Tag: science

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“The Power of Encouragement” with Ruthe Farmer / Allene Sideways of The National Center for Women & IT for August 31 NPC Meeting

Nonprofit Commons Weekly Meeting
August 31, 8:30 AM SLT / PST
Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Plush%20Nonprofit%20Commons/88/126/26

On Friday, August 31, Ruthe Farmer will share how the Power of Encouragement can improve participation in the computer sciences and change the world. She is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the National Center for Women & IT, an organization seeking to increase women’s meaningful participation in computing and information technology. She is the driving force behind the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing, a nationwide program for high school young women interested in technology and is the Chair of Computer Science Education Week 2012. Ruthe was formerly the national manager of STEM education at Girl Scouts of the USA and holds an MBA in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Oxford Said Business School and part of her masters’ research including methods and results in Second Life.

http://www.aspirationsaward.org
http://www.ncwit.org
http://www.csedweek.org

AGENDA

8:30 AM Introductions

8:40 AM TechSoup Announcements

8:45 AM Mentors Central

8:55 The Power of Encouragement – it’s free, it’s easy, & it works with Ruthe Farmer / Allene Sideways of The National Center for Women & IT http://www.ncwit.org

9:30 AM Open Mic / Announcements

http://nonprofitcommons.org

Written by: Zinnia Zauber

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Evaluation of the Global Kids Science through Second Life project

Great information from Rafi Santo….

I thought I’d share with you all the recent independent evaluation that was completed about the Science through Second Life project that we ran during the last school year. The project integrated Second Life and wide range of web tools into a standards based high school science class in New York City. Among the findings:

– Students’ attitudes towards science-related careers changed positively with the StSL curriculum.
– Students’ self-efficacy and self-confidence in their abilities to do science-related work increased.
– Compared to the traditional science curriculum, the number of students reporting being overwhelmed by science class fell by 50%.
– Low achieving students’ grades improved significantly compared to the previous semester.
– Students’ collective intelligence skills improved throughout the semester. More students reported that they felt more comfortable working with others to get something done using digital media in the post survey.

Click here to download the report which also includes a detailed program description, and if you have any questions about the project feel free to be in touch.

Cheers,
Rafi

—
Rafi Santo
Senior Program Associate
Online Leadership Program
Global Kids
http://www.globalkids.org/?id=5
http://olp.globalkids.org

Written by: Beth J. Bates