Women/Girls in technology

As a School Board Trustee in Michigan I have been starting the conversation about Women/Girls and technology. In this "Flat World" the jobs of the future will focus on technology,science, and math, accounting for 50% of all new jobs. To compete with the world many women will need to account for these new jobs.

Unfortunately, I do not see our education system taking on the responsibility of finding ways to get girls interested in math, science, and technology. Sometimes I feel like the girls are intimidated ny the male dominated fields. As a Supervisor for Best Buy I have trouble hiring enough females...again I think it may have to do with our culture assuming girls aren't interested. Any thoughts?

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Permalink Reply by Sol McNally Aka : Dmitri Girl on December 31, 2008 at 2:48pm: I am a girl that is interested in technology. And would love to well work for somewhere of this sort. But at my local best buy. The Females are all cashiers. They are rarely the ones walking around telling people things. I think what most people would call male dominated fields are honestly ridiculous. Considering that every job I have ever had I have been basically around cars. At least for the last 4 years. And honestly most of the guys at my work no less about cars then me for the most part. And our starting to finally trust me. So as for women working in "male" fields. You have to prove yourself 2x as hard. People don't think I know anything. Yet I go down to the oil change shop that we have for the cars and tell the guy. And him and I have conversations. I honestly think it is based on knowledge. And confidence. Females appear to be timid about technology. Due to the simple fact that their (husband, bf) Take care of hooking up the electronics in their home. And men or guys when they are well around the ages of 16-18. Hook up speakers and stereos in their cars as well as for their home. Dad usually wants to be lazy. Once he feels the kid can do it. My dad on the other hand is far from the handyman. I took classes in high school for all my computer and car knowledge. Although I must say that people. Always looked at me funny when I worked in the automotive department. With my bleach blonde hair and my nails done. I also had my nails done when I was in high school and most of the guys in that class gave me the look like wtf is she doing in here. I will admit I was the only girl to make it through the entire semester of that class that started off in that class. SO I guess what I am trying to say is it all boils down to girls being confident and a lot of them have none. To be an equal in a "Man's Field".; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tex on December 31, 2008 at 3:52pm: ...Okay wow, how odd is it that this is a site for geeks and there are still guys on here that believe women aren't interested in tech! I work on the FBCB2's which are the screen components on the BKIT located on a United States Military hum-v. Now, I'm a civilian contractor, but I'm still a woman working in a field dominated by men. I get two reactions, one...that I should be home bare foot and cooking because the field or test site is no place for a woman, or they want to jump my bones. So I'll be the first to admit, I've had to build a strong rapport for myself so that I can work under those conditions. Its BS that, women aren't encouraged to stand up for themselves from the get go. I'm not saying, force a girl into a field she doesn't want to be in, but only to encourage and give the support they need when they do find themselves interested. There isn't enough of it. And to think that we're going to be specially treated because we are the few women that grace a male dominated working environment is blasphemous as well. Not only do we have to prove ourselves, but no matter what, statistics proves we still get paid less.

What I'm saying, is lets get some programs in our schools, in our neighborhoods, in our communities that will at least be available for girls that do find themselves interested in science, math, tech, problem solving, logistics...... What could be wrong with that? Absolutely nothing that's what.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sol McNally Aka : Dmitri Girl on December 31, 2008 at 4:33pm: Well Tex, All we can do is try to blow them out of the water with our knowledge. Because being little Ms. Timid is not going to suffice for what we know in the work field. As well. I knew this day would come. My thing was when. And I am ready for this long term uphill battle I have to feet. As for the reactions. I totally know the feeling. Well in the wal-mart career I was a female that got paid more and they tried to dock my wages. Lmao. And that didn't work well cause I have to agree via written documentation. Who would rightfully get their money taken away that they worked for. I am not a village idiot.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by David Murray on January 5, 2009 at 4:40am: Interesting discussion; perhaps the key issue here is how to get young girls really fired up about subjects like math and science. One way might be to relate those fields to the things girls already know. Cooking, for instance can be approached like a practical chemistry course. Cleaning; now there's some interesting chemistry. Do many girls ever find out how soaps and detergents actually work? How about the effect of hot vs. cold water on bacteria? How do those globs keep moving around in lava lamps? Perhaps making a game out of it is important too. Most card games, for instance are very logic-based and /or probabilistic in nature. In my experience, girls are more mature at a younger age and as I was going through K-12 the girls usually got the top marks no matter what the subject. I don't see any reason girls can't be just as proficient at math as guys; in fact I think they already are. They sure were when I went to high school.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mateus Augusto Lopes on January 5, 2009 at 4:57am: Well, but aren't deep in technology, like some guys are.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sol McNally Aka : Dmitri Girl on January 5, 2009 at 10:44am: I can't help but think that close minded people to the concept that a girl might be more intelligent then a guy about technology. And some of the guys I think are afraid of that. It will hurt their ego if a girl helps them. But if a guy were to help them do the same thing then it would be just fine. Or when you buy something at the store. Like a entertainment center. Or anything that you have to put together. I notice that those things were taken away from me by my brother and my boyfriend. Because I feel like they always have to prove they are a one up. And honestly it is sad. I think some guys just live in denial when it comes to girls and them being interested in technology. Like they say there is not a girl that could possibly know more about technology then me. It just doesn't exist.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Annie K on January 5, 2009 at 12:12pm: Wow - I really haven't run into that much. I have guys asking me for advice on all types of tech stuff and my husband always expects me to have all the answers when we go shopping for a new 'tech toy'.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sol McNally Aka : Dmitri Girl on January 16, 2009 at 10:35am: No offense Annie But I was the poster board girly girl. I was on Dance Team or Drill Team.
As a freshmen and my brother looked at me as someone different. People are judgemental and they can also be in your family. The way you look affects how people perceive you no matter what so sad but true. But the funny thing was is I also wore baggy pants and dressed pretty tom boy. Go figure. But it has always been something that annoyed me. As I got older it was because my hair was platinum blonde and I wore make up and had my nails done. When I worked in the automotive field. Unless you were covered in oil and grease. They didn't think you were a serious mechanic. Which also is a failed misconception. Those that work clean are actually better mechanics. I noticed that since I stopped getting my nails done and well my hair as blonde that I got more respect in fields that I was involved in. Sadly the "dumb blonde" is something that sticks.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Helen on January 13, 2009 at 4:46am: I agree with you Shellyeliot that parents' encouragement and input is invaluable and much more effective than encouragement from school 'programs' etc. And, working in local government and trying to make the money stretch to deliver essential services, I also understand your concerns about 'tax dollars'.

However, there are plenty of children out there that do NOT have supportive or interested parents, they may even have neglectful parents. The state finds it very difficult to fix this and it can be permanently damaging to the child's confidence and future employment prospects, let alone all the other issues.

Providing school extra-curricular activities ('programs') gives those that cannot change their home life situation a fighting chance at pursuing what they are good at, giving them confidence and a sense of achievement that will be with them their whole life.

Maybe those of us that have had supportive parents could donate money to fund these activities, or volunteer to run these activities, in order to reduce the requirement for goverment funding or to enable more programs to be available.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Nams on January 13, 2009 at 8:57am: I guess its the "opportunity" that is missing. There're not enough open doors out there for women to participate in those fields, moreover its hard to break through the custom of IT/Science is for guys. If think deeply about being serve by a male computer technician and a female computer technician (consider they both have the same ability), even tho most of us understand male and female should be equal, but I guess over 50% would say they'd trust the male more than the female. Female has always given the image of loving and caring (well compare to male) and simply there're more opportunities for female to involve in Hospitality or any other Customer Services than Science/Technology. I'm a girl who's so addicted to Technology but there're just not enough opportunities (but of course there're also other circumstances, like culture, and peer pressure etc).; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tanny Ballard on January 13, 2009 at 10:11am: I love PCs. A friend of mien who is also black and was a helper in my comunnity helped me out :); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sassy Sweet Bren on January 13, 2009 at 10:13pm: I started a blog a few days ago about how women have come so far not to have moved forward that much. Maybe I will finish it now.

Women seem to do better in English where men seem to be better in the science and math field.

It has always been my thought that it was just the way we are wired. However, I do feel that the environment at home has a lot to do with it. Women are just treated and taught differently from boys.

With the access to computer, cell phones, games, iPods and so forth coming into the hands of girls, I do feel that they will soon realize that they too can compete with men.

It never occurred to me that I could learn about computers and other tech things say just 15 years ago. However, now, I feel very comfortable with what I know. Not that I was taught. I just wanted to learn.

So, with that said, I think women have to want to learn something before they will. Especially in this country.; ▶ Reply to This