#(stem) education

becauseofthem

Zoning out isn’t your brain shutting off.

It’s your brain switching modes.

When you lose focus, your brain often shifts into something called the “default mode.”

This is when it’s:

- thinking internally

- replaying memories

- imagining scenarios

- making connections

instead of focusing on what’s in front of you.

This usually happens when:

- something isn’t engaging enough

- your brain is overloaded

- you’re tired or stressed

Your brain redirects attention somewhere else.

Attention isn’t constant.

It naturally moves between:

- focused mode (external attention)

- default mode (internal thinking)

Zoning out is part of that cycle.

Genetics can influence:

- attention span

- how easily your brain shifts focus

- how active your internal thinking is

Some people’s brains switch away from tasks more easily.

Your brain is also drawn to stimulation.

If something doesn’t feel rewarding or interesting, it looks for something that is—even if that’s just your own thoughts.

Zoning out isn’t always a problem.

It can help with:

- creativity

- problem-solving

- processing experiences

The Simple Way™:

If your brain isn’t engaged

Abstract

In higher education and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), interlocking oppressions can lead to inequitable environments for those who hold marginalized identities. Instructors can play key roles in either exacerbating or mitigating these inequities through their pedagogical approaches and choice of curricular material. However, it remains unclear how instructors who self-identify as committed to justice achieve higher levels of consciousness around areas of injustice and develop the self-efficacy to dismantle barriers for students over time. Here, we draw upon critical race theory and critical white studies to investigate what events or life experiences influence STEM instructors to understand the importance of social justice and examine how STEM instructors use this understanding to drive pedagogical shifts. We find variations in the ways that instructors’ experiences and identities shape their understanding of justice. In addition, we uncover factors that influence the switch moment; curriculum and pedagogical shifts; their relationship to justice work broadly; and barriers and supports for justice work. These stories hold powerful lessons for STEM education, but also for education more broadly, both in terms of pedagogical practice and the questions that shape research agendas on equity in education.

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Remember when Xians would scoff about science and "faith in science" – you know, on the internet, on a device powered by electricity that they can hold in their hand?

This is the same thing. The absolute retardation of someone ranting about STEM and "interlocking oppressions" – you know, on the internet, on a device powered by electricity that they can hold in their hand.