Have you ever heard the phrase “bucking the trend?” It’s usually used when something in particular has been the status quo for a number of years and a group of dedicated individuals decides that they want to be a part of it instead of watching from the sidelines. When it comes to the number of girls in STEM or those who pursue computer science careers or even have any interest in the field whatsoever, from teachers to school systems, we all need to buck this trend.
Girls Can Achieve Great Things Through Coding
You can make a ton of difference in today’s world by knowing what computer science is and how it can be applied. Especially for girls, computer science opens up a wealth of new opportunities and provides them with the chance to do things they previously would not have been able to accomplish. Coding is one thing that is starting to become universally usable—meaning that it’s possible that those with the skills would be able to apply them in solving almost any problem that comes up. That’s what makes today’s professionals so appealing to employers: they’re versatile and skilled enough to use coding to make just about anything happen.
The problem is that less than one percent of high school girls are interested in pursuing computer science and coding. By 2020, however, there will be approximately 1 million unfilled computer science jobs because there will not be enough qualified applicants to fill them, which, as you may have guessed, is because not enough students have chosen to pursue the field. Girls are using the products created by computer science professionals, so why aren’t they making them? One leader was recently quoted as saying that it’s important to get girls involved in this revolutionary movement because the people who are creating new technologies should reflect the diversity of the people who are using them. Girls, however, need a reason—beyond employability and prosperity—to be interested in coding. That intrigue might just come from the trend we will soon see of all workers—not just those in the computer science field—needing to know how to code.
The great thing about coding is that it can be used to accomplish just about anything. For girls who are unsure if they would really like computer science, they can start by trying projects that interest them and use their coding skills to make them better. Another problem is that they generally don’t see any role models enthralled in computer coding, which, as you may have guessed, is due to the lack of female representation in the field. One trick to getting girls into coding is to just simply show them how powerful it is. Perhaps if schools made a coding workshop a requirement just once and gave girls the opportunity to see coding in action or maybe even give it a try themselves, they would be able to realize the power they wield. We know that sometimes it takes seeing in order to believe and that when girls see their computer creations come to life in the real world and observe how they work, they realize that they have always been capable of creating.
Designing STEM Classes for Girls
A big part of getting girls interested in STEM comes in the process of designing courses and afterschool activities. It doesn't take that much of a genius to figure out that most young girls will veer away from STEM classes if they're not interested in the content of the subject matter. The challenge, then, lies in making STEM classes appeal to girls and catch their eyes in ways they cannot ignore. Like all classes in the curriculum, whether they're meant to attract girls or not, these classes can be designed to increase interest and boost results if teachers and administrators keep some important things in mind.
The first thing that educators must consider is why their current school STEM programs are failing to either attract girls or failing to prepare them. Rather than flipping STEM subjects to try to align them with the interests of young girls, educators could try researching how they could apply STEM learning to the problems that are already interesting to these girls. There are certainly a bunch of ways to do this and engage them in quality learning at the same time. By modifying STEM education from an area of accomplishing specific, technical feats, more girls might become interested if it were focused more on solving problems that contribute to the improvement of society and have a clearly stated social purpose. There are also some other factors teachers can consider, such as aligning STEM learning with girls’ beliefs and aspirations, how they can weave STEM into their daily routines and considering which social, cultural and economic factors are coming into play.
All too often, educators employ narrowly focused approaches to try to get girls involved in STEM, but it’s often much more helpful to think outside the box. They need learning experiences that incorporate STEM disciplines and technology while simultaneously working with their hands and gaining confidence. With that being said, these learning experiences need to start happening on a regular basis no later than middle school. Girls in these grades should be given every opportunity to connect what they are learning in school to the real world. Only then will they feel empowered and use their creativity, smarts and special skills to truly apply themselves to carving a new path and narrowing this wide gap in the workforce.
How to Spark Girls’ Interest in STEM
The US government expects that, by 2018, there will be 2.4 million unfilled STEM jobs due, mostly, to a lack of qualified candidates to fill them. It has become vitally important to somehow find a way to spark girls’ interest in STEM learning and the STEM fields while they are in school. Educators, therefore, are being challenged with how they can get girls interested in STEM subjects so that they can become qualified to fill these high-demand and higher paying jobs. Women currently occupy less than 25 percent of STEM jobs, according to the US Department of Commerce. Some common explanations for the lack of women in STEM include no female role models, gender stereotyping and less family-friendly flexibility, but the lack of early exposure to STEM subjects in school is just as apparent.
Experts want girls to become interested in STEM because there are so many STEM-related jobs available. There is another factor too, though: money. STEM jobs tend to pay significantly more than non-STEM jobs and girls should be able to have a chance to earn more money, but they need the background first. To ignite this interest, one of the most effective ways is to afford these girls with the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning and interactive projects as early as kindergarten. At a foundational level, STEM activities will help girls start to recognize and build the skills they will need to have, such as problem solving and creativity. Through repetition and adaptation, girls will grow more accustomed to using technology to help them solve problems—much of what the contemporary workforce is made up of.
Short of throwing girls into complex challenges in the early grades, there are much simpler strategies to ensure they start on the path to appreciating STEM. Opportunities for collaboration and open communication can be very beneficial in facilitating more effective hands-on learning experiences, especially when using technology that appeals to girls’ interests. The tech they use and the projects they do can easily be geared towards their specific interests, like much of today’s education is able to be personalized. At the same time, hands-on and open-ended investigations give girls the opportunity to be creative and not feel tied down to a specific set of instructions, which ultimately is likely to increase their interest in the science subjects. When girls start thinking critically, they start building confidence and begin to trust their own reasoning, some of the most important factors that go into sparking a STEM interest and keeping it.
How Coding Can Empower Girls Worldwide
While we are not seeing a spike in the number of girls involved in STEM as we would like to, there has been a fairly recognizable uptick over the last few years. With the advent of afterschool and summer coding clubs as well as the establishment of schools and programs that are solely dedicated to getting girls into STEM, there have certainly been some positive strides made. We’ve heard stories of women in impoverished countries and countries in which men are seen as the sole providers do great things through the power of computer science. A degree in this field brings with it the potential for so many opportunities from rewarding careers to the ability to teach and, as some are discovering, even the chance to open a school to pass the skills on to the girls in the next generation.
All girls, like every kid seemingly in the country, have access to mobile technology every day. While it is evident that they are building tech skills and proficiencies, they could also be shaping skills they could really use in the future. Computer science and coding, on the other hand, has such a far-reaching scope that it can truly empower girls to become self-reliant and monumentally increase their chances of finding employment in the 21st century economy. Women used to not be allowed to work or even study—now employers are counting on them to compete with men and help fill this constantly growing pool of job vacancies. Coding is a way—a tool, even—that will help break down gender barriers and open up more of the modern world to the girls currently in elementary, middle and high school.
By learning coding early on and building the skills that come with it, girls increase their chances of landing a high-profile job in the future. There is no reason whatsoever that girls should be held back from a lucrative career because they were not given the chance to get comfortable with the skills they would need during their time in school. Actually, aside from choosing a different career path, there is no valid reason they should be excluded from the STEM workforce. Empowerment begins in the early grades as well. The second girls experience coding for the first time and get to know the feeling that comes along with creating something so powerful, the hope is that they will have the desire to expand their skills right away. All we can give them is a chance.
How Schools Can Better Engage Girls in STEM
It seems pretty clear that more of an effort should be made to make STEM subjects more appealing to girls of all ages without actually having to force their participation. Though it may be natural for them to shy away, girls need regular exposure to hands-on STEM challenges. Driving interest and participation up, however, is easier said than done, but could lie in increased chances for project-based learning rather than book-based learning or in mentoring opportunities. When it comes to getting girls interested in the STEM fields, the importance of the words and actions of teachers and administrators cannot be understated. Whether they realize it or not, students look up to their school leaders and these leaders have the rare ability to steer them in the right directions.
One somewhat popular suggestion has been for schools to reach out to female STEM professionals about participating in classroom talks and visits. Hearing from somebody with firsthand knowledge and the ability to relate to them could prove to be the extra push that young girls need. Schools could try field trips to these STEM scenes as well to give girls the chance to see the excitement of STEM careers from up close. However they do it, many STEM professionals are in agreement that somehow girls’ eyes need to be opened up to the possibilities that are available to them. Through STEM, they could realistically become set up to change the world and a lot of girls, unfortunately, either do not know this or fail to realize it.
To build female interest in STEM at a young age, much of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of school administrators. To be honest, the earlier of a start they get, the better. There’s nothing wrong with exposing girls (or any students for that matter) to STEM in Pre-K or kindergarten. In these grades, they can learn to ask questions, draw connections and explore the world around them, all of which are important in the STEM fields. Admins should also encourage their faculty to employ problem-based learning whenever possible in an effort to eliminate rote memorization in the classroom. STEM should be taught in a way that allows students to do it and not just absorb it. It’s also important to make girls aware of the stereotypes in the media that show that men are much more commonly portrayed as STEM professionals, but let them know that they should pay no mind to that and that they have the power to change this ill-advised notion themselves. Start here and hopefully it will help drive female STEM interest and pursuit!
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