36 Million Authors, 9th-Grade Students, and 3D Learning
The big news this week was a fantastic study that looked at gender representation in publications across the sciences. The authors guess the genders of 36 million authors over 15 years of publication records, using the arXiv for physics. There's also a neat data visualization app, but it doesn't include the physics data. The take-away message is that we have a lot of work to do.
There's a fantastic paper by Jessica Gottlieb in JRST that looks at STEM and STEMM (that's STEM + Medicine) career aspirations for 9th-grade students. The paper is chock-a-block with interesting findings, but here are two that stuck with me: First, student aspiration for a STEM career is positively correlated with science efficacy and achievement, but not interest. Second, the standard set of predictors (these, plus questions of cost and expectancy of success) do not seem to apply to black students, and only partially to Hispanic students.
Laverty and Callabero, in a new paper on PR:PER, ask a pertinent question: in a world of 3D learning (core ideas, practices, cross-cutting concepts) why do commonly-used assessments like the FCI only effectively address the core ideas?
This month's The Physics Teacher looks fantastic! An article by Amber Strunk et al describes a PET simulation activity that seems like a great learning experience. It requires using an Arduino to control some LEDs -- this would make a great first project for a STEM club or after-school activity.
Another article, an exploration into rippling of aluminium sheets when struck by steel balls, is exactly the sort of "that's interesting, let's try to understand it" student/teacher work that I love reading in TPT.
Seen on the web:
Bob Worley makes a fascinating "ion motor".
Frank Noschese has stations for practical assessments.
Pivot Interactions now has chemistry experiments!
Marianna Ruggerio challenges students to figure out the circuit.
There's a fantastic paper by Jessica Gottlieb in JRST that looks at STEM and STEMM (that's STEM + Medicine) career aspirations for 9th-grade students. The paper is chock-a-block with interesting findings, but here are two that stuck with me: First, student aspiration for a STEM career is positively correlated with science efficacy and achievement, but not interest. Second, the standard set of predictors (these, plus questions of cost and expectancy of success) do not seem to apply to black students, and only partially to Hispanic students.
Laverty and Callabero, in a new paper on PR:PER, ask a pertinent question: in a world of 3D learning (core ideas, practices, cross-cutting concepts) why do commonly-used assessments like the FCI only effectively address the core ideas?
This month's The Physics Teacher looks fantastic! An article by Amber Strunk et al describes a PET simulation activity that seems like a great learning experience. It requires using an Arduino to control some LEDs -- this would make a great first project for a STEM club or after-school activity.
Another article, an exploration into rippling of aluminium sheets when struck by steel balls, is exactly the sort of "that's interesting, let's try to understand it" student/teacher work that I love reading in TPT.
Seen on the web:
Bob Worley makes a fascinating "ion motor".
Frank Noschese has stations for practical assessments.
Pivot Interactions now has chemistry experiments!
Marianna Ruggerio challenges students to figure out the circuit.