Jacquelyn C. HurstEducating Girls in the Tech Age: A Report on Equity

Sharon Schusterhttp://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech028.shtml

Girls Just Wanna Compute

Equity issues in technology are not only faced by low income and minority children.

Perhaps the biggest equity issue that I face as a teacher is one of gender equity, how

to encourage and promote technology use by girls of all ethnic and socio-economic

backgrounds. As a teacher I see my female students at a disadvantage when working

in the computer lab or in the classroom with technology. When asked to choose

between projects that utilize technology, iMovie, digital or movie camera, Photoshop,

scanners, PowerPoint, etc., or using posters, hand drawn illustrations, low level word

processing, or pen and pencil, they often choose the low level methods rather than

utilizing technology.

How we identify and address girls so that we may encourage and assist them to

become technically savvy women is the focus of this presentation. Girls are not well

represented in advanced technology classes and they are not choosing careers in

technology. What are the ways that we can promote gender equity for girls in

computer education and technology?

Educating Girls in the Tech Age

Research Findings

*Girls find programming tedious

*Computer games violent and redundant

*Computer careers uninspiring

Educating Girls in the Tech Age

What to Do About It

*Need to use technology proactively

Show use across curriculum

Choose and use relevant topics and activities

Educating Girls in the Tech Age

What to Do About It

*Understand and interpret information that technology makes available

Develop content applications that use technology

Use multilevel software

Educating Girls in the Tech Age

What to Do About It

*Understand design concepts to become a lifelong learner of technology

Encourage multiple approaches to learning

Encourage girls to see themselves as designers, not just users

Educating Girls in the Tech Age

Teacher Training

*Teach “tinkering” activities that let learners experiment Teach “tinkering” activities that let learners experiment with technology

*Technology must be relevant for nontraditional users and learners

Educating Girls in the Tech Age

Teacher Training

*Focus on innovative uses of computing

Literacy includes skills in literacy, numeracy, cognitive science, problem solving, analysis, and logic

Hardware and software skills are minor

Educating Girls in the Tech Age

Teacher ResourcesAmerican Association of University Women Educational Foundation Commision on Technology, Gender, and Teacher Education: Tech SavvyEducating Girls in the New Computer Age

Executive Summary of Educating Girls in the New Computer Age

Techbridge: Encouraging Girls in Technology, Sponsored by the Chabot space and Science CenterTechbridge: Encouraging Girls in Technology

Educating Girls in the Tech Age

Educating Girls in the Tech Age