Education Week – Sarah D. Sparks
“Aomawa Shields spends her life searching for overlooked potential—both in habitable planets throughout the universe and in young girls interested in studying them. Shields’ nonprofit, Rising Stargirls, works to get girls, particularly those from poor and minority backgrounds, interested in astronomy careers. She argues that efforts to interest students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics should incorporate more art, drama, and other “soft” subjects…In workshops such as a recent one at Irving STEAM Magnet Middle School in Los Angeles, Shields starts by asking students to draw what they think a scientist looks like, then leads a discussion about the different ways to conduct science and to be a scientist…They also work through exercises in which they must come up with a theory about a concept and use evidence to convince another student who disagrees. “It’s all about claiming your own views and also being open to other people’s ideas,” she said—building assertiveness that female scientists sometimes have difficulty expressing.”(more)