Closing the Gender Gap in STEM
REFLECTION
Questions --------------------------------------------------------
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What were your expectations when you first started to work on the paper, on the product, and with your mentor? Did your experiences meet those expectations? How did they differ?
I had positive expectations for my research paper, as I felt fairly comfortable with gathering data and supporting my thesis. Although lengthy, my experience with the research paper went well, and I was able to assert my points with fluidity. There were stages in the writing process in which I felt that my context wasn’t strong, however, I was able to receive help from Mrs.Sebik and other resources to pull the paper together. Moreover, I felt accomplished once I finished writing; it was one of the most extensive papers I have written in my high school career. I appreciated the opportunity to hone my research and writing skills with this assignment. As for the event, I rightly anticipated that it would be a complicated undertaking. From preparing the material for the workshop to booking the event location, I considered the product to be the most difficult part of completing the senior project. My experience with the event has taught me the importance of time-management and communication. I now have increased knowledge about how to conduct an event and engage a young audience. Lastly, I believe that my experience with my mentor failed to meet my expectations. Going into this project, I had hoped to receive more engaging feedback on my progress with the project from my mentor. Unfortunately, due to coordination issues from both sides, my mentor was less involved with my project. Using this experience as a lesson for future purposes, I know now what actions may be taken to produce a more effective mentor-student connection.
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What problems did you encounter while researching and writing the paper? What was your greatest resource in overcoming these obstacles?
While researching and writing, the biggest difficulty I faced was introducing the topic and supporting points at the beginning of the paper. Once the introduction and supporting points were written, I felt that writing the research paper became easier, as it mainly entailed bringing evidence through research to uphold my points in each paragraph. My greatest resource in overcoming the writer’s block with my introduction was a collection of articles and data sources related to my topic. By continuing to read through several sources of information, I was eventually able to find a particular item that captured my interest and could be used as a hook for my paper. Using the hook to develop by introduction made the rest of the paper easily flowed after.
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What was the most interesting or surprising information you learned in your research?
The most intriguing information I learned in my research was the insurmountable affect teachers and academic material had on a girl’s STEM outlook. Prior to researching this topic, I wasn’t as aware of the subtle messages delivered to girls from a young age, dissuading them from STEM and perpetuating gender stereotypes. Even using words such as “future engineer” and “future woman engineer” to describe a male engineer and female engineer, respectively, can make connections in a young girl’s brain linking the discipline of engineering as a male domain. Likewise, the often historic undervaluing of influential women in STEM paints the field as being fit for male expertise only. However, if our educational institutions and instructors are more aware of how language and the material impacted may negatively affect young girls, we may be able to work against this issue. By using more empowering words and presenting female role models in STEM alongside male influencers, a girl’s STEM outlook could become more positive.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What did you learn about yourself during this project? How will you use what you learned throughout the rest of your life, academic or not?
In my experience with this project, I have learned my weaknesses in communication and personal timeliness. As the assignments for the course depended heavily on the student, I went in expecting to be able to keep on track with everything. Unfortunately, however, there were times throughout the course of the year in which I consistently lagged behind my due dates or wasn’t able to communicate in a timely manner. I will use this experience in my education and career to work specifically in a way that would force myself to do the assignments I anticipate to have the most trouble with first. Moreover, I learned with this project that if the student wanted to complete the project assignments and event in a consistent manner, it was important for them to set personal deadlines. I realized that my deadlines for assignments and personal tasks outside of school need to be set and met by me if I am to make progress. Hence, time management and effective communication are key to making things happen.
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How can I continue with this project in the future? Or how could I have students at MIA continue working on (or benefit from) this idea in the future?
I could continue to provide a STEM opportunity for young girls in the community by conducting a monthly workshop. Just like the workshop I hosted for my senior project event, these monthly workshops could be theme-based and available in several convenient locations. Even if I am not able to advance with the workshops, I would like anyone that has observed my senior project to make a consistent effort to be more aware of the impact of any kind of stereotypes. By being more aware of these stereotypes, we can all work together to undermine them, starting with ourselves, our professions, and our community.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What did the project teach you about the holistic view Islam has for every aspect of our life?
This senior project has shown that Islam is inclusive of every single creation in this universe. Islam is not defined by a particular gender, race, socioeconomic status, profession, and more. Moreover, the importance of education and seeking knowledge is incumbent upon every believer. Therefore, Islam works to create an optimistic environment, encompassing individuals that seek education for any beneficial topic. Due to the holistic nature of Islam, the Muslim community should strive to promote education and professional influence for everyone.
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What would you do differently now that you have finished?
Now that I have completed my senior project, if I had the chance to redo it, I would do a few things differently in terms of organizing my event and communicating with my mentor. For my event, I would have gathered my materials and organized my location a little earlier. By deciding on the logistics of the event earlier, there would be more assurance and time for publicity, hence drawing in a larger crowd and making a bigger impact. For communicating with my mentor, I would be more consistent in updating them to show interest and allow for continued discussion. Every week, I would briefly contact them to show progress and ask for any suggestions they may have. This would ensure ongoing involvement and a more beneficial mentor-student link.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What advice would you give to next year’s seniors about how to achieve success on the senior project?
I would advise next year’s seniors to truly pursue a senior project based on what they are passionate about and have a connection with. This may be related to a potential career option, a hobby, or whatever else. The topic should be something they feel close to and have a strong opinion about. This is essential as it will broaden the impact of senior project in their eyes and will give them the motivation to continue with the project when deadlines begin to stack up and keeping up becomes difficult. If the senior truly believes in the positive impact of what they are doing, they will achieve success with their senior project.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What grade would you give yourself for the project? Give your justifications.
I would give myself a grade within the B+/A- range. This is because I completed all of the assignments required, though, they may have been turned in past the date expected. Overall, I believe I showed consistent progress and efforts to complete my project with quality. My grade would lower when looking at the timeliness of my work and my collaboration with my mentor.
What were your expectations when you first started to work on the paper, on the product, and with your mentor? Did your experiences meet those expectations? How did they differ?
I had positive expectations for my research paper, as I felt fairly comfortable with gathering data and supporting my thesis. Although lengthy, my experience with the research paper went well, and I was able to assert my points with fluidity. There were stages in the writing process in which I felt that my context wasn’t strong, however, I was able to receive help from Mrs.Sebik and other resources to pull the paper together. Moreover, I felt accomplished once I finished writing; it was one of the most extensive papers I have written in my high school career. I appreciated the opportunity to hone my research and writing skills with this assignment. As for the event, I rightly anticipated that it would be a complicated undertaking. From preparing the material for the workshop to booking the event location, I considered the product to be the most difficult part of completing the senior project. My experience with the event has taught me the importance of time-management and communication. I now have increased knowledge about how to conduct an event and engage a young audience. Lastly, I believe that my experience with my mentor failed to meet my expectations. Going into this project, I had hoped to receive more engaging feedback on my progress with the project from my mentor. Unfortunately, due to coordination issues from both sides, my mentor was less involved with my project. Using this experience as a lesson for future purposes, I know now what actions may be taken to produce a more effective mentor-student connection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What problems did you encounter while researching and writing the paper? What was your greatest resource in overcoming these obstacles?
While researching and writing, the biggest difficulty I faced was introducing the topic and supporting points at the beginning of the paper. Once the introduction and supporting points were written, I felt that writing the research paper became easier, as it mainly entailed bringing evidence through research to uphold my points in each paragraph. My greatest resource in overcoming the writer’s block with my introduction was a collection of articles and data sources related to my topic. By continuing to read through several sources of information, I was eventually able to find a particular item that captured my interest and could be used as a hook for my paper. Using the hook to develop by introduction made the rest of the paper easily flowed after.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What was the most interesting or surprising information you learned in your research?
The most intriguing information I learned in my research was the insurmountable affect teachers and academic material had on a girl’s STEM outlook. Prior to researching this topic, I wasn’t as aware of the subtle messages delivered to girls from a young age, dissuading them from STEM and perpetuating gender stereotypes. Even using words such as “future engineer” and “future woman engineer” to describe a male engineer and female engineer, respectively, can make connections in a young girl’s brain linking the discipline of engineering as a male domain. Likewise, the often historic undervaluing of influential women in STEM paints the field as being fit for male expertise only. However, if our educational institutions and instructors are more aware of how language and the material impacted may negatively affect young girls, we may be able to work against this issue. By using more empowering words and presenting female role models in STEM alongside male influencers, a girl’s STEM outlook could become more positive.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What did you learn about yourself during this project? How will you use what you learned throughout the rest of your life, academic or not?
In my experience with this project, I have learned my weaknesses in communication and personal timeliness. As the assignments for the course depended heavily on the student, I went in expecting to be able to keep on track with everything. Unfortunately, however, there were times throughout the course of the year in which I consistently lagged behind my due dates or wasn’t able to communicate in a timely manner. I will use this experience in my education and career to work specifically in a way that would force myself to do the assignments I anticipate to have the most trouble with first. Moreover, I learned with this project that if the student wanted to complete the project assignments and event in a consistent manner, it was important for them to set personal deadlines. I realized that my deadlines for assignments and personal tasks outside of school need to be set and met by me if I am to make progress. Hence, time management and effective communication are key to making things happen.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How can I continue with this project in the future? Or how could I have students at MIA continue working on (or benefit from) this idea in the future?
I could continue to provide a STEM opportunity for young girls in the community by conducting a monthly workshop. Just like the workshop I hosted for my senior project event, these monthly workshops could be theme-based and available in several convenient locations. Even if I am not able to advance with the workshops, I would like anyone that has observed my senior project to make a consistent effort to be more aware of the impact of any kind of stereotypes. By being more aware of these stereotypes, we can all work together to undermine them, starting with ourselves, our professions, and our community.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What did the project teach you about the holistic view Islam has for every aspect of our life?
This senior project has shown that Islam is inclusive of every single creation in this universe. Islam is not defined by a particular gender, race, socioeconomic status, profession, and more. Moreover, the importance of education and seeking knowledge is incumbent upon every believer. Therefore, Islam works to create an optimistic environment, encompassing individuals that seek education for any beneficial topic. Due to the holistic nature of Islam, the Muslim community should strive to promote education and professional influence for everyone.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What would you do differently now that you have finished?
Now that I have completed my senior project, if I had the chance to redo it, I would do a few things differently in terms of organizing my event and communicating with my mentor. For my event, I would have gathered my materials and organized my location a little earlier. By deciding on the logistics of the event earlier, there would be more assurance and time for publicity, hence drawing in a larger crowd and making a bigger impact. For communicating with my mentor, I would be more consistent in updating them to show interest and allow for continued discussion. Every week, I would briefly contact them to show progress and ask for any suggestions they may have. This would ensure ongoing involvement and a more beneficial mentor-student link.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What advice would you give to next year’s seniors about how to achieve success on the senior project?
I would advise next year’s seniors to truly pursue a senior project based on what they are passionate about and have a connection with. This may be related to a potential career option, a hobby, or whatever else. The topic should be something they feel close to and have a strong opinion about. This is essential as it will broaden the impact of senior project in their eyes and will give them the motivation to continue with the project when deadlines begin to stack up and keeping up becomes difficult. If the senior truly believes in the positive impact of what they are doing, they will achieve success with their senior project.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What grade would you give yourself for the project? Give your justifications.
I would give myself a grade within the B+/A- range. This is because I completed all of the assignments required, though, they may have been turned in past the date expected. Overall, I believe I showed consistent progress and efforts to complete my project with quality. My grade would lower when looking at the timeliness of my work and my collaboration with my mentor.