In our last class meeting, we discussed several important topics that we will have to address in our future classrooms. One of the issues that we discussed involved girls and science. Why do girls tend to shy away from the science field? Can these reasons be found in the classroom? This may be an issue that needs to be taken into consideration.

My personal experience with science has been a positive one. I enjoy learning about science, so I tend not to shy away from it. But in so many classrooms, girls will tend to do the opposite. In class we talked about possible reasons. These reasons included: science lacks creativity, science lacks everyday connections, and science lacks a social element. I agree that these three factors may turn girls off to science if they aren't present in the classroom, because these factors are so important to young girls. I also agree that we can  eliminate these deterring factors pretty easily. In our science methods course, we focus heavily on creating an inquiry based learning environment. This means that students are given the opportunity to explore and create new ideas using purposeful, hands-on activities that will develop new concepts. It also means that students are encouraged to ask questions and discuss their thoughts and ideas. If this type of learning environment is present in the classroom, I believe we can help reduce the number of girls to shy away from the science field.

It is our job, as educators, to provide the best education possible for our students. It may be possible that girls are interested in science, and their classroom experience is what discourages them from pursuing it in the future. If this is the case, it is our responsibility to create a classroom environment that encourages all students to pursue and engage in science.