"Teaching Tech to Girls Can Open Doors" Bay Area Business Women (10/05); Butler, Kristin http://www.babwnews.com/article.php?id=410 Enabling young girls to take apart computers in an environment that encourages exploration and not competition is the type of experience that could eventually lead more young women to pursue careers in science, engineering, and technology, according to a recent report by the American Association of University Women's Commission on Technology, Gender, and Teacher Education. Girls Inc. of the Island City in Alameda, Calif., provides that experience for young girls through its Tinker-Town project. The report, "Tech-Savvy: Educating Girls in the New Computer Age," says more girls have to be exposed to technology at a young age, and the opinions of girls and women--to change the way science and math are taught in school and the way toys and games are marketed and used--must be listened to closely. Science, math, and technology are not connecting with the values that girls hold, and that is largely the reason why women are underrepresented in such fields, according to the report. And the stereotype that work in these areas is isolating, tedious, and the domain of men does not help. "Research shows that once girls feel confident about their skills in computers and technology and have a genuine interest in these subjects, they successfully transfer their abilities into co-ed settings, bringing their ideas and interests with them," says Tristen Frederickson, program director at Girls Inc.
"Websites & Resources for Young Women & Girls" http://ww2.wdg.uri.edu:81/testsite/index.php?id=1114 is a nice compilation of links put together by the ADVANCE project at University of Rhode Island, a 5-year program funded by NSF.
Bring on the geekettes http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/education/article.jsp?content=20051024_114041_114041
No Boys Allowed
"Not so long ago, advanced math and science courses in high school seemed more like an all boys’ club. As more girls began to take courses stereotyped as “male,” their friendship groups became an important part of the equation. "According to new research findings, having high-performing same-sex friends is beneficial for girls whose friendships can promote academic success in high school. However, the same effect did not hold true for boys. Friends’ grades do matter for girls in all subjects, and are even more important with regard to advanced math and science course-taking when their friendship group is predominantly female. " Keep reading... http://www.utexas.edu/features/2005/friendship/index.html
"Women Valued for Technology Roles" BBC News (10/28/05) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4384432.stm The overall prize at the first Blackberry Women and Technology Awards went to Jackie Edwards, a lecturer at De Montfort University, for her use of a robotic dog to generate enthusiasm for careers in IT and bridge the gender gap by making technology more approachable. The awards were held in London partially to address the disparity between the UK's overall workforce, half of which is made up of women, and the IT workforce, where women's participation has dropped to 21 percent. The awards will be held again next year, and received praise from Glenda Stone, who heads Aurora, a professional women's networking and advocacy organization. "They reinforce the reality that women make a significant contribution to technology and use technology in every aspect of their personal and business lives," Stone said. MSN's Gillian Kent, who has campaigned for child protection online, was also recognized, as was Accenture, which was selected as the company that best advances women in technology. IBM's Sue McDougal was recognized as the best female role model in technology. A recent report issued by DTI identified the importance of female role models and mentors, citing as the principle reasons why women leave technology professions in their 40s as an imbalance between their work and personal lives and a widespread culture that undervalues women's skills.
"K-12 Programs Draw Girls to Science" EE Times (10/17/05) No. 1393, P. 1; Riley, Sheila http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=172301205 To help overcome the proportionate absence of girls in engineering, MathWorks is sponsoring an after-school robotics club for fifth grader girls where, in teams of three, they design a robotic device to improve handicapped access. That the environment is all female helps the children feel like they are not in competition with boys, and the project is also appealing because it makes them feel like they are helping others. The program is just one of many throughout primary and secondary education around the country aimed at boosting the participation of underrepresented demographic groups in math and science. At the forefront of such initiatives is the nonprofit Project Lead the Way (PLTW), which develops pre-engineering courses for middle schools and high schools. PLTW strives to offer a rigorous primer that is often a better predictor of a student's success in a college engineering program than grades and SAT scores. PLTW courses are taught by trained instructors in 45 states and the District of Columbia, spanning fields such as digital electronics, civil engineering, and computer-related manufacturing, with enrollments of more than 250,000 students. To address the gender disparity, PLTW has developed brochures marketing the classes specifically to girls that are distributed to parent-teachers associations at schools considering adopting the program, in the hopes of seeing a female enrollment of 40 percent, double the current portion of professional engineers. The programs seek to build girls' confidence and expose them to female role models. The issue has attracted corporate attention, as well, as a group of senior women from Texas Instruments has formed the Women of TI Fund, which supports programs promoting engineering to women and has established the Gender Parity Initiative, which trains educators about how their teaching techniques affect girls.
OP-ED: Women have the tools to outcompete men The argument stems from the "limited resources" model wherein if you have yours, I can't get mine. What I find especially interesting is that the author disregards completely the "individual initiative" argument that was used against women for so long - that is, if you were as smart and worked as hard, then you too would succeed. That is a huge rhetorical shift. Words that we don't have to use, though, in describing the problem are "erosion" "failure" "abandonment". The statistics alone do not provide proof that males are achieving less at all. Statistically, it is the increase in female achievement that makes the numbers what they are. Higher education expands to accommodate the audience. Bigger pie, more pieces for all. Stats alone don't tell that story. The part about needing to find a college-educated husband is bull. That's code for men should earn more than their wives. More info, see http://www.highereducation.org/crosstalk/ct0205/news0205-boys.shtml.
"Female Equation" Washington Times (10/03/05) P. B1; Widhalm, Shelley http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20051002-093823-4290r.htm There are fewer women professionals in the math and computer science fields because fewer female college and university students are pursuing studies in those areas. Jill Landsman, with the Technology Student Association in Virginia, attributes this downward trend to a lack of female role models. Mary Jean Harrold, with the National Science Foundation's Advance program, says girls taking computer science classes may perceive a computer science career as socially isolating and personally unrewarding. National Alliance for Partnership Equity executive director Mimi Lufkin thinks such views are nurtured by the competitive environment of computer science classes and their emphasis on theory and individual performance rather than practical application and teamwork, while additional discouragement can come from the media and parents. Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology CEO Telle Whitney says, "What women often express is that they do feel alone. They look around and don't see people who look like them." Colleges in the Washington, D.C., metro area are attempting to provide female role models for students: Sanjay Rai, dean of Montgomery College's science, engineering, and mathematics department, says more than half of his department's personnel are women. American University recruits female faculty members to encourage higher enrollments of female students in its math department, according to AU professor Mary Gray. In addition, the AU math department encourages students to socialize with faculty members or each other through special events.
"Despite Gains, Women Still Face Bias in Science Careers" UW-Madison (08/18/05); Devitt, Terry http://www.news.wisc.edu/11412.html A group of eminent women researchers and administrators present the case that most women scientists at universities must still contend with bias, a lack of respect, and even outright hostility in the Aug. 19 issue of Science. University of Wisconsin-Madison professor and group leader Jo Handelsman says most of the hostility is subtle and insidious. The analysis indicates that women seeking tenured faculty positions and advancement opportunities face a number of challenges, including a "chilly" campus atmosphere that many men do not perceive; unconscious discrimination; disproportionate family obligations; and fewer women being trained to the Ph.D. level in engineering and physical sciences. Alice Hogan, director of the National Science Foundation's ADVANCE Program, reports that these issues often hurt women's chances of advancing in their science careers. "While we as a nation have made considerable progress in attracting women into most science and engineering fields, we still see fewer women at the full professor and academic leadership levels than we would expect given the pool of women with doctorates," she explains. Handelsman reports that the gender bias issue is finally starting to come to light, which is a positive step. She also notes that people and institutions can address the issue through various strategies: She cites UW-Madison's Women in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute, which has set up workshops to teach solid search techniques to faculty search committees, as well as make committee members more cognizant of hidden bias. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, has launched a Web-based effort to make gender-, race-, and ethnicity-related biases understandable to deans, department chairs, and tenure and promotion committee members.
"EE Schools: Where Are the Girls?" EE Times (09/26/05); Riley, Sheila http://www.eetonline.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=1712002 64 Girls are being discouraged from pursuing degrees in engineering by a variety of factors, including a negative image of the engineering profession, a lack of role models, little support from peers or parents, sexist attitudes, and classes and workplaces that are predominantly male. Nathan Bell with the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology estimates that female engineers accounted for 10.4 percent of the 2003 workforce overall, and just 7.2 percent of the 2003 electrical and electronics engineering workforce. He reports little progress in boosting those percentages over the last decade, while the Engineering Workforce Commission's Dan Bateson says the number of men earning engineering degrees is more than five times that of women. Stereotypical perceptions of engineers will continue to prevail until the number of women studying engineering and finding employment as engineers increases significantly. The Stevens Institute of Technology's Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education's Susan Metz says ability plays no part in girls' avoidance of engineering, while National Instruments' Tamra Kerns notes that many girls are discouraged from continuing their education by their mothers, who claim that they are destined to be homemakers and parents. American Association of University Women research director Elena Silva reports an increase in the number of women earning engineering degrees every year for the last 30 years. Still, a principally male educational and professional environment remains a major source of discouragement for potential female engineers.
#1 "US CIOs See Increasing Demand for IT Skills" CIO.com (via IDG News Service), September 9 According to the latest Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report, demand is steadily increasing for IT professionals nationwide. In fact, in 4Q 2005 12% of CIOs plan to hire staff, the highest percentage since 3Q 2002. The two leading regions for IT hiring include the Pacific states (where 18% of CIOs indicated plans to hire new workers) and the Mid-Atlantic region (where 16% of CIOs plan to higher additional staff). Companies in finance, insurance and real estate are expected to lead the way in hiring additional IT staff. In terms of specific skills most in demand, the survey highlighted Web and applications developers, database administrators, networking professionals and software engineers. Read more: http://www.cio.com/blog_view.html?CID=11675
#2 "Technology's Human Need" Fiscal Policy Institute (via Newsday), August 19 According to a new report prepared for New York City's Fiscal Policy Institute, there's good news on the tech jobs front. The IT sector is making a comeback and, as a result, companies are finally adding computer-related jobs. However, companies may now have a difficult time filling those jobs, since enrollment in undergraduate computer science classes has been on the downswing for the past five years. The article looks at the factors impacting demand and supply of IT jobs, examines ways that institutions of higher education are preparing their graduates for the new employment environment, and takes a closer look at enrollment data from New York-area educational institutions. Read more: http://fiscalpolicy.org/newsday19august2000informationtechnologyjobs.pdf
"Women in IT: How Are We Doing?" rabble.ca (09/02/05); Scott-Dixon, Krista http://www.rabble.ca/arts_media.shtml?sh_itm=ac76d89cfe92f55cb4b0372f19d5d8c e&rXn=1& In her book, "Doing IT: Women Working in Information Technology," Krista Scott-Dixon describes IT as a blend of both positive and negative that is alternately stifling, liberating, limiting, and vitalizing for women. "The mundane minutiae of people's daily experiences with information technologies have smoothed the cutting edge of the 'information revolution,'" she explains. "At the same time, the banality of these technologies can conceal their potential to enable dramatic changes in work practices." Scott-Dixon reports that women in IT remain a minority, generally earn less and do more uncompensated work than their male counterparts, and are still confronted with both subtle and obvious discrimination along racial, sexual, social, and age-related lines. Few women enroll in technical fields in universities, and those who do soon drop out; most women end up in IT by accident rather than by choice. But Scott-Dixon refuses to rationalize the lack of female IT workers with pat explanations such as an innate dislike of technology, natural disinterest in the field, or cognitive limitations. She illustrates her point by noting that many women she has spoken to regard IT as a stimulating and empowering field, and this observation is backed up by a Statistics Canada survey in which more than 50% of respondents said their work has become more interesting since technology was introduced.
"Computer Character Lia Schools Girls in Tech" Investor's Business Daily (08/26/05) P. A4; Riley, Sheila Efforts are underway to counter young girls' disinterest in science and technology, which tends to take root around middle school. One such effort is Lia, a virtual Hispanic teenager designed to be a role model for girls as well as minorities. Leigh Hallisey with Boston University's Photonics Center, which developed Lia with the FableVision children's media company, says Lia is Hispanic to address a lack of positive media portrayals of Hispanic females and to appeal to the fastest-growing demographic in the United States, which is also the most underrepresented segment of the high-tech workforce. Lia will make her debut appearance on the National Academy of Science's iwaswondering.org Web site next month, where she will assume the persona of an agent for a secret organization that is trying to save the planet. Another initiative to get more girls interested in high tech is a student-directed UCLA outreach program that stresses the "coolness" of engineering to middle and high school students. Middle school age is when peer pressure and other factors cause girls to start viewing computing as a geeky boys' club, according to Marla Ozarowski of Girls in Technology. Although the number of women earning college degrees in science and engineering has risen every year for the past three decades, women currently account for only 20 percent of engineering students, 30 percent of computer science students, and 36 percent of math students in graduate programs, says Elena Silva with the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation.
"Professor Tries to Instill Passion for Math, Science" Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (08/21/05); Gannon, Joyce http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05233/557060.stm Carnegie Mellon University computer science professor Lenore Blum recently earned the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring for her work to encourage young girls to pursue math and science careers. She believes girls generally spend less time around computers than boys, noting that parents give boys more opportunities to learn how the technology works.
Computer science: calling all women < http://www.marketplace.org > It's back to the school today at many universities, where young men and women will be filling classrooms. Except maybe in the computer science department — where there just aren't that many women. Sam Eaton reports.
"Enhanced: More Women in Science" Science (08/19/05) Vol. 309, No. 5738, P. 1190; Handelsman, Jo; Cantor, Nancy; Carnes, Molly http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/309/5738/1190 (Access to this article is available to paid subscribers only.) In the 25 years since the inception of the Women in Science and Technology Act, women have made significant advances into the fields of math and science, though their participation remains disproportionately low in academia. Despite the recent debate over innate intelligence and cognitive ability, there is no evidence arguing toward women's inability to succeed in technical fields, as the skills required of a scientist are diverse, and it is generally recognized that the scientific community is enriched by a diversity of perspectives. Cultural factors seem more influential, as the 30-fold increase in the proportion of engineering Ph.D.s awarded to women between 1970 and 2003 points to an adjustment of cultural norms, rather than a shift in innate ability. The absence of female role models, a lack of encouragement in school, and compromised self-confidence impede women's enrollment in scientific courses of study and their inclusion in university faculties. Advisors and female professors can help women overcome the psychological barriers deterring them from pursuing careers in higher education by steering their course of study and acting as positive role models. Women also cite an unwelcoming campus climate, which can range from unintended derision to outright sexual harassment, as a factor contributing to their abandonment of the academy. It has also been shown that women suffer from unconscious bias, as evaluators are more critical of their subject once they learn that she is female, suggesting the need for concealing an applicant's gender. The disproportionate amount of time women spend caring for their families also curtails the pursuit of careers in higher education, though publicizing stories of women who have successfully balanced careers and family, as well as more family-friendly facilities on campus, would help to overcome this obstacle.
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