I hope you are well, I am on part two of my travels. I am very excited by the many things I've learned and the neat fashions I've seen. Science is truly a global language that reaches all cultures and facilitates positive social change. I have seen STEM applied to bridge differences and bring about community, locate missing persons, I have met women who are leading international movements for positive social change, I have also learned that scarves are always in fashion from Bosnia to Switzerland but one scarf is not enough! :) I can't wait to share more with you and look forward to getting back on a daily blog rhythm, for now, have a wonderful day and Please! Share Your STEM stories on this forum, would love to hear it!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
STEM to find missing persons
Hello World,
I met this woman yesterday, she heads an NGO that utilizes STEM (DNA tech more) to locate missing persons. She has located 7 of 8 thousand missing persons from one particular conflict, which is very impressive & positively impactful. I will share more on her and the science used
later, but I am excited for the power of positive social change through STEM!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Color the world beautiful
Hello world!
I will do my best to touch base share women power and science during my travels. The airline mag had plenty of inspiration, off to a good start.With love :)
The world is a flower blooming, a palette for painting, yours for the shaping. 
I hope you will join me in expanding knowledge, understanding, diversity, and attempts to touch another corner of the world with positivity :)
Packages
Hello World,
I am going on a trip (a STEM perk) so I've had to pack my bags. That leads me to the fun field of package science and packaging engineering! Packing is fun I think, like a giant 3D puzzle! Except you can do a lot more. I know someone who packaged the electronics for space.
They had to fit in a tiny space withstand extreme heat & cold, and still perform. Pretty neat! Packages relate to food too, do you think about the last thing you ate- where it came from & how it got there? Package engineers consider a wide range of factors for travel, storage, and more- from art to food to the every day to the far out- package engineers make it happen!
I hope you will think about the fun field of packaging :) Despite the many advances made- I don't think my cat will fit in my bag...
Friday, May 10, 2013
Fashionable Friday! Tech fashion afoot
Hello World!
I have declared it fashionable Friday. Today's stylish STEM topic involves technology and fashion. Have you ever wanted to add a little extra pizzazz to your wardrobe? Shoes that glow perhaps?
You are in luck! At http://www.fashioningtech.com/you can learn about basic electronics, materials, sewing, soft circuits, and more! You can make your own flowery glowing shoes, GPS jackets, high tech jewelry or learn how others have fashioned items that are pretty, functional, and challenge social convention such as this prosthetic. The site is filled with interviews of sustainable designers and other fun stuff too.
I have declared it fashionable Friday. Today's stylish STEM topic involves technology and fashion. Have you ever wanted to add a little extra pizzazz to your wardrobe? Shoes that glow perhaps?
Image from fashioningtech.com
You are in luck! At http://www.fashioningtech.com/you can learn about basic electronics, materials, sewing, soft circuits, and more! You can make your own flowery glowing shoes, GPS jackets, high tech jewelry or learn how others have fashioned items that are pretty, functional, and challenge social convention such as this prosthetic. The site is filled with interviews of sustainable designers and other fun stuff too.
Image from fashioningtech.com
Science, fashion, and making the world a better place- that is my vision of Stylish STEM!
Thursday, May 9, 2013
gender differences in STEM?
Hello World,
One of my trusted scientist friends and a noteworthy STEM and diversity advocate in Australia recommends this book, so I am sharing this with you to follow up on the most recent post on math anxiety. We our often told that women "can't do math" but the truth is- we can! We may have to work at overcoming anxiety or the lack of exposure to skills, such as spatial reasoning, that guys automatically get (see AAUW "why so few" report)- but we can do it! So if you want to read more, check out this book! I know I will.
One of my trusted scientist friends and a noteworthy STEM and diversity advocate in Australia recommends this book, so I am sharing this with you to follow up on the most recent post on math anxiety. We our often told that women "can't do math" but the truth is- we can! We may have to work at overcoming anxiety or the lack of exposure to skills, such as spatial reasoning, that guys automatically get (see AAUW "why so few" report)- but we can do it! So if you want to read more, check out this book! I know I will.
No Fear! (of math)
Hello World!
I am going to be honest. I have fears. Many fears. I sometimes forget to just take a deep breath and relax. What I do not fear however, is math. Math is fun! And sometimes Funny!!!
Is math challenging? Absolutely, but that is no reason to fear it. But even if you do, fear can be constructive when we channel it to recognize and address our concerns. So many people, women in particular, have a fear of math and it gets in the way of our potential. The thing is, it isn't so much the skills as it is the psychology of fear that keeps us from performing our best at math. Here is a neat study that shows how our thinking changes our brain and behavior and how reducing anxiety can increase math performance http://www.edweek.org/media/math-anxiety.pdf One of my friends from West Africa noted that American society tells girls they must fear math or be bad at it, both of which build on each other negatively. In her village, there are no such notions and the girls are in charge of numbers! So math anxiety, while socially constructed and physiologically real, can be reduced! Do you want to work on your math anxiety? There are many resources available such as:
Math Anxiety Management Lesson http://www.mayland.edu/aca111/ManagingMath.pdf for students and reducing math anxiety teaching tips http://archives.evergreen.edu/masterstheses/Accession89-10MIT/Hellum-Alexander_AMIT2010.pdf for teachers.
I am going to be honest. I have fears. Many fears. I sometimes forget to just take a deep breath and relax. What I do not fear however, is math. Math is fun! And sometimes Funny!!!
I ate some pie ;) Image from internet
Is math challenging? Absolutely, but that is no reason to fear it. But even if you do, fear can be constructive when we channel it to recognize and address our concerns. So many people, women in particular, have a fear of math and it gets in the way of our potential. The thing is, it isn't so much the skills as it is the psychology of fear that keeps us from performing our best at math. Here is a neat study that shows how our thinking changes our brain and behavior and how reducing anxiety can increase math performance http://www.edweek.org/media/math-anxiety.pdf One of my friends from West Africa noted that American society tells girls they must fear math or be bad at it, both of which build on each other negatively. In her village, there are no such notions and the girls are in charge of numbers! So math anxiety, while socially constructed and physiologically real, can be reduced! Do you want to work on your math anxiety? There are many resources available such as:
Math Anxiety Management Lesson http://www.mayland.edu/aca111/ManagingMath.pdf for students and reducing math anxiety teaching tips http://archives.evergreen.edu/masterstheses/Accession89-10MIT/Hellum-Alexander_AMIT2010.pdf for teachers.
Until next time, have a gr8 day! ;)
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