Though not a teacher and not being in the classroom for many years, I certainly have one illustration of the techno-gender divide. During my entire tenure in the field of business and working in several organizations, small to mid-size, I have yet to see a woman working in any capacity in information technology. Now, before I go any further, let me explain what I mean by that. In every organization we had an IT person or department to assist us (the organization) with any IT related issues. Examples are:
- if the organization was upgrading or converting to a new computer system, that task was assigned to an IT specialist or dept., or
- if I had issues with my computer or software, I called the IT specialist
Now, as stated above, I’ve yet to see a woman in that position. The entire department has been complete with men. Also, based on the statistics provided by surveys in the mini lecture, males will continue to dominant the field. In addition, according to Warschauer (2007) “One recent study suggested that computer science is seen by girls as being too individualistic for their needs and interests as well as too divorced from most academic content areas” (p. 149).
Now, the good news! I do believe and see woman becoming more interested in technology, me being included. I also agree with Warschauer (2007) who also states “developing technology-based instruction in schools that is more collaborative and more closely tied to academic content may be a successful strategy for increasing girls comfort level with pursuing computer-based careers” (p. 149). I believe women in every career and working environment are taking more active roles in learning technology, some because we want too, and other because they have too. I believe the same to be true in the classroom as well.
Reference:
Warschauer, M. (2007). A teacher’s place in the digital divide. Yearbook of the National
Society for the Study of Education. 106(2), 147-166. Retrieved from Education
Research Complete http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu
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