Tag Archives: diversity

Mod#4-post5: “Reimagine STEM” Podcast Episodes

Reimagine STEM is a four episodes podcast series discussing inter-disciplinary education and practice in engineering and computer science. It was created by a group of creative producers at the CoDesign Culture Lab, an event hosted by the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) in November 2019 as part of the CECS agenda to Reimagine how engineering and computer science serve the emerging needs of the middle of the next century. The episodes focus on four main themes:

  • Educational innovation
  • Computer science and engineering for social benefit
  • The need for diversity
  • Indigenous knowledge contributions

As I listened to the podcast episodes, particularly, episodes three and four, I realized more than ever the need to work collaboratively with Indigenous communities to widen our toolbox and integrate new knowledge as well as our need to develop with an eye on their local concerns. Below is the list of episodes and few notes on each. On the same page, you will find other podcasts interviewing each guest; some discuss work on the ground relevant to our coursework.

Episodes Key Highlights
Episode [01]: Engineering education for the future

-“Equity is we want to make sure that all different student populations are welcome, rigour as we want to teach something that has real content, scale is we want to make sure that we remove impediments that make us work at very large scales. “- Shriram Krishnamurthi

  • Discusses how to support the next generation of engineers and computer scientists and help them shape a better future.
  • Recommends educational approaches such as developing micro-credentials and using role playing games to tackle ethical issues in technology solutions.
Episode [02]: Engineering for social benefit

-“We don’t want to approach problems as engineering problems. We need to approach them as human problems.”  Cameron Tonkinwise-

  • Highlights that social benefit is at the heart of engineering and computer science.
  • Emphasizes the importance of understanding context, community needs, and actively consult and take a local direction in development processes.
Episode [03]: From diversity STEMs brilliance

-“There is a wealth of lived experiences and creativity that is either not invited in [the] fold in the first place or get squeezed out of the fold.” Cathy Ayres-

  • Explores the systemic barriers and stereotypes that stop minority groups including indigenous communities in computer science & engineering fields and how inclusion is key to creating a future we all want to live in.
Episode [04]: First Nations, first knowledge

– We need to start working together, in that two-way learning where Indigenous knowledges and knowledge systems and Western ways of engineering and computer science is an incredibly valuable collaboration.” Angie Abdilla-

  • Discusses how an effective, a holistic view, can cover a whole lifecycle of an intervention.
  • Provides a deep dive into Indigenous Knowledges and frameworks
  • Sheds the light on how society should learn to acknowledge and connect with some of the world earliest innovators, the Australian Indigenous people, to approach contemporary problems.

Reference:

M.2 P.3 Indigenous Rights and STEM Education

The STEM teaching tools website has resources, tools, PD modules, news, and newsletters to help teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

I was particularly drawn to this website for the resources found under the TOOLS dropdown menu that highlight ways of working on specific issues that come up during STEM teaching called “Practice Briefs”. Each brief highlights the issue, why it matters, things to consider, reflection questions, equity, and actions you can take in an organized, concise, and effective way to easily access. Below are some briefs that I found particularly useful to my research on TEK and STEM.

#10 Teaching STEM In Ways that Respect and Build Upon Indigenous Peoples’ Rights: It is vital that educators incorporate Indigenous knowledge and rights into their teaching and lessons.

Teachers should understand and leverage Indigenous students’ ways of knowing and values.

#11 Implementing Meaningful STEM Education with Indigenous Students & Families: Integrating traditional ecological knowledge and western science is important if students are going to connect meaning to experiences.

Teachers should focus on Indigenous ways of knowing & encourage Indigenous students to navigate between Indigenous & Western STEM.

#55 Why it is crucial to make cultural diversity visible in STEM education: Students need to see themselves represented in STEM careers that collaborate and integrate Indigenous knowledge.

Teachers should carefully weave subject matter with activities and images within relevant contexts that validate the contributions of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

#57 How place-based science education strategies can support equity for students, teachers, and communities: Place holds significance to Indigenous ways of knowing and learning. Knowledge rooted in land is at the heart of many Indigenous cultures, this needs to be at the forefront of education.

Teachers should connect science learning experiences in and out of the classroom to students’ sense of place, cultural perspectives, and community assets and issues

References

STEM Teaching Tools. (n.d.). Teaching Tools for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education. http://stemteachingtools.org/