[Yr7-10it] How to interest girls in ICT electives atmiddle-secondary level?

Wed Aug 12 11:36:28 EST 2009

Hey the Michael, you seem like a scenario for running the Cert III with the software option.(just a thought). Its an alternative path to Unit 1-4 and still can earn points for scored assessment...
Thats just one of the reasons I've gone that path (network admin stream) for 2010... (content, not gender)
Kent.
Kent Beveridge,
St. Brigids CSC, Horsham.
Ph (03) 5382 3545
http://www.stbc.vic.edu.au/
kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au
"This email and any attachments may be confidential.  You must not disclose or use the information in this email if you are not the intended recipient.  If you have received this email in error, please notify us immediately and delete the email and all copies.  The School does not guarantee that this email is virus or error free.  The attached files are provided and my only be used on the basis that the user assumes all responsibility for any loss, damage or consequence resulting directly or indirectly from the use of the attached files, whether caused by the negligence of the sender or not.  The content and opinions in this email are not necessarily those of the School."

________________________________

From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Michael Torsello (Mr)
Sent: Mon 8/10/2009 9:08 AM
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Yr7-10it] How to interest girls in ICT electives atmiddle-secondary level?

Dear colleagues
I teach at a girls' school and surprisingly I don't have a problem
getting students into middle school IT.
I offer a semester unit each of multimedia and programming at Yr 10 - no
IT any earlier.
In Multimedia I use Moviemaker and SwishMax (a cheaper version of Flash)
and teach Visual Basic for programming.
I have had large classes for Multimedia and smallish classes for
programming each of the last 3 years that I have offered these courses.

My problem is getting students to select Information Technology units
1-4.
We haven't run a Unit 1-2 class for this study design and my last 3-4
class was two years ago.
As soon as the students realise that Multimedia and/or Programming is a
small part of Units 1-4 and that they have to study databases and
spreadsheets, they run away in droves.

And there is no way I could get a course on databases and spreadsheets
off the ground here.
----------------------------------------------------------------
With thanks
Michael Torsello
Director of Computing
St Margaret's School, Berwick
Berwick Grammar School, Officer
Ph: (03) 9703 8111

-----Original Message-----
From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Kevork Krozian
Sent: Saturday, 8 August 2009 8:12 PM
To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Yr7-10it] How to interest girls in ICT electives
atmiddle-secondary level?

Wow Donna,

   This is really an awesome amount of research and information you have

sent on. Must get on to some of these asap.
The only immediate action I can think of for this semester is to bring
forward my intention to teach Alice even if it is only for several
weeks.
It is a matter of finding and creating enough material to use . I will
start
my search very soon.

Take Care

Kevork Krozian
kevork at edulists.com.au
www.edulists.com.au
Tel: 0419 356 034
----- Original Message -----
From: "Donna Benjamin" <donna at cc.com.au>
To: "Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List"
<yr7-10it at edulists.com.au>
Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 5:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Yr7-10it] How to interest girls in ICT electives at
middle-secondary level?

> Thanks Kevork - nice work.
>
> Would be great to extend this informal survey and get a bunch of Yr
7-9s
> responses... really interesting.
>
> I've been looking at this issue from the other end lately... big
> discussions are a foot about the low numbers of women programmers in
the
> open source community, and at LCA this year we ran a workshop
> brainstorming ideas for encouraging girls to consider ICT careers and
> hobbies.
>
> You can view the notes taken here:
> http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Getting_girls_into_IT
>
> There are 3 great books to give you background info, stats and stories
> on the underlying issues of a lack of diversity in IT in the Western
> world.
>
> Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing by Margolis and Fisher
> http://tr.im/vPv7
>
> Reconfiguring the firewall: Recruiting Women to Information Technology
> across Cultures and Continents by Burger, Creamer and Meszaros
> http://anitaborg.org/news/archive/reconfiguring-your-firewall/
>
> Women and Information Technology: Research on Underrepresentation by
> Cohoon and Asprey
> http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=10924
>
> Have any of you tried using Alice or Scratch in the junior years
> - how have girls responded to this?
>
> http://www.alice.org/
> http://scratch.mit.edu/
>
> This is an important issue...  If girls just aren't interested in IT
we
> all lose. As Kirrily Roberts said in her recent keynote address on
this
> issue "You can teach programming; you can't teach passion or
diversity".
>
http://infotrope.net/blog/2009/07/25/standing-out-in-the-crowd-my-oscon-
keynote/
>
> Role Models, Mentors, Tasks of interest, but also - look at your IT
> classrooms - are there any images of women using technology?
>
> Perhaps get some posters made up of women in TV / popular culture
using
> technology - Angelina Jolie from hackers, Trinity in the Matrix,
Willow
> from Buffy, Mac from Veronica Mars, Angela in Bones - do people have
> some more recent examples?
>
> The use of mobile phones in gossip girl could be interesting too...
>
> cheers
> Donna
>
>
> On Fri, 2009-08-07 at 11:02 +1000, Roland Gesthuizen wrote:
>> Kevork is right .. social networking is a poweful driver. I had
>> forgotten how much the girls I teach VCE to liked using the Moodle
>> social forums and chat room.
>>
>> How to channel this powerful energy for good (makes me sound like I
am
>> talking down to a super hero) .. is the challenge. :-)
>>
>> Regards Roland
>>
>> 2009/8/7 Kevork Krozian <K.Krozian at fhc.vic.edu.au>:
>> > Hi ,
>> >
>> >     I just surveyed the girls in my Yr 9 IT class - about 10 girls
out
>> > of 24
>> > in class.
>> >   The background was that in our school I had not a single girl in
Yr
>> > 12, or
>> > Yr 11 or Yr 10 IT .
>> >
>> > The question was :
>> >
>> >    What topics would make you choose IT as a subject in Yr 10 and
>> > onwards ?
>> >
>> > Answers were gathered anonymously to get genuine and authentic
data.
>> > The
>> > suggestions were:
>> >     1. A dating website  ( came up four times )
>> >     2. Something to do with fashion
>> >     3. Girly stuff
>> >     4. Easy stuff
>> >     5. Working on our own, the way we like,  like this DVD project
we
>> > are
>> > doing
>> >     6. partner activities
>> >
>> > This got me thinking that one of my most successful projects was
>> > creation
>> > and querying of a dating database for Yr 11 a number of years ago
now.
>> > There are some clues here about what girls are leaning towards.
>> >
>> >  Just thought I would share this with everyone.
>> >
>> > Take Care
>> >
>> > Kevork Krozian
>> > Digital Learning Manager
>> > Forest Hill College
>> > k.krozian at fhc.vic.edu.au
>> > Tel: 0419 356 034
>> > ________________________________
>> > From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au
>> > [yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au] On
>> > Behalf Of Kent Beveridge [kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au]
>> > Sent: Monday, 3 August 2009 2:22 PM
>> > To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
>> > Subject: RE: [Yr7-10it] How to interest girls in ICT electives at
>> > middle-secondary level?
>> >
>> > A themed op system...now THERE'S something different!
>> > Fact: I have more girls than boys in my Cert II class at year 10
level
>> > doing
>> > I.T. Didnt plan it, it just 'happened'.
>> > KB.
>> >
>> >
>> > Kent Beveridge,
>> > St. Brigids CSC, Horsham.
>> > Ph (03) 5382 3545
>> > http://www.stbc.vic.edu.au/
>> > kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au
>> > "This email and any attachments may be confidential.  You must not
>> > disclose
>> > or use the information in this email if you are not the intended
>> > recipient.
>> > If you have received this email in error, please notify us
immediately
>> > and
>> > delete the email and all copies.  The School does not guarantee
that
>> > this
>> > email is virus or error free.  The attached files are provided and
my
>> > only
>> > be used on the basis that the user assumes all responsibility for
any
>> > loss,
>> > damage or consequence resulting directly or indirectly from the use
of
>> > the
>> > attached files, whether caused by the negligence of the sender or
not.
>> > The
>> > content and opinions in this email are not necessarily those of the

>> > School."
>> >
>> > ________________________________
>> > From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of ken price
>> > Sent: Sat 8/1/2009 5:33 PM
>> > To: Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List
>> > Subject: Re: [Yr7-10it] How to interest girls in ICT electives at
>> > middle-secondary level?
>> >
>> > http://hannahmontana.sourceforge.net/Site/Home.html
>> > Hannah Montana Linux is a linux Operating system based on Kubuntu
with
>> > Hannah Montana Themes
>> > You may laugh but install it on one computer and watch the student
>> > response.
>> > Seriously.
>> > Then tell them you can give them a copy to take home, for free.
Might
>> > want
>> > to warn them not to reformat the parents' computer in the process
>> > though.
>> > ken
>> > TASITE
>> > On Sat, Aug 1, 2009 at 2:07 PM, Clive Oldland
>> > <clive_oldland at yahoo.com.au>
>> > wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Hi All,
>> >> Has any one got any strategies that have worked to turn around the

>> >> gender
>> >> imbalance in selecting ICT electives in middle years?
>> >> I would be particularly interested in knowing how you pitched your
>> >> elective to make it attractive to girls.
>> >> Also, is ICT compulsory in years 7 & 8 at your school? Do you
believe
>> >> that
>> >> contributed to better participation from girls in higher years?
>> >> (I have been a subscriber since May, but his is my first post.
Many
>> >> thanks
>> >> for the interesting conversations I have observed this year.)
>> >> Regards,
>> >> Clive Oldland
>> >> Montmorency SC
>> >> ________________________________
>> >> Access Yahoo!7 Mail on your mobile. Anytime. Anywhere. Show me
>> >> how._______________________________________________
>> >> http://www.edulists.com.au <http://www.edulists.com.au/>  - FAQ, resources, subscribe,
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>> >> Teachers
>> >> Association Inc
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Dr Ken Price MACS ACCE Professional Associate.
>> > President, TASITE
>> > _______________________________________________
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>> > Year 7 - 10 IT Mailing List kindly supported by
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>> > Year 7 - 10 IT Mailing List kindly supported by
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>> > Teachers
>> > Association Inc
>>
>>
>>
> --
> Donna Benjamin - Executive Director
> Creative Contingencies - http://cc.com.au <http://cc.com.au/> 
> ph +61 3 9326 9985 - mob +61 418 310 414
> open source - facilitation - web services
>
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.edulists.com.au <http://www.edulists.com.au/>  - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
> Year 7 - 10 IT Mailing List kindly supported by
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> Association Inc
>

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Teachers Association Inc

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Year 7 - 10 IT Mailing List kindly supported by
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