Education : Intl Day of Women & Girls in Science : Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson [1918-20209]

credits: via MSNBC

Katherine Johnson sits at her desk with a globe or 'Celestial Training Device'

credits: NASA

https://www.nasa.gov/

Today we celebrate #WomenInScience because gender equality and women’s empowerment are pre-conditions 4 sustainable development.

Just like NASA’s Katherine Johnson, many #WomenInScience have remained hidden figures Today is about shining a light & confronting stereotypes.

"I counted everything: the steps, the dishes, the stars in the sky," 

Katherine Johnson 

Katherine Johnson 

Presidential Medal of Freedom Honorees, 2015

credits: Carlos Barria/Reuters

http://www.cbsnews.com/

President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to NASA mathematician Katherine G. Johnson in Washington, November 24, 2015.

Maths has given her joy for as long as she can remember, and it seems that becoming a professional mathematician was her destiny. As an African-American woman from rural West Virginia, however, the path that brought her to the profession seems as extraordinary as the equations she used to help send John Glenn into orbit around the earth and land Neil Armstrong on the moon.

credits: UNESCO

https://www.facebook.com/unesco/

This International Day of Women and Girls in Science is an opportunity for all to take a stand for girls and women in science.

"Girls continue to face stereotypes and social and cultural restrictions, limiting access to education and funding for research, preventing them from scientific careers and reaching their full potential. Women remain a minority in science research and decision-making. This throws a shadow over all efforts to reach the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change – both of which highlight the key roles of gender equality and science." Just 28% of researchers are women. 

credits: OECD
http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/education/

Did you know that though 25% of boys and girls report they expect to work in science, they opt for very different careers? Boys are twice as likely as girls to expect to work as engineers, scientists or architects, on average across OECD countries.

Education:

The day must be inspirational for girls to study STEM. Promoting the work of women in science and encouraging girls to enter the sciences is important for achieving the Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

Goal 4

credits: Elyx Yak

So, the gap of girls and young women in science and technology in the 21st century is still a big problem. We must  motivate the young girls to pursuit Science studies.

Girls do as well as boys in science and maths at school but many more boys go on to further study science, technology and engineering.

As you read below statistics show that there is a noticeable gender gap, with much fewer girls choosing to study for STEM degrees. So the need for change is becoming increasingly urgent. 

credits: UNESCO

STEM subjects are still male dominated. And only about half of female Stem graduates go on to work in Stem roles. 

This may be due to lack of encouragement from parents, teachers or classmates, or down to the individual – they simply believe they are better suited to a different role."

• Katherine Johnson:

Resources:

• Women in Science: Explore the data Interactive tool produced by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS).

• Inspiring stories from women scientists (International Centre of Theoretical Physics)

• The Girl Who Loved to Count/ NASA
• 
  
• Katherine Johnson Biograpgy/ NASA
• 
  
• Inspiring STEM stories from history: Women: Katherine Johnson

•  Cool Things the Women Who Inspired 'Hidden Figures' Accomplished

• 'Hidden Figures' may feature NASA's history, but it resonates in the present/ LA Times Science.

Hidden Figures

Thedore Melfi, 2016

Oscars 2017 nominee

http://www.imdb.com/

Organize a school-out activity and go to the theater next to school to see the nominee film Hidden Figures.

The story of a team of African-American women mathematicians and scientists, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan  and Mary Jackson who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the US space program. 

When asked to name her greatest contribution to space exploration, Katherine Johnson talks about the calculations that helped synch Project Apollo’s Lunar Lander with the moon-orbiting Command and Service Module. She also worked on the Space Shuttle and the Earth Resources Satellite, and authored or coauthored 26 research reports.

NASA

Hidden Figures

Katherine Johnson/ Tariji P. Henson

Thedore Melfi, 2016

LA Times/ Science Now

http://www.latimes.com/science/l

"The International Day of Women and Girls in Science will directly influence the perception of women in science for sustainable development and elevate the contributions of women in science, past, present and future that equitably reflects the aspirations and ambitions of all global citizens."

G-Souto 

11.02.2017
Copyright © 2017G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Education : Intl Day of Women & Girls in Science : Katherine Johnson by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Schools : Safer Internet Day : Be the change ! Unite for a better Internet

SID 2017

https://www.saferinternetday.org/

Safer Internet Day 2017 is tomorrow, Tuesday, 7 February 2017 with a theme of 'Be the change: Unite for a better internet'.

Over the years, Safer Internet Day (SID) has become a landmark event in the online safety calendar. 

Starting as an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004 and taken up by the Insafe network as one of its earliest actions in 2005, Safer Internet Day has grown beyond its traditional geographic zone and is now celebrated in more than 100 countries worldwide, and across all continents.

https://www.saferinternetday.org/

From cyberbullying to social networking, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and chooses a topic reflecting current concerns.

Internet is a powerfull tool with enormous opportunities for learning, enhancing skills and acquiring new abilities and knowledge. However, with opportunities come risks. The goal of SID is to raise awareness but also to help by concrete actions to create not only a safe place but also a better place to be when being online. In order to achieve this goal SID offers the possibility for children, young students, teachers, parents, industry, policy makers, decision takers and other stakeholders to co-create better Internet.

SID 2017

https://www.saferinternetday.org/

Schools join together to make the internet a safer and better place for all, and especially children and young people.

My students have participated since 2008. These were the first activities from Portuguese schools.

Insafe is a European network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs). Every national Centre implements awareness and educational campaigns, runs a helpline, and works closely with youth to ensure an evidence-based, multi-stakeholder approach to creating a better internet.

Unite for a better Internet

https://www.esafety.gov.au/

However, Safer Internet Day is also celebrated outside Europe. In 2009, the concept of Safer Internet Day Committees was introduced, to strengthen the bonds with countries outside the network and invest in a harmonised promotion of the campaign across the world. 

Safer Internet Day infographics

https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/

"Around 70 global SID Committees now work closely with the Safer Internet Day Coordination Team, which is based at the heart of the European Union in Brussels. If there is not yet a SID Committee in your country, but you would be interested in forming one, please get in touch."

Teachers:

SID website showcases the many events and activities which will be taking place across the globe to mark the day.

Teachers can find out what's happening in their country, and find contacts and resources to help them to 'be the change' for a better internet not just on SID, but all year through.

The site is being updated daily, so please check back often for the latest news.

The site is being constantly updated, so please check back often for the latest news. 

@saferinternetday

You can register your support for the day as a school, individual or organisation and follow the action on Facebook and Twitter hashtags#SID2017 and #SaferInternetDay.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/

Help your students to become better internet users by celebrating Safer Internet Day (SID) in school this Tuesday, 7th February 2017 and all year through. #SaferInternet is everyday.

Being safe online at any age not only requires awareness and knowledge but also quite a mastery of skills:

• Digital literacy skills, 

• Social skills, 

• Communication skills

• Emotional skills. 

What's Your Brand

https://www.esafety.gov.au/

Activities:

Run a class activity on Safer Internet Day using some questions. For example:

• What do you like best about the internet?

• What can you do to make a “better” internet?

 Some ways to get your students to answer these questions:  

• Class discussion

• Creative writing tweets

• Art or poster project

• Video project—vox pop style

• School photo contest

• Research project: what are the options to make the internet safer for all?

• Public (in the school library) speaking exercise (in teams or individually)

The hashtags #SID2017 will be used to help raise awareness online.

Safer Internet Day infographic

https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/

Resources:

On SID website teachers will find a gallery of resources - from across the Insafe network of Safer Internet Centres and beyond - to help you celebrate SID in your school. And promote a safer and better internet all year through!

Search by keyword or language to find resources to meet your needs, or just browse the list.

The gallery of resources is constantly being updated so please check back regularly for the latest content.

https://www.bee-secure.lu/

Some thoughts: 

Children are growing up in a world powered by data. They are surrounded by powerful digital technologies, while the world’s information is digitised, analysed and transmitted around them in seconds. The internet is their companion, sometimes more than their family, school and friends.

Teachers and educators must help children and teens to be well informed and take care by themselves on the internet. 

We need to give them the skills to keep themselves safe online.  

Knowing how to sniff out trouble, how to be a critical thinker, knowing how to avoid it, and knowing how to handle it when it comes knocking are key essential life skills.

Please pass the message! Kids and young people must speak to a trusted adult id something worry them. 

There’s always someone near a kid, a young people. Teachers, parents, older brothers, grandfathers (yes, they are on the internet too). 

Whether we are children and young people, teachers, parents, educators or social care workers, we all have a part to play to be the change on the internet. We must unite for a better internet t, especially to care about kids and teens.

There is always a place which anyone can use to report if they feel uncomfortable or worried about someone they are chatting to online.

G-Souto

07.02.2017

Copyright © 2017G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Schools : Safer Internet Day : Be the change ! Unite for a better Internet by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

January in review : the most read posts of the month

Winner: Dewi B, 11 years-old/ Netherlands

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

No! No Spring, yet! But this photo by a 11-years-old boy from the Netherlands it's amazing. Shiny and sunny. It lights-up my Monday of a dark cold February.

It was a crazy weather week here the frozen weather, rainy and foggy in ten days. The bad weather provided a great excuse for me to go to the movies last Saturday. 

You love the photo? Don't miss to explore the gallery of International winners from the 2016 International Photography Contest (kids).

Well! Time to my review of the most read post of January 2017.


Here are the most popular posts of the last month:


Schools : Underwater Museo Atlántico : Environment & Artistic Culture education

Éducation : Concours 'Faites voyager vos histoires dans l'espace'

Civics Education : Martin Luther King's Day : Unity

Éducation : Science dans la classe : de Apollo à Pluto 

Schools : Let's talk about English Dictionaries : Oxford & Collins 


Schools : Harry Potter Book Night : celebrate the Professors of Hogwarts !

My usual readers know that blogging is my free contribution to inspire new teachers, when I have the time between work.

Hope you enjoyed some of my pedagocical proposals published in January and included some in your lessons.

No matter what the weather is in your part of the world, I hope that you have a great week! 

“When one is building a ship, one does not begin with gathering timber and cutting planks, but rather by arousing in people the yearning for the great wide sea.”


Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 

G-Souto 

06.0202017

Copyright © 2017G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

January in review : the most read posts of the month by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.