Beginning in pre-kindergarten, research has shown that subtle features of common language used by teachers (and other adults) can interfere with the development of children’s own engagement with science. Join us for this NGCP National Webinar to learn how you can make positive shifts in the language and teaching strategies you use in order to more equitably support children’s interest and persistence in science from an early age.
The Supporting Equitable Approaches to Early Science Education webinar was hosted by NGCP on March 9, 2023. In this webinar recording, you'll learn ways to create more gender equitable and culturally responsive learning environments that inspire and engage all young children in the sciences.
Amanda Cardarelli
Amanda Cardarelli is a researcher at the Education Development Center (EDC), where she co-leads and contributes to studies that examine how media and digital educational resources support learners and educators. Before joining EDC, Amanda was a teacher at an international school in Ecuador and spent five years working at New York University (NYU) in a cognitive developmental research lab. While at NYU, she co-led a National Science Foundation-funded research initiative that investigated how the language used to teach science affects children’s engagement with science. Amanda has co-authored articles published in Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Science, and The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Amanda Strawhacker
Dr. Amanda Strawhacker is the STEAM Coordinator at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston. Her work involves teaching, developing curriculum, and professional development around educational technology for PreK-8th grade classrooms. Prior to her role at Schechter, Amanda was the Associate Director of the Early Childhood Technology (ECT) graduate certificate program at Tufts University. Through her work at Tufts with the DevTech Research Group, she contributed to the development of several educational technologies including the ScratchJr programming app, the KIBO robotics kit, the Early Childhood Makerspace at Tufts, and most recently the CRISPEE bioengineering kit. Amanda holds a Ph.D. in Child Study and Human Development from Tufts University. She is a two-time winner of the Eliot-Pearson Research-Practice Integration Award, and was a speaker with TEDxYouth@BeaconStreet on her research with bioengineering in early childhood. She is passionate about engaging young children in playful, positive, and developmentally appropriate STEAM experiences.