Multiculturalism in Math, Technology, and the Sciences

1
Multiculturalism in Math, Technology, and the
Sciences

• Reaching out to more diverse populations

http//oz.plymouth.edu/estiller/diversity
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Workshop Outline

• Objectives of the workshop
• Show me the data!
• Exploring perceived causes and research results
• Sample classroom resources
• Exploring possible solutions
• Other resources
• Where do we go from here?

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Looking at the Data

• What do the NFS figures tell us?
• Does this match our experience at PSU?
• Look at PSU data (Thanks to Nick Mathis!)
• Conclusions?

4
Why arent women and minorities attracted to
certain fields?

• Learning style issues
• Look at learning style issues
• Disconnect between science and society
• Women and minorities feeling and being excluded
• How many women mathematicians, scientists, and
  computer scientists can you name?

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Classroom resources

• Relational learning in mathematics
• Relational learning in science
• Relational learning in computer science

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What ideas do you have about appealing to a wider
audience?

• Acknowledge the legitimacy of different cognitive
  styles
• Set up experiences for students to engage in
  these alternate cognitive styles and emphasize
  value of these approaches
• Highlight contributions of women, racial and
  ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities

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Other resources

• Achieving Gender Equity in Science Classrooms
• Enriching Science through Diversity
• Diversity Scholar Website

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Where do you want to go from here?