http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/LiK/gkE/LiKgkEdia.jpeg
The geeky white male represents the face for the STEM fields and is inaccessible to youth of color. For marginalized youth, there is a need to be able to see themselves as scientists and engineers and as inherently scientific thinkers. Urban youth of color are deeply engaged in hip hop culture but it can be difficult to engage them in science class. Hip hop can be used to bridge this gap to make science more accessible to students. Arguments I have read in online conversations about this topic are that science is hard work and students will be mislead by things that make science seem fun. I disagree with those arguments based on my school observations. Integrating art and culture into STEM is a movement known as STEAM and can be one way of giving youth of color an entry point to learn science. It enables teaching of science to connect with the students and for the students to feel that its ok to be themselves and also be scientists.
The geeky white male represents the face for the STEM fields and is inaccessible to youth of color. For marginalized youth, there is a need to be able to see themselves as scientists and engineers and as inherently scientific thinkers. Urban youth of color are deeply engaged in hip hop culture but it can be difficult to engage them in science class. Hip hop can be used to bridge this gap to make science more accessible to students. Arguments I have read in online conversations about this topic are that science is hard work and students will be mislead by things that make science seem fun. I disagree with those arguments based on my school observations. Integrating art and culture into STEM is a movement known as STEAM and can be one way of giving youth of color an entry point to learn science. It enables teaching of science to connect with the students and for the students to feel that its ok to be themselves and also be scientists.