Workshop 6 : Women in the World of Tech

Women Girls Workshop Overview

Objective:

To inspire students to enter the field of technology and to expose them to the benefits of pursuing a career in the world of tech.

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Part A: Introduction to Careers in Construction

The introduction portion of this workshop consists of a PowerPoint presentation which will introduce students to local labour market information highlighting the number of technological jobs that are currently available and will be available in the coming years in Canada. Then, the two main streams of jobs available in the technical fields will be examined: 1) Digital Occupations 2) High-Tech Occupations. Examples and descriptions of types of jobs within each stream will be given. The focus will then be shifted to the number of women currently in the technical fields, with a closer look at the gender gap that still persists between the number of men and women who pursue tech careers. The unique skill set that women bring to the field of tech will also be examined. Lastly, the PowerPoint presentation will highlight women’s past contributions to the tech field (women throughout history) to emphasize how women have shaped the tech world as we currently know it.

PowerPoint Presentation: 22 slides

Part B: Mentor/ Role Model Component

Research indicates that one of the most important factors to the success of young women in technical fields and skilled trades is providing mentors and role models. Young women need to see examples of other women successfully following non-traditional career paths. For this portion of the workshop, choose from the following options:

Part C: Experimental Learning Exercise

The two activities below can be completed to give female students a ‘hands on’ experience with careers in technology.

1. Engineering Challenge

Each group of students will be provided with 20 marshmallow and 25 toothpicks and will be given then challenge of building the tallest freestanding structure. A list of questions can be given afterwards for students to complete to extend this activity.

Examples:

1. How tall is your structure? Measure it in inches and record your measurement
2. What strategies did you employ?
3. What was the biggest challenge you faced?
4. Consider ways you could improve on your design. Test your methods by trying again. Re-measure your second attempt.

2. Develop your own App

Working in small groups, students will be asked to brainstorm ideas for an app they would develop. Think about the purpose of the app, who it would benefit (target user), a name for the app, and what it would look like. Sketch out the design for the app, the icon you would use to represent your app, and include a description of your app. Use a mind-map to brainstorm all of the features you want your app to include.

Teachers can take this activity one step further by exploring websites such as:
https://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/teach

This website provides tutorials for students to actually design their own app and see what it would look like on their Smartphone. Tutorials are provided on this website for educators.

Outcomes

Upon completion of this workshop, students will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of technology as the fastest growing sector in Canada
• Understand that work in technology can be broken down into two main streams
• Identify the gender gap that exists in the technological workforce
• Identify barriers that prevent more women from entering the world of technology
• Understand how women, though under-represented in technology, have made significant contributions throughout history to advancements in this field
• Experience hands-on activities that expose them to what careers in technology could look like