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IT Lesson Plan (8th Grade)




Overview

"All things are first apprehended in the senses."
Dr. Maria Montessori

CWIT's "You Can Be Anything" video uses the power of media to give young people, particularly girls and young women, a very positive impression of the career opportunities available in information technology (IT) and science-related fields where technology plays a major role. This short, fast-paced, high-quality video uses the techniques of music videos to portray a wide variety of women, both past and present, using technology in a variety of fields. The music and images are combined in exciting ways that appeal to young people, engage their emotions, capture their attention, and convey the message that technology is cool and offers many exciting fields for women as well as men.

Of course, no short video, no matter how skillfully conceived and executed, is likely by itself to persuade young women to prepare for a high-tech career. We intend the video to be used together with a speaker from our Speakers Bureau who will discuss the attractiveness of such careers in more detail. What the video will do is capture young people’s attention, offer them a presentation of women’s involvement with technology that appeals to the emotions and the senses as well as to the intellect, and make them more receptive to the speaker’s message.

The speakers are focused on reaching out to middle and high school girls and community college women to move beyond being just consumers or users of IT to encourage their full participation in all aspects of information technology. This includes everything from taking an elective IT class to considering careers in IT to become developers and designers of future technologies.


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In downloading this video or in receipt of a copy, the recipient of this video agrees that the editorial and pictorial content, as well as the intellectual property contained on this video is the sole and exclusive property of The Center for Women and Information Technology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The physical, intellectual, and electronic property contained on this video is protected by copyright law. Reproduction, duplication, or alteration [including, but not limited to, print, electronic, digital image or video] and distribution in any format, [including, but not limited to, televised broadcast, print, electronic/internet broadcast, digital image or VHS copy] is strictly prohibited except by written permission from The Center for Women and Information Technology.

For copies of the video and rights for duplication and dissemination go to How to Order.

View Program in QuickTime:        

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For optimal viewing experience, viewers should download Quicktime 6 for Macintosh or Windows.

N S F logo This video is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. HRD-0225079. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this video are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.


How To Use

Tips and Techniques for Video Presentation and Discussion
• The You Can Be Anything video was developed to encourage middle school and high school girls and community college women to encourage their involvement with technology. The video has been evaluated with both girls and boys and men and women, so that it can be used in mixed groups with positive results.
• The following guidelines are suggested to help the presenter, who is expected to be either an IT major in college or an IT worker, although technology teachers can do the presentation, if comfortable.
• Your feedback will be used to modify and improve upon these initial guidelines.

Objectives of the Talk
• Engage the girls in discussions about what they want to be when they grow up.
• Dispel the myth that women in technology are uncool.
• Show that many exciting and rewarding careers are available in various areas of technology.
• Emphasize that no matter what profession you choose, knowledge of technology is important.
• Encourage girls to think about technology as a tool to invent a new way of doing things. Make girls aware that women don’t just use technology, but also create, develop and discover new technologies that change the world. And women own technology businesses.
• Encourage the girls to begin now thinking about and preparing for a career in technology.

What works for middle school girls
• Tell them something about yourself personally: have a degree in… have children… a husband… engaged… love to travel… love music… why you chose your profession. Keep it brief.
• Find out ways that they use technology in their daily lives.
• Get them involved – incorporate a game, an exercise – anything hands on. Have “show and tell.” Bring something they can touch. If possible, give them something to take away with them or have them develop something that can be posted on the Computer Mania website. Do not lecture. Give them plenty of time to ask questions. If they have no questions, think of questions you would have as a middle school girl, and ask them open-ended questions to get the conversation started (what do you think is the most important skill to be successful at…?).
• Ask them to identify what they perceive to be barriers (challenges, obstacles, problems…) to their reaching their goals. Then ask them how they will overcome those barriers.
• Discuss career opportunities in your field, the financial and psychological rewards and what it takes to be successful (internships, a degree, interest in… knowledge of… ability to…). Focus on technology, but also personal skills, like working in teams, communicating clearly and writing well.

What works for high school/college girls and women
• Tell them something about yourself personally: have a degree in… have children… a husband… engaged… love to travel… love music… why you chose your profession. Keep it brief.
• Find out ways that they use technology in their daily lives.
• Find out about elective technology classes at the students’ school or institution and why the students’ feel girls often fail to enroll in those classes. If they have good enrollment, how do they manage it when other schools have not? Do not lecture. Give them plenty of time to ask questions. If they have no questions, think of questions you would have as a high school or college student, and ask the students open-ended questions to get the conversation started (what do you think is the most important skill to be successful at…?).
• Ask them why it’s important that girls be included? (possible answers might include increasing the diversity of ideas, providing multiple approaches, providing more workers for the future, technology is important for everyone to know and technology is fun - and they don’t want to miss all the fun!)
• Get them involved – incorporate a game, an exercise – anything hands on. Have “show and tell.” Bring something they can touch. If possible, give them something to take away with them or have them develop something that can be posted on their own website.
• Ask them to identify what they perceive to be barriers (challenges, obstacles, problems…) to their reaching their goals. Then ask them how they will overcome those barriers. Give them time to think this through. Small group discussion and then a brief summary answer might work better.
• Discuss career opportunities in your field, the financial and psychological rewards and what it takes to be successful (internships, a degree, interest in… knowledge of… ability to…). Focus on technology, but also personal skills, like working in teams, communicating clearly and writing well.

Issues girls have mentioned as barriers to their use of computers
• It’s isolating. I like to work with people and computers don’t allow me to do that.
• It’s boring.
• IT people are all geeks, and I don’t want to be a geek.
• It’s all about math and numbers. I am better at talking and making friends.
• The games are violent and that doesn’t appeal to me.
• None of my friends are into computers and neither are my parents.
• My brother hogs the computer at home.
• There aren’t any girls in the technology classes, and I want to be in classes with other girls.
• I want to be a mom and technology jobs will demand too much of my time.
• I want to be a teacher (nurse, artist, veterinarian…) and they don’t use computers.
• I use my computer for e-mail and IM, isn’t that enough?

For more information about Computer Mania, a program for middle school girls, or to volunteer for Computer Mania Day, please go to http://www.computer-mania.info.



How to Order

The Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT) provides the "You Can Be Anything" video at a cost to anyone interested. Please send a payment of $20.00 per DVD video with your order to cover the costs for duplication and shipping. Downloading is free and legal given all rights are respected (listed at View Video).

To order please visit the "You Can Be Anything" video request page by clicking on the button below.



For assisstance, please contact Michele Miller at 410-455-8432.
Questions or concerns regarding the video request process may be directed to cwit@umbc.edu.

* If you wish to copy and distribute the video, please send us an e-mail explaining your reasons for wishing to duplicate and disseminate it.



IT Lesson Plan (8th Grade)

LESSON RATIONALE:
Currently, the college enrollment of women in technology-related programs is declining. Consequently, the higher paid technology, math and science related careers throughout the world continue to be underrepresented by women. Moreover, there is an alarming decline of Americans entering engineering and computer science related careers critical to the success of the United States as a global competitor.

This interdisciplinary project, You Can Be Anything, is aligned with components of the Maryland State Department of Education’s Voluntary State Curriculum and the Technical Education Voluntary State Curriculum and can be taught collaboratively by the language arts, reading, technical education teachers and others along with the support of school counselors and the media specialist. It is designed to create student awareness, especially for girls, of the unlimited uses of technology, math and science throughout numerous careers, and generate an interest to develop personal skills in technology, math and science as they progress through high school and postsecondary education.

PROJECT OVERVIEW:
PART l:
Use the PowerPoint presentation and CWIT video to begin lesson.
PART ll:
Students begin research in computer lab. Students may continue research in technology education classes or with other content area teachers involved in the project.
Part lll:
Students complete a writing assignment.
Part IV:
Students complete their research and present their information to their classes (Teacher asks students if they learned from the presentations about other career pathways that interest them.)
Part V:
Book the guidance counselor to talk to classes regarding:
•Programs or courses students may take in high school that would be necessary for a student if he/she chooses a particular career pathway.
•The amount of postsecondary education needed for a particular career pathway.
•Signing up for high school courses in advance.

NOTE: Most of the following resources require free plug-ins for viewing. Those designated as .pdf files require the Adobe Acrobat Reader, while the video demonstration of a classroom lesson is best viewed in QuickTime 6 for Macintosh or Windows


Materials Needed (.pdf file)

PowerPoint Instruction Lesson

Teachers' Guide To PowerPoint Lesson (.pdf file)

Student Worksheet (.pdf file)

Standards Alignment with MD State Department of Education's Voluntary State Curriculum (.pdf file)

Video demonstration of classroom lesson     


We welcome your thoughts. Please send your comments about the video to cwit@umbc.edu.

Thank you.