Girls Tech CONFIDENCECOLLABORATIONPERSONAL IDENTIFICATIONCONTEXTUALITYFLEXIBILITY/MOTILITYSOCIAL CONNECTIVITYINCLUSIONGRAPHICS/MULTIMEDIAGirls, Science, and Technology


EVALUATING MATERIALS
BACKGROUND
SAMPLES RATED
RESEARCH
REFERENCES
GIRLS TECH HOME
carat Does the resource use a tone of respect in regard to users’ abilities?
carat Does the resource support and nurture young women’s confidence in themselves and in their abilities?

One of the main reasons that many young women rarely consider computer-related careers is that they lack self-confidence in their computer abilities, whether or not they lack related competence.
       From interviews with highly educated women who are nonetheless reluctant to use computers, it has been concluded that competent and talented women do not have a phobia or lack of ability, but a reticence to become more deeply involved with computers, which they often view as threatening.
       Research has traced girls’ reduced levels of confidence with computers to their less developed technological skills. Similarly reduced levels of computer confidence are attributed to adolescent women’s less frequent use of computer games, the majority of which are designed for and marketed to boys and men.
 

Good examples that inspire confidence:

Professor Freedman’s Math Help (web site)
Grades: 10 & up. Professor Ellen Freedman’s friendly, direct narrative style helps apprehensive math students to overcome their math anxiety. VIEW RATING

Women in Science (web site)
In addition to illustrated biographies of past and current female scientists, Women in Science contains a “Future Scientists” section into which a student can enter her name, school, and school URL. She also can enter an explanation of how she plans to affect science in the future. VIEW RATING

Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion (CD-ROM)
Ages 10 & up. A game for ages 10 and up. HerInteractive, 2000. VIEW REVIEW