Tech Team

Marion School District One

Marion, SC
 

Introduction/Overview
Organizational Change
Budget & Finance
Professional Development
Technology Infrastructure
Outcomes
Evaluation
Contact Information
 

Introduction/Overview

Tech Team was created by Betsy Newman of South Carolina Educational Television. It has been supported by the South Carolina ETV (SCETV), the National Science Foundation, and the Girl Scouts of America and by three South Carolina school districts: Richland School District One, Marion School District One, and the School District of Fairfield County. In each of the three districts, there are three adult facilitators. The program has the following goals:

· To have a positive impact on girls’ self-esteem and school performance.

· To change girls’ perceptions about technology careers.

· To provide a project-based environment for learning technology that is safe, collaborative, challenging, and interesting.

· To combat stereotypes about what girls can and should do.

Fifteen 6th-grade girls from each of the three school districts entered the program in September 2002 and will stay together through grade 8. These girls have been introduced to a range of technologies, including video production and interviewing skills, Web page creation, and Flash animation projects. The fact that Tech Team is “for girls only” offers important benefits, encouraging girls to speak up and get involved without the distractions boys can bring to a group. Tech Team gives girls the opportunity to connect with others their own age and to get to know successful women who can serve as role models. In an after-school club environment monitored by three adult facilitators, members of the Tech Teams have identified women in their communities who are working in technology careers, interviewed these women on film, and then edited these videos into movies which are now housed on SCETV’s school-focused Web site: http://www.knowitall.org. During year 2, the girls learned Web design, and each girl has created a Web page of her own for the know-it-all site, incorporating the video material from year 1. In year 3, the Tech Team members are learning Flash animation, creating educational games to be incorporated into their existing Web pages, and continuing to explore career opportunities in technology-related fields. The girls also maintain online journals and can communicate with each other and with the SCETV staff by means of a message board on the Tech Team Web page: http://cfmedia.scetv.org/techteam/messageboard.

A complete timeline for the project is available at http://www.knowitall.org/techteam/content/events.html.

Organizational Change

Extensive research was done on the subject of single-gender education and the reasons for the relatively small number of women who enter technology-related fields. Many studies have concluded that girls tend to shy away from careers in technology, math, and science. ASUW’s landmark study, “How Schools Shortchange Girls” over a decade ago made the lack of equity for girls in technology fields a national issue. There has been some progress in this area, but more recent studies still show that there are fewer girls than boys in computer classes and that the majority of young women still do not see a career in technology as an option because of low community and parent expectations (“Expect the Best from a Girl,” http://www.academic.org). With this in mind, Tech Team works to help middle school girls set high goals for themselves and believe in the possibility of success in technology careers.

South Carolina ETV had personnel on staff to handle training for this project, including Mrs. Tyora Moody, Web designer, and Ms. Urica Pope, who works directly with the facilitators of the three teams. Three adult facilitators from each of the districts were recruited, with at least one of the adults from each team affiliated with the Girl Scouts. Because the meetings are after school or on weekends, the facilitators are faculty members from the schools who simply add Tech Team as an additional activity without causing any disruption of their normal work schedules.

Budget & Finance

Tech Team is funded by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF's) Gender Equity Program and sponsored by the Girl Scouts and South Carolina ETV. Over 3 years, this pilot program will receive $755,257 from NSF. There is no cost to the school districts.

Professional Development

Tech Team facilitators receive training from the SCETV staff on at least four Saturdays at the beginning of each year, with additional sessions available if necessary. In turn, the facilitators teach the girls, with assistance from the SCETV staff, who travel to the schools on a regular, rotating basis. Each summer, the facilitators and girls attend a “Technology Day Camp” for 4 days in Columbia. They get hands-on training at ETV and travel to various sites for enrichment activities.

Technology Infrastructure

In year 1, each school site received the following equipment for Tech Team:

· Two mine-DV camcorders and tripods.

· Two Apple notebook computers.

· One lighting kit.

· Two microphones and headphones.

· Final-cut pro software for video editing.

In year 2, Dreamweaver MX software was provided, with each site getting 26 licenses for installation on school computers.

In addition, SCETV provides the Tech Team Web site, additional camera work, and video editing for a final CD to be distributed to all South Carolina schools.

Outcomes

In poor, rural areas, such as much of South Carolina, there is a danger that young people may not realize what opportunities are available. Tech Team girls talk to people who have been successful in fields their parents never dreamed of. They travel to the state capitol every summer; tour SCETV facilities and meet technicians, artists, and educators who work there; and tour the world through Internet research. Through Tech Team, they are able to envision a world much different from the one their parents and relatives experience. They in turn share their broader horizons with other students in the school and ultimately the entire state through their Web pages, videos, and the CD that will be produced and distributed at the end of year 3. Tech Team truly connects the school to the world. The impact of these experiences is evident on surveys conducted annually by the grant evaluator. In summary:

· 95% of the team members say they share what they learn in Tech Team with their friends and families.

· 60% report using skills learned in Tech Team in their academic classes.

· 90% say Tech Team helps them learn to get along with other people.

· 95% say the club helps them practice reading, writing, and speaking skills.

· Every Tech Team member reported a strong interest in technology and in technology careers as a result of experiences with the program.

Evaluation

The support of SCETV has been a crucial factor in this pilot program, but now that the outline is in place, any school could recreate the project. In fact, that has been the goal from the very beginning. Instructions for team activities, equipment lists, and other helpful information for forming Tech Teams are already posted on the Web site at http://www.knowitall.org/techteam/central/teachers/index.html, and the SCETV staff offers periodic workshops on this topic. After year 3, the girls’ experiences will be recorded on CD-ROM for distribution around the state. Other schools will be able to benefit from the experience in learning how to start their own teams. With the easy availability of mini-DV cameras and video-editing software, there is really no obstacle standing in the way if a school has the desire to make such a program available to its students.

Contact Information

Anne Hood
ahood@marion1.k12.sc.us
843-423-1811, ext 1128