Friday, June 8, 2012

Blog Entry #2: "Girls Save the World through Computer Science"


                This article, “Girls Save the World through Computer Science”, of the May 2011 issue of Learning and Leading talks about how a dozen girls from Ohio delivered laptops to students in the Caribbean and taught the kids how to use them.  The teacher at the Columbus School for Girls wanted her students to be open to computer science as a career, as fewer and fewer women are entering computer science fields.  In doing so, the girls needed to learn and understand hardware, software, maintenance, troubleshooting, networking and other activities on the computer in order to teach the Caribbean students about computers.  While doing this, the teacher hoped that the girls would gain an appreciation for the subject matter.  The computers used for this project were XO computers, which are computers designed for children in developing countries.  After the trip, the group of girls from the trip had plans to continue their work in computer science and that was when the teacher knew the trip had been a success.  The students were motivated by real work that serves a real purpose in the world.

                I feel that it is very important for girls to know and understand the ins and outs of computer science because there are always jobs in the computer science field and in need of women in that industry.  Computer science is continually changing our world.  I also think this is a great trip for students in high school because they were able to master something, such as computers, and then teach their newly adopted knowledge to others less privileged.  This trip not only broadened the girl’s knowledge, but also helped them become good service members in the community.  The girls were able to boost self-confidence after teaching others in the Caribbean about computers and were able to form lasting friendships.

                This article is related to the ISTE NETS performance indicator number two, “Communication and Collaboration”.  This performance indicator highlights interacting and collaborating with peers while developing a cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.  The high school girls from Ohio were able to teach less fortunate students in the Caribbean about how to use a computer and the importance of computer science.


Murakami, C. (2011).  Girls save the world through computer science.  Leading and Learning with Technology, 38(7), 24-29.

1 comment:

  1. The federal and state governments have been trying to get more girls and minority students to get into STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers. They have invested a lot of money and resources to provide opportunities for these students to gain access to STEM. I think the project in Murakami's article can help, but we should not overlook the society's mindset on girls and student "subgroups." Educational issues have broad socio-political contexts that need to be considered.

    R-J

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