Why girls should learn computer programming
Lately, I have made a case for programming in the curriculum and my colleague, Sarah Macdonald,
wrote about using Scratch to help students "understand their own problems, make mistakes and explore alternatives". This
post is a manifesto for teaching girls in particular how to program.
In it, I argue that this is an essential skill for girls to help make
the future rather than see innovations as black magic which they may
only consume.
Samantha (Year 9): "I have a friend who wrote a program that generates bibliographies for his school work."
Me: "That's great. How would you like to learn to write your own programs?"
Samantha: "No, Mr. Baroudi. That's what boys' schools are for!"
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| Picture from: canstockphoto.com |
Today, I read about the Australian
founder of Kaggle.com. Yet another Australian tech entrepreneur
moving to Silicon Valley and attracting millions of dollars in
funding. Kaggle.com crowd-sources solutions to difficult scientific
problems. Most of its contributors hold a PhD. It is a great
example of modern problem solving: human ingenuity combined with the
computing power of the machine. Anyone who wants to participate
in this endeavour must learn to give instructions to a computer. In
other words, they must learn to program the computer!
"But not every student will turn
out to be a programmer". This is true. It is not because we
expect all our students to be artists or historians that we teach
them art and history. Most girls' schools teach design technology,
the design and making of clothes. If those schools were to take a
purely utilitarian view of their education, they would stop at
teaching them how to re-attach a button to an item of clothing.
That's a skill they can use. After all, very few of them will be
dress makers. Thankfully, this purely functional view is not the
prevailing one in our education system. All these skills help
students make sense of their world, identify their interests and
develop an appreciation for other people's work when they come in
contact with them.
My daughter is in primary school and is
already exposed to many forms of media and computer applications. I
do not want her to think that these things come from a dream factory,
somewhere in the sky. Sure, she may not turn out an animator or a
programmer, but she needs to have an appreciation for these things.
It will help her understand her world better.
What I write about computer programming
applies to other fields of problem solving, such as engineering and
mathematics. Programming, as a discipline and as a way of thinking,
opens the door to some of these professions which, even in the 21st
century, are not considered by many graduates of girls' schools.
Here's another dialog I have overheard, this time between two
students in year 10:
Carla: "I would like to do engineering but I'm not sure."
Alexandra: "That's cool. My cousin is studying electrical engineering. He likes his course a lot."
Carla: "Yeah, these things are easier for boys."
If our girls see the computer as a
black box and the software on it as the result of magic weaved by
boys, then they are unlikely to participate fully in their world.
Their education, work and leisure will be dictated by those male
magicians whose products our girls consume.
I would love to hear what people
out there think. Please leave a comment. I may sound strident but I
won't be offended by disagreements.
Comments
A promising project that was dropped was "Story Telling Alice". Alice itself continues (see alice.org). An academic at Swinburne, Catherine Lang, was taking it into schools under the banner "Digital Divas". She is now turning her attention to AppInventor, a Google-MIT Media Lab collaboration designed to resemble Scratch and to allow kids to make Android Apps. I am hoping our school can be part of this new program and will be going for a PD later this month.
I know that not all girls are going to be interested in programming, that's fine - but what really bothers me is the idea that it's a boys thing.
Your discussion with Samantha made me think of years ago when women actually believed being a doctor or a pilot was a job only a man could do.
On the flip side, most people I've met get into coding because they have an interest in it on their own, it's natural and a part of them - and in the same way no one could ever make me passionate about doing laundry, manicures or dress making, I expect that trying to ignite some kind of nonexistent enthusiasm might not be sustainable long, (or even medium,) term.
I wish I had something of value to offer to the discussion but I don't - I'm just rambling.
Peach is a self-taught programmer who has several APPs on the App Store. In a Skype appearance with the App Group, she encouraged the girls to learn to make Apps as it was a good way of generating income. This would have to be as good an incentive as any for many students contemplating funding themselves beyond school.