1)Have school/ universities encourage, recruit, and retain a certain number women teachers in computer technology areas. Have more women teachers teach such technological classes. 2)Have single-sex class to create a "safe" enviroment that female are more likely to break from existed gender stereotypes. 3)Develop technology program orientations for female students. 4) Let both male and female receive education on technology at an early age.
In order to increase the students’ technological fluency, a teacher should focus on opportunities that could increase access to computer facilities. A teacher should consider doing the following: - Secure an agreement with a community library for students to access computers on certain days of the week; - Liaise with a college close to his school for students to access advanced technological facilities; - Explore the possibility of using the IT companies close to his school for mentoring and adoption of their school as their social responsibility; and - Undertake a research to establish if there is funding available from all levels of government for students from the minorities.
I think students should start early in technology, and a teacher/school could do this by providing classes as early as kindergarden to help destroy this concept of males are more technolgy advanced. -Encourage all students that technology is for everyone. -Provide examples of how women and men are equally involved with technology.
As a future high school social studies teacher, I'm not sure there's much I can do in my classroom to promote equity in technological fluency. I think at the basic levels, that equity already exists. However, the others who've commented on this question have made excellent suggestions. I particularly like Xin's idea of recruiting more females to become technology teachers. Mentoring programs are also an excellent idea.
Wow..some great suggestions regarding what teachers can do to promote technological fluency for all. And, I'll add, that research backs up many of your suggestions as helpful - e.g. the use of role models; early and regular exposure to technology, so long as it is authentic; getting corporate America involved.
I would also add that we need to remember that technology is not just the computer. Females and males need opportunities to explore technologies in many settings - e.g. through robotics in math and physics; through woodworking, photography, etc. in "non-academic" classes; etc.
Finally, research is bearing out many of your comments regarding how the genders differ regarding the reasons for how and when they engage with technology. For example, girls do tend to use technology more for pragmatic and social reasons. Boy do tend to use technology more for entertainment reasons. Notice I wrote "tend". These are not hard and fast rules but rather tendencies we see in the genders. Not good or bad, just differences. And, certainly, there are outside influencers to this that may change over time (e.g. more commercial games that appeal to boys rather than girls).
It seems like teachers could have students work together on technology assignments to make sure they are all learning at something close to the same pace. The students who are learning the technologies faster will be able to help try and explain the information to the students who may not be comprehending the material as quickly.
I'm not really sure what activities to do, but maybe some strategies teachers could adopt to help all students succeed in the use of technology. The teacher could get women guest speakers who have excelled in the field of science and technology to speak in the classroom. Teachers could expose all their students, but especially females to careers in technology and related sciences. In order to make technology exciting for all students, teachers should provide visual and hands on activities that show kids how technology is relevent to their lives.
One example that I can think of came from personal experience in middle school. For all of us non-musical people that didn't take band or choir, we got to choose electives. I honestly can't remember if they lasted a quarter or a semester, but you got to take more than one. Anyway, you got to choose your favorites from a list, and most of the boys chose tech ed while most of the girls chose home ec. I feel that if everyone was forced to take all of the electives instead of choosing their favorites, then maybe more girls could have been exposed to technology. Haha wow...that was a really rambling story and I really hope it made sense. If not, then just read the other posts, they're dynamite.
For me, I think technology whether it be ICTs or any other kind of technology needs to be shown to students in different forms. They need to realize that technology is used for fun, work, and relaxation. They need to see themselves using it in all three areas. If a teacher only teaches it one way then some students will be turned off. Another thing that teachers need to do is make sure they let students use the technology with their interests. The more all/any student/s can relate technology to themselves they will feel they can use it to their benefit.
1)Have school/ universities encourage, recruit, and retain a certain number women teachers in computer technology areas. Have more women teachers teach such technological classes. 2)Have single-sex class to create a "safe" enviroment that female are more likely to break from existed gender stereotypes. 3)Develop technology program orientations for female students. 4) Let both male and female receive education on technology at an early age.
ReplyDeleteIn order to increase the students’ technological fluency, a teacher should focus on opportunities that could increase access to computer facilities. A teacher should consider doing the following:
ReplyDelete- Secure an agreement with a community library for students to access computers on certain days of the week;
- Liaise with a college close to his school for students to access advanced technological facilities;
- Explore the possibility of using the IT companies close to his school for mentoring and adoption of their school as their social responsibility; and
- Undertake a research to establish if there is funding available from all levels of government for students from the minorities.
I think students should start early in technology, and a teacher/school could do this by providing classes as early as kindergarden to help destroy this concept of males are more technolgy advanced.
ReplyDelete-Encourage all students that technology is for everyone.
-Provide examples of how women and men are equally involved with technology.
As a future high school social studies teacher, I'm not sure there's much I can do in my classroom to promote equity in technological fluency. I think at the basic levels, that equity already exists. However, the others who've commented on this question have made excellent suggestions. I particularly like Xin's idea of recruiting more females to become technology teachers. Mentoring programs are also an excellent idea.
ReplyDeleteWow..some great suggestions regarding what teachers can do to promote technological fluency for all. And, I'll add, that research backs up many of your suggestions as helpful - e.g. the use of role models; early and regular exposure to technology, so long as it is authentic; getting corporate America involved.
ReplyDeleteI would also add that we need to remember that technology is not just the computer. Females and males need opportunities to explore technologies in many settings - e.g. through robotics in math and physics; through woodworking, photography, etc. in "non-academic" classes; etc.
Finally, research is bearing out many of your comments regarding how the genders differ regarding the reasons for how and when they engage with technology. For example, girls do tend to use technology more for pragmatic and social reasons. Boy do tend to use technology more for entertainment reasons. Notice I wrote "tend". These are not hard and fast rules but rather tendencies we see in the genders. Not good or bad, just differences. And, certainly, there are outside influencers to this that may change over time (e.g. more commercial games that appeal to boys rather than girls).
Jen
It seems like teachers could have students work together on technology assignments to make sure they are all learning at something close to the same pace. The students who are learning the technologies faster will be able to help try and explain the information to the students who may not be comprehending the material as quickly.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really sure what activities to do, but maybe some strategies teachers could adopt to help all students succeed in the use of technology. The teacher could get women guest speakers who have excelled in the field of science and technology to speak in the classroom. Teachers could expose all their students, but especially females to careers in technology and related sciences. In order to make technology exciting for all students, teachers should provide visual and hands on activities that show kids how technology is relevent to their lives.
ReplyDeleteOne example that I can think of came from personal experience in middle school. For all of us non-musical people that didn't take band or choir, we got to choose electives. I honestly can't remember if they lasted a quarter or a semester, but you got to take more than one. Anyway, you got to choose your favorites from a list, and most of the boys chose tech ed while most of the girls chose home ec. I feel that if everyone was forced to take all of the electives instead of choosing their favorites, then maybe more girls could have been exposed to technology. Haha wow...that was a really rambling story and I really hope it made sense. If not, then just read the other posts, they're dynamite.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I think technology whether it be ICTs or any other kind of technology needs to be shown to students in different forms. They need to realize that technology is used for fun, work, and relaxation. They need to see themselves using it in all three areas. If a teacher only teaches it one way then some students will be turned off. Another thing that teachers need to do is make sure they let students use the technology with their interests. The more all/any student/s can relate technology to themselves they will feel they can use it to their benefit.
ReplyDeletepossibly place some influence on both the personal and academic use of computers. not much else i can say.
ReplyDelete