Funding (in partnership with SWE member) Scholarships www.aspire.swe.org

National Lab Day www.nationallabday.org Mary Phelps mphelps2@ec.rr.com