Sg2009wc:learning

From She's Geeky Wiki

Title: Building an Online Learning Community for Techie Girls

Session: 7-F Bay Area Jan 2009

Convener: Lynn Langit - Developer Evangelist, Microsoft

Notes Taker:

Attendees:

Notes:

Soft mentoring - Girls seeing girls doing technology

• always keep video camera onsite
• Give girls microphones
• Techzulu

Previous Art:

• Storytelling Alice - Caitlin Kelleher [1]
• Popfly [2]
• Lego [3]
• spore (also has mobile apps)
  • Community: [4]
  • Mobile: [5]
• Processing (a language built for teaching) [6]
• Streetside Stories [7]

The goal - get girls interested by showing them things that relate to them.

Kodu - Visual Programming Language (Out of Microsoft Research.  Not in public realm yet)

• Made for XBox
• Port for PC, but requires controller
• Shown first time on CES

Attributes:

• Engaging
• Intuitive
• Fun
• Encourage Exploration
• Needs no manual
• Introduces formal programming
  • Objects
  • Properties
  • Methods

In Kodu:

• can play
• manipulate world
• add objects and program them
  • WHEN activity DO result

Actions that objects can do:

• Move
• Kick
• Score points
• Swear (but not talk)
• etc...

Result:

• Make games
• Make worlds
• Have people interact
• Maybe add hooks to robots, etc?

Use 10-10-10 method:

• 10 minutes talking
• 10 minutes hands on
• Do that 3 times

Problems -

• Teaching the teachers
• Lack of technology in classrooms

Another beginning programming application

• Small Basic: THE TURTLE HAS RETURNED

Look at Career Technical Education:

• Part of k-16 in California
• Multistate
• Backlash to No Child Left Behind
• Being able to add things to curriculum and education
• Cabrillo college part of that

Lego Process - Serious Play Women Build - Feb 23rd, SF Use legos for creative problem solving (Also trying to create Girls Build)

March 24th, Digigirls at MS office Currently trying to build online community for digigirls

Funding:

• Gates Foundation too bulky right now
• Keiretsu - [www.keiretsuforum.com] - A bunch of people getting together to make larger grants

People at session with connections/strong interest

• Reesa Abrams
• Susan Kelleher
• Stephanie Bergman (bambam)

Community building sites:

• ning
• pazom
• facebook