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June 1, 2003
Integrating Technology into the Lives of Girls
By Robyn Treyvaud and Lori Rounds
Girls and Technology - can the two be successfully integrated? There is a significant body of research that validates what girls in coeducational schools experience on a daily basis, namely that with regard to technology, girls lag behind boys in use, understanding and interest on many levels. A growing number of studies indicate that girls are not involved in technology at a level needed to advance the critical thinking skills so highly valued in the workplace of today. Female enrolment in technology-related majors is at the lowest level since 1985. These studies show that, beginning in the middle school years and continuing into high school, girls are not involved in technology at the level needed to advance the critical thinking skills needed in the areas of math, science, and technology majors and careers. Research explains the many reasons why girls do not engage in technology, and offers some suggestions to educators on what to do about it.
But the Geek is Chic project shows that classroom teachers have the power to reverse these negative trends simply by giving consideration to the researchers' recommendations that girls prefer collaborative, rather than isolated, use of technology in education. The Geek is Chic project is modelled on the concept that girls work better in collaborative projects that they themselves define. The outcomes witnessed to date have been very promising, as the girls have emerged feeling confident and empowered that they have used technology to transform their creative ideas into innovative projects.
Constructivist Learning
The Geek is Chic project, an easily replicable model which initiated in Australia and later spread to the United States and Canada, began by following two of the key recommendations from an American Association of University Women study:
- "Computation should be integrated across the curriculum, into such subject areas as art, music and literature as well as engineering and science...subjects that already interest girls, as well promoting critical thinking and lifelong learning."
- Create and support " ...computing clubs and summer school classes for girls, mentoring programs, science fairs and programs that encourage girls to see themselves as capable of careers in technology."
Since the project began, the Geek is Chic model has allowed girls to assume responsibility for their own learning. They have defined the subject area for their Geek is Chic projects, and have learned to approach their work as a design team in much the same way a team in the corporate world works ý they brainstorm, share, discuss, implement, evaluate, refine, and collaborate ý all traits that are key to any successful career, but particularly in the math, sciences and technology fields. The girls have accomplished this by engaging in global dialogue with other girls in Australia, USA, and Canada. Using standard and emerging technologies such as chat, email, PC-to-phone, as well as video conferencing technologies, to discuss, debate, define and create innovative projects that use technology.
The classroom teacher will find that the project can continue to evolve because the girls' interests and needs will continue to evolve as they acquire confidence and experience using technology. The wide range of telecommunication tools used will also allow the girls to experience the communication and exploration of personal relationships that is such a priority in their lives, while at the same time allowing them to master the use of complex technology. Together, the girls in the initial Geek is Chic project have used technology and telecommunication tools to produce multimedia presentations and discuss issues of national and international concern. As a result of this collaboration, they are now much more confident users of technology.
Where to Begin
The research suggests that it is important for the girls to control their own projects, but how can a classroom teacher begin to encourage and support girls in the use of technology within their everyday learning experiences? They can begin by getting a group of girls together to discuss their perceptions of technology. By asking the girls the following questions, a dialogue will ensue that will generate an abundance of ideas for collaborative-type projects involving the use of technology:
- What do you like/not like about computers?
- Are there any differences in the way that boys and girls use computers? If so, describe those differences?
- What would most interest you in using computers?
- If you could do any type of project with technology, what types of project would you like to do?
The girls in the initial Geek is Chic project responded that they felt intimidated and criticized by the boys. The girls said they would prefer to work collaboratively with other girls on a computer project that was of interest to them. The girls wanted to design their own computer environment, rather than just be consumers of existing computer environments such as violent video games, which they felt were designed for boys anyway. They felt that boys preferred to work in isolation, and that the boys were less willing to share technical information with them. The girls said they would prefer to use technology as a creative tool, rather than for its own sake.
Once the classroom teacher has addressed these questions with the girls, the following recommendations can be followed when facilitating a Geek is Chic project:
- Partner the girls with girls from another class within the same school, or from another school either locally or globally.
- Encourage the girls to do a project-based exercise that utilizes whatever technology resources are available at the school.
- Let the girls design and control their own projects.
- Rather than teach, serve as the facilitator.
- Monitor the project to make sure the girls have chosen something manageable, so that the satisfaction that goes along with successfully completing a project can be attained.
- It is not necessary to reinvent the technology wheel. There is a plethora of free, project-based resources available on the Internet to teachers.
Summary
The key to integrating girls into technology is not as simple as sitting a girl in front of a computer. It is, however, as simple as uniting girls in collaborative projects that require the use of technology as an implementation tool, and then supporting them in their efforts to successfully complete their projects. The outcomes of the initial Geek is Chic project indicates that girls will use technology not as an end in itself, but rather as a tool to construct their own learning. The variety of the many education-based resources available on the Internet makes it unnecessary to create projects from scratch. Locally available technology resources, coupled with Internet-based voice and videoconferencing technologies, provides the basis for initiating local and global projects that excite, interest, and drive the girls to a new level of involvement in technology.
Recent research suggests that the classroom teacher is one of the most influential adults in the lives of girls, and can play a key role in whether technology in integrated into their future. In reality, cultural biases and inequities cannot be changed overnight, but the classroom teacher can effect positive change, one classroom at a time, locally and globally. Even if the girls decide that a career involving technology is not for them, they will at least have made an informed decision.
Feeling empowered through a sense of ownership about the technology has been a major key to the success of the Geek is Chic model. Other students, both boys and girls, now look to the Geek is Chic girls for their technical expertise. No longer feeling criticized or intimidated by the technology or by boys, the girls have emerged as confident technology collaborators, designers, and leaders, exhibiting traits that can lead to a career in math, science or technology.
This model for changing girls' perceptions of and involvement with technology, coupled with the guidance, inspiration and leadership of the classroom teacher, can provide the foundation girls need to realize that Geek is Chic!
Email: Robyn Treyvaud
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