
My "Hidden" STEM Shame - Cassandra's Story
"I left her office feeling nothing but shame because of my gender. No one encouraged me in STEM..."

Creating Culturally Relevant Mathematics for Ghanaian Children
Our last work in Ghana culminated with a workshop with 90 teachers and leaders in the District. "Beyond Excellence: Creating Culturally

Are You Okayyyy?
Part 5. Ghana Project with InspireMath Ace It Foundation Quinton Sherlock. Spent another morning in classes at the Church of Christ Primary School and then a meet with officials at the District office. Being a former district office guy in Bermy, was anxious to talk with officials about the upcoming workshop. 80 teachers are coming after we installed a cutoff. My my first visit to the P6 (grade 5) classroom featured a male teacher. There were at least two male primary teacher

Slave Castles and Parallels
Part 4: Ghana Project. InspireMath. Visit to Cape Coast Slave Castle. Wasn't prepared. The level of atrocity and humiliation is not adequately detailed in any book I've read. For example we stood in a dungeon (beneath the castle church ) cells maybe 30 by 15 which held 200 slaves who were kept in their own excrement in dark, humid squalid conditions. The floor we stood on was recently discovered under 4ft of feces and dead skin. The only deprived minds can create such a exper

Building Boats and Black Intellect
Part 3 Ghana project with Quinton Sherlock and InspireMath. We were headed to the Cape Coast when we spotted this amazing example of culturally relevant STEM - science and math for the people. A small group of young and old men building a ocean boat from a tree. Yes! One tree! I was amazed! You can't just build a boat. There is understanding of buoyancy, angles, curvature, friction, dimensions, waves and wind, force, etc. Just had to capture this moment of Black intellect. Re

Seeing Teaching in Ghana
Part 1. InspireMath Ghana Project. So thankful to sit in on classes at Church of Christ Junior High School. So the teacher is teaching clock angle problems. I am wondering to myself he could really move on and challenge the class of 40 with more problems. I felt he was moving too slow. But then the teacher out of respect comes to me in a down moment and asks if he should move on. I told him yes and gave him two of the most difficult problems from his text (his kids can do it!

Teaching AceIt!
Part 2. InspireMath. Day 2 of the Ghana project at Church of Christ Junior High school with Quinton Sherlock and Ace It Foundation. Quinton and his foundation creating an afterschool golf and academic enrichment program for students at the school. I thought I was observing but somehow ended up teaching 3 lessons but tried to demonstrate how critical thinking and problem solving is not only possible, but looks and feels different. Observations: (1) The students in comparison a