One of my happiest Geek Mom moments this week came when my five year old son decided that he wanted to try to implement an algorithm in Scratch that we had discussed over
dinner. It’s not like we usually make meal-time conversation out of graduate-level course topics, but that night I was able to capitalize on a moment between their climbing on tables and making obscene noises with half-empty ketchup bottles. It started with a “Suppose we wanted to...” and moved through to “How do you suppose we would...?” With a little encouragement and some thinly veiled hints, my boys were eager to go home and solve the challenge and my youngest was leading the charge.
His seven year old brother has been using Scratch for just over a year now, but up to this point my little one had been content just watching. After reading the book Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing, I realized that I had been allowing him to be ousted from his computer time in much the same way that Margolis & Fisher describe young girls being neglected in favor of their brothers. Once I made that connection, the gauntlet had been thrown! I knew I had to give him a fair opportunity to explore his IT tendencies. For us, that came in the form of adding another family computer. For others, it could have meant implementing a time-sharing system, but whatever the solution, giving equal access to technology is a goal that is undeniably important to the intellectual development of today’s youngsters.
With the pace of everyday life increasing so rapidly, computational thinking is becoming a necessary tool for children who want to succeed with minimal struggling and maximal self-esteem. That’s not to say that every five-year-old needs to know how to write code, but they should be starting to understand how to put problems into words and step through solutions in an effort to predict how the solution might work in practice. The “Use-Modify-Create” cycle is helpful and handy in teaching children that they don’t have to have a solution instantly. It *is* okay for them to be wrong, modify their idea and ultimately figure out how to solve a problem. Giving our children the power to figure answers out for themselves (rather than relying on adults to provide them) is a crucial step in developing their own independence and self-worth. As a mother, I realize that this takes trust and patience, but it’s a sacrifice that’s ultimately rewarding.
So, I happen to have boys. In this instance, statistically speaking, the stars are aligned in my favor. All of the research suggests that boys are more inclined to take to logic, engineering and computation. That means, if you’re a mother of girls then you’re just out of luck. You might as well hand them their Barbies® and start teaching them to bake, right? Well, the truth is, that might not be such a bad idea! As it happens, baking and recipe reading is wonderful practice in following an algorithm. My boys and I do it all the time. Now, let’s revisit that Barbie Idea, shall we?
Earlier in the year, Mattel had an online contest to determine what Barbie’s newest occupation would be. Computer engineer won the popular vote when pitted against an environmentalist, an architect, a surgeon, or news anchor. This is very exciting for those of us in STEM fields, because it presents an opportunity for our work to become a part of a young child’s everyday fantasy play. The new Barbie® I Can Be...™ Computer Engineer* Doll is due to ship in late November, narrowly missing the big push for Picture Me in Computing Day.
If you’ve not heard about Picture Me in Computing Day (Picmecomp) then I’m excited to be the first to tell you about it. Basically, it’s a giant worldwide digital flash mob where supporters of women in technology will use every popular social media site in an attempt to reach young girls and show them that computer science is a flexible and rewarding career worth looking into. On November 10th, 2010 (111010) we’ll be tagging all of our digital interactions for the day with #picmecomp in a choreographed effort to get young women on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Picasa, and more to inquire into IT. Blogs, tweets, photos, and videos will be streaming through to PictureMeInComputing.org, giving people a unified resource to see the depth and range of participation. If you are a woman who embraces technology or a supporter of those who do, please consider participating with us on Wednesday.
This guest post was written by GeekMom Kiki Prottsman of Women in Computer Science. Kiki also writes for The Huffington Post.
