Differentiate and build student agency with Reading Coach in Immersive Reader

A recent 2022 report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed a decline in average reading scores since 2019. Educators have been met with increasing pressure to accelerate learning for all students, who often arrive in classrooms with varying levels of proficiency. Microsoft’s Learning Accelerator suite of tools provides schools with the solutions and educational expertise they need to positively impact academic, social, and emotional growth for all learners.

<https://educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/2023/02/differentiate-and-build-student-agency-with-reading-coach-in-immersive-reader>

Mind the Gap: Inspiring female students to pursue careers in STEM

Today, on International Women’s Day, we are looking back on 15 years of Google’s Mind the Gap initiative, a grassroots program which aims to bridge the gap of female representation in the tech industry by inspiring middle and high-school students to pursue careers in STEM at a critical stage of their education.

<https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/diversity/mind-the-gap-inspiring-female-students-to-pursue-careers-in-stem/>

TikTok is adding a dedicated feed for STEM content

TikTok is introducing a new feed dedicated to STEM content in honor of Pi Day, the company announced on Tuesday. The feed, which will appear alongside the app’s “Following” and “For You” feeds, aims to give users a dedicated space to explore videos related to science, technology, engineering and math. The STEM feed will be rolling out to users in the U.S. in the coming weeks.

<https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/14/tiktok-is-adding-a-dedicated-feed-for-stem-content/>

Messy STEM Science Experiments for Kids

Fun, messy science experiments are sure to please kids of all ages. Kids enjoy getting into hands-on activities where they get to touch, play, and explore.

<https://stemeducationguide.com/messy-stem-science-experiments-for-kids/>

Seven STEM Teacher Tips If You’re Suddenly Teaching STEM

STEM education, therefore, combines these four disciplines through an integrated approach, one that offers hands-on experience with relevant and real-world examples. The campaign for STEM education to start at a lower level has been there for quite a while now, and many people are all for that idea.

<https://stemeducationguide.com/seven-stem-teacher-tips/>

Engineering for Kids – 5 Tips to Introduce Engineering to Your Child

Engineers and their skills are in high demand across many sectors, and that is why they are one of the most lucrative jobs.

<https://stemeducationguide.com/engineering-for-kids/>

C-it B-it: Inspiring young people to pursue careers in STEM

When the Microsoft Surface and Education team spoke to high school students about the types of career pathways they could take after school, it became evident that the only limitation to their aspirations was what they had been exposed to.

<https://edublog.microsoft.com/en-au/2023/02/c-it-b-it-inspiring-young-people-to-pursue-careers-in-stem/>

Why don’t more women code?

Significantly more men than women become ICT specialists, and this gap persists across countries. Differences in young men and women’s education in science, technology, engineering (including ICT fields), and mathematics (STEM); aspirations for jobs in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector; and ICT skills are well demonstrated. New data from the OECD Going Digital Toolkit confirms that these gender gaps persist later in life. Across OECD countries, the percentage of men working as ICT specialists is three to eight times higher than the percentage of women working in such positions.

<https://oecdstatistics.blog/2023/03/08/why-dont-more-women-code/>

GirlCode: Women Using Technology to Create Meaningful Solutions

Ahead of International Women’s Day, I caught up with Zandile Mkwanazi, the Chief Executive Officer of GirlCode, based in South Africa. I was curious to hear about her journey into technology and what motivates her to act on behalf of women and digital technology. Here is a summary of our conversation!

<https://blogs.worldbank.org/youth-transforming-africa/girlcode-women-using-technology-create-meaningful-solutions>