Fable

Here is my fable, in the form of a quiz.

http://www.quizilla.com/users/parkerac/polls/6221130/girls_vs_boys/

Letter To Women in Mathematics

To Whom It May Concern:

I am an eighteen year old female student at Eckerd College. I have just finished a research paper on the excommunication of women in the mathematical field and the perpetual myth that men are better than women in math. I was wondering if you could offer some other career information sources as well as internships that young women might be interested in the mathematical field. I am also inquiring about what you think we should do to prevent this myth from targeting young children. Thank you for your time.

Alyssa Parker

Timed Writing

Man-matics?
The topic for my project three was the excommunication of women in the mathematical community and an analysis of the perpetual myth that men are better than women at math. I used many mediums to complete my project three. These mediums were both effective and successful to reach my audience. The sources that I used were also efficient and informative.
My topic was the role of women in the mathematical society and the stereotype that men are better than women at math. Overall, there are more men in the math community because society imprints this image in children’s heads that men are suppose to do math while women teach English. There are far more men in this community than women, but that does not mean women are not capable of doing Calculus or Statistics.
The medium that I used for my project 3 was the Internet. I created a blog and posted my research paper on the blog. This is extremely effective at reaching a broader, more diverse audience. If I were to write a paper and post it on a scientific journal then my information would only reach those who already knew what I was writing about. I needed to reach an almost ignorant audience to successfully get my point across. I also emailed the associations that were both opposed and for my research. Emailing these associations was faster than mailing the groups and more efficient than mailing the letters.
In addition, my fable will be introduced to fifth through eighth graders through an online quiz. This quiz will ask both males and females what their opinions on girls are and what the quiz takers think of math. It then combines these two opinions and shows them that just because girls are girls does not mean that they are not capable of math. A difference in gender does not make women any less likely to be a math major, unless this myth keep perpetuating itself. This quiz is effective with my audience because our society is now very technological driven. The audience’s generation is a generation based on e-mails, instant messaging, and online journals. This is also one of the main reasons that using a blog was most effective as well. Children need to learn this information as they are growing up. Since children are now getting younger and younger when they start using a computer, this is a better way to receive their attention on this topic.
Furthermore, I used sources from both points of view, people who believe women can do math and people who believe that women are not capable of math. The sources from the opposing view showed me what the opposite side was thinking and how I could refute each of their main points. The sources that were for women in man showed me research that help assert my claims and give me more resources to show my opinions are true, rather than just say my opinions. By doing this, my opinions become more realistic and my solutions become more attainable.
Overall, the methods of communication used throughout my project three were effective and my sources were proved to be extremely useful. The mediums I used were more compatible with my audience and furthers my research more quickly. My sources were credible and from the opposing and assertive side of my argument. My project was successful for the aforementioned reasons.

Women in mathematics association letter

To Whom It May Concern:

I am an eighteen-year old female student in St. Petersburg, Florida. I am working on a research project of the excommunication of women in the mathematical field. I was wondering if you could offer me with any sources to support my claim that women are just as capable as men concerning math. Or if you could help me on how to field questions such as, why are there not as many women as men in the mathematical community? Or where did this myth come from?
I really enjoyed your website and the positive support that it gives to young women who want to pursue a career in mathematics. I hope that you keep the website u and running. Thank you for your time.

Sincerly,

Alyssa Parker

Letter to Dick Masterson

Dear Dick Masterson,

I am a female from Eckerd College who is researching the myth that men are better than women in math. I know that you said your website was off limits to women, but I have stumbled across your website when I was researching women in the mathematical field. I was just wondering what your thoughts were of the excommunication of women in the mathematical field. Do you think women are capable of math? Should women be viewed as less because we are not prevalent in the mathematical field?
Again, I know that you said your website was off limits to women, but I am coming to you with an open mind. I am curious to your opinions. Thanks for your time.

Alyssa Parker

Sources for and against

The following are associations or websites for or against women in the mathematical society.

Association for women in mathematics

http://www.awm-math.org/

Men on a power trip

http://www.menarebetterthanwomen.com/

Women in mathematics

http://www.math.umd.edu/~wim/

Women in Mathematics

Look, We're Big Girls Now


“You can't do that you're a girl!” This statement alone can invigorate a girl and make her strive to do better, or this statement can extremely discourage a girl from even trying. The perpetual myth, “men are better at math than women” is the same principle. Because of this myth, women build an anxiety toward math, testing, and make women aware of the constant competition with men. The ostricization of women in the mathematical community is another effect of this myth. Is there any truth to this myth? Where did this myth come from? How does it affect women today?

This myth could not be farther from the truth, men are not better at math than women. There are plenty of women who have excelled in the mathematical community. For example, in the book Change is Possible, Patricia Kenschaft writes about many women excelling in mathematics. One woman was Christine Ladd-Franklin who made numerous contributions to the mathematical society. She did work for the Educational Times, The Analyst, and American Journal of Mathematics. She was also accepted into an all male math society, even though she was a woman. Despite these auspicious accomplishments, when she completed her coursework for a Ph.D. she was not granted the degree for the sole reason that she was a female. Another woman, from the same book, who has made math History, was Julia Robinson. She was the first female president of the American Mathematical Society. Despite this fact, she could not find a professional job for years on the sole reason that she was female. It was only after she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1976 that she was offered a professional teaching job at Berkeley. A more current example of a woman excelling in math is Lillian Gilbreth. She still remains to be the only engineer, mathematician, or physicist on a U.S. stamp, let alone the only female engineer. She represents men and women in the mathematical society and she's a female. This stamp is the recognition of the Postal Service that math is important. On top of that, she is also a widow of 12 children, whom all graduated from Ivy League schools. She incorporates being a mother, having a successful career, and being an independent person. To be fair, there are also supportive men that have supported each of these women in their careers. They were not told by their husbands that they were not allowed or capable of accomplishing what they did, they were encouraged to do the best they could.

One of the reasons that there are more men in the math community than women is because women are told men are better than women in math. Because of this constant reminder, women develop “math anxiety,” or an anxiety towards math. In a recent study completed by student at the University of Chicago, researchers found that when women worry about men doing better at math it can affect women's memory, “The scholars found that the worrying undermines women's working memory” (Science Daily, 2007). These researchers also found that because women struggle with math anxiety it causes the women to test worse, “…if a girl takes a verbal portion of a standardized test after taking the mathematics portion, she may not do as well on the verbal portion as she might have done if she had not been recently struggling with math-related worries and anxiety” (Beilock, 2007). Females need to be told early on that math is not just for males, but for females as well. If a student grows up with the mentality that math is just for boys, the student is going to worry that he/she cannot be successful when it comes to that subject. A great example of this is a Calculus teacher at Marist High School in Chicago, Illinois. When his freshman class enters he tells them, “This is going to be a hard class, no matter what gender you are. It will be fun, there will be tears, but math is important.” This enforces that women are not the only students who struggle with math, but men do too.

A study completed by University of California: San Francisco shows that women who are told that math is a “guy thing” do not place their priority on math, but more “feminine” subjects such as English. Keifer states, “…to maintain a strong identification with math-related fields, women may come to distance themselves from stereotypically female characteristics…which could create personal and professional conflicts for those women who do not wish to abandon their feminine identity” (Science Daily, 2007), this is one of the affects on females that this myth causes. Another example of this is a survey prepared by scholars from the University of Michigan, “Boys in the survey tended to rank the utility of mathematics more highly, while girls placed a higher value on English” (Eccles, 2003).The same aforementioned Calculus teacher also makes sure that women and men see math as something important, “Learning Calculus is not about learning of derivatives and integrals, but learning the critical thinking that you achieve through the struggle of this subject.” Mr. Glennon demonstrates that men and women both need the critical thinking. He also illustrates that math is a sport, a sport not only played by men, but women as well.

There is also the fact that women do not test as well when men are present. Because the myth that men are better at math has been embedded into women's minds, women are not capable to perform to their best abilities. Women are better test takers when the threat of men is nonexistent. For example, in a study compiled by Michael Inzlicht, author of American Psychological Society's journal, he shows that when men are present women do not perform as well, “…women tested in groups in which they were outnumbered by men scored a 58-percent rate” (Inzlicht, 2000). Because the myth is everywhere women develop a subconscious thought that men really are better at math, “…to maintain a strong identification with math-related fields, women may come to distance themselves from stereotypically female characteristics…which could create personal and professional conflicts for those women who do not wish to abandon their feminine identity” (Keifer, 2007). Overall, women need to be taught at a young age that math is important and not just for males, and they should be seen as a competition, like other females, not a threat.

The ostricisation of women in the mathematical community is the effect of the constant myth that men are better at math than women. The myth that men are better at math is ubiquitous and prevents many (not all) women from pursuing a career in math. Many women have excelled in the mathematical community, not just men. Because of this myth women can develop math anxiety. This anxiety can cause women to not perform to their best abilities. The myth that men are better at math than women is completely erroneous. Math is not just for men, but for women. In the words of the wise Calculus teacher, Mr. Glennon, “Math is a sport. Some people are naturally better than other, but it all comes down to practice.”