Gadget Girls! As the year gears up, I cannot think of a group of students I look forward to working with more than these enthusiastic Gadgeteers. Embarking on it's third year, Gadget Girls (G.G.) originated as an initiative that my colleague, Jessica Malloy, and I conjured up in hopes of raising girls' interests in STEM fields. We wrote grants to fund our initiative and this girls' engineering club burst into being! We invited third through fifth graders to join us on this inaugural journey into STEM challenges and problem-solving fun! The response was overwhelming. Through an application process, we selected twenty girls the first year, and realized that we had to find a way to accommodate more girls into the group. Thankfully, another colleague, Linda Higbee, volunteered to join us. In our second year, our group size grew by 50%, and we still had to turn away applicants! This year, we are investigating ways to accommodate even more girls to meet the ever-increasing interest.
What did our girls' group do during our meeting time? We used every minute we had to create, collaborate, think critically, and share our ideas. From the application process, where the girls were asked to submit a "selfie" that expressed their inner Gadget Girl, to the last design challenge of the year, we provided opportunities for the girls to problem-solve and develop innovative solutions, as well as practice 21st century skills. Every year, the girls are asked to design their t-shirt, which they proudly wear each week. From there, the creativity and involvement only grows as the girls investigate a variety of STEM-related activities including foam rockets, air-powered toy creations, circuits, light-up cards, robotics, coding, tissue kites, toilet-paper tube flashlights, brush-bots, packaging design, and much more!
I cannot wait to see what new adventures this time will bring! Each year, the new class of girls bring a higher level of interest, intrigue, and knowledge base that compels us to up our game and push the boundaries of what our students think they are capable of. I cannot wait to share out, not only the impact Gadget Girls has had on the girls - what they have accomplished, how empowered they feel, and how it has positively affected learning; but also, the amazing impact G.G. has had on me!
As a side note, we were given two opportunities to share our Gadget Girl experiences at state conferences this school year. In November, Jessica Malloy and I will present at the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST). We have also been accepted to present at the annual conference of the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) held in Austin in early February. If you happen to be attending any of these, come by and visit us!
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