LBS 405 Journals (Journals Done 1,2,3) ONLY NEED 7- 300 words

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 What is the central idea to the reading?  

The central idea of this reading was how one scientist was able to connect paleontology
to justice. The scientist shows their interconnectedness with the help of talking about
who’s, why, and how the field is being studied. One thing that stood out to me in this
reading was learning about the inequities in science and how they impact the people
who are in the surrounding communities. I knew there were issues with social justice in
science because of who was benefiting and the communities that were affected by it.
What I didn’t know was how deep the issues run and why communities will never be
able to bounce back from the damages that can’t be undone. It reminds me of the
inequities in schools from city to city and how huge changes need to be made in the
communities around them in order for them to close the gaps. In my future classroom I
will be aware of the factors that could impact how my students view certain lessons that
I will teach. I will make sure to take into consideration their viewpoints on the lessons I
teach and how different perspectives can make or break the lesson. I found the entire
article interesting because it showed me there are biases in all fields including science. I
was unaware of the structural barriers in place to keep certain students out of the field.
It was also interesting to find out how most science only helps one group of people vs
everyone in the world. 

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 How do equity issues connect with STEM education?

Equity issues connect with stem through access to materials and whose history, theories
and contributions are allowed to gain attention. This can be detrimental to communities
of minorities because they would not be represented in STEM education and therefore
not interested or motivated to be a part of it. I think these types of readings are very
important in STEM education because without them the narratives of the people in
charge would be the only beneficiaries of STEM education. Without exposing these
inequities minorities would never have a voice or a future in STEM education. When
people address the inequities and racial biases things begin to change, maybe not right
away but the problems slowly come to the surface and need to be solved. The inequities
in STEM education are not only based on race but also gender. Women are
underrepresented in major roles and this also needs to be changed. When they address
this inequity you will see more women in important positions that will allow major
changes in the STEM field. These changes can include different perspectives and new
ideas that will benefit the STEM community. These benefits can include innovative
solutions to problems and different approaches to problem solving. When students are
better equipped with a range of skills, they become better critical thinkers and have the
ability to solve complex problems. This in turn helps students be successful in a more
interconnected world where they can work effectively in the global workforce. Some
ideas I will implement in my classroom are creating a diverse and inclusive learning
environment. Ways I can do this are to use inclusive language and allow all students to
think freely. I will also implement project based learning which helps students develop
interpersonal skills and be better equipped to work in groups. 
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 What is computational thinking?

Computational thinking is solving problems, designing systems, and understanding

human behavior, by drawing on the concepts fundamental to computer science. Using
computational thinking helps break down bigger problems into smaller ones making
them more manageable. You also draw on concepts from past problems to solve newer
ones. I use computational thinking in my math classes because I have to use past
knowledge from other problems to solve more complex ones. It is important to include
this in our program because computational thinking is a very useful tool that can be used
in a wide variety of disciplines, from biology, to journalism, to finance. By learning this
approach we can teach students how to use computational thinking, and make them
aware of the algorithms they use in their daily lives. This can include the steps to tying a
shoe for the younger students and following steps to build something for the older
students. When they are made aware of this, students will have a better chance at
solving problems on their own and will have the ability to teach how they solved the
problem to others. In my classroom I will teach computational thinking to my students by
making it relevant to their everyday lives. This will lead to them learning how to apply
that type of thinking to school and their future jobs. 

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 Which of these barriers might you see in your future classroom, or have you
previously experienced?

A barrier that I’ve seen in the classroom is the teacher I worked with assuming all
students come from the same cultural backgrounds. When a student arrived late, they
didn’t ask the student why they were late, they just told them they needed to do better
at coming on time. The next time the student was late, the teacher said something along
the lines of “oh you’re late again, you’re going to be late for everything in your life.” The
student began to look embarrassed and I was able to see tears begin to form in their
eyes. The student walked to the back of the class and when I went to find out what was
wrong they told me they hadn’t slept in a bed for 2 weeks. When I asked why, the
student said they had been evicted from their apartment and they and their mom had
been living in their mom’s car. This made me feel very angry and upset because it showed
that the teacher did not care to ask why the student was always late to find out if there
was something going on and lastly the teacher did not consider that the student lacked
the same support that other students had. Another barrier I have seen in the classroom is
the imbalance of opportunity. When teachers want students to complete tasks such as
volunteering for community hours or to receive a grade, some students cannot because
they are limited in resources and unable to get to where they need to go. This ties in with
the above student I wrote about because that student’s family also lacked the resources
which were out of that students control. 
Something I would do differently in my class would be to get to know my students so
that I know what they have experienced and are going through. I know sometimes it is
difficult for students to open up but hopefully by showing that they can trust me, they
will be able to share their feelings and thoughts. Another thing I will do is not single
students out when it comes to reading not everyone reads at the same level or speed so
to not make  them don’t feel overwhelmed. I would have audiobooks available .