I teach middle school math and science in Oakland. I have participated in a
couple of NSF-sponsored gender equity projects that tried to get girls
interested in science and technology. The current version is called
Techbridge, and is led by Linda Kekelis out of the Chabot Space and Science
Center. The primary model for this has been after school clubs, but last
year at my school I initiated an all-girl elective technology class that
meets before the school day begins.
Last year we used a variety of projects to involve the girls in various
aspects of technology. We made robots, we dissected electronics, we
eventually got enough computers and some ambitious volunteers from the
Computer Science department at Mills College to do some work on programming
with the girls. I would say that the projects with the most universal
appeal
were those that involved using technology to communicate, or otherwise
allowed for the girls to enter into social interactions.
This fall I am planning to focus on digital photography as a starting
point,
then use that as an entry point to desktop publishing, making simple
projects like postcards, and more complex ones like a yearbook. From there
I
expect to go into web site design, and digital storytelling and video
production. My thinking is that photography will allow for the girls to
express themselves creatively, and develop some raw material for us to work
with in various applications. Then in the spring, perhaps explore some of
the robotics or other more nitty gritty projects. I hope to integrate
exposure to role models, and perhaps some career profiles and interviews
the
girls could do as well. I am planning to work on team-building, and
possibly
work with the girls to develop some projects that provide some service to
our community as well.
I have 35 girls signed up for the fall, mostly 6th and 7th graders. I am
very excited about the possibilities.
Anthony Cody, NBCT
<anthony_cody@hotmail.com>
For science lesson plans and news from Oakland, visit
http://ousdmail.ousd.k12.ca.us/~codypren
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