Girls Gone Geek: Computer Science Opens a World of Opportunity for Girls (and boys)

Do you have a daughter who likes “geeky” things like computers, coding, math, or science? Doesn’t it make you happy to see her thrive and get excited when she gets to learn more and more about the subject she loves?

One of the most important jobs we have, as parent-educators, is to not only direct the learning of our children, but to help them find what interests them and cultivate their gifts. To do this well it means we have to also put aside our preconceived notions and personal preferences, so each child can figure out “what they want to be when they grow up.”

I think that parent-educators have a bit of an edge in accomplishing this: because we spend so much time with our children, we can really get a feel for where their strengths and aptitudes lie.

Right now there is a movement in education towards STEM: science, technology, engineering, and math. This is fueled by the fact that our nation’s economy (and jobs market) has a high demand for individuals who can perform jobs in these types of fields. Traditionally, these fields are dominated by males, but that is not because girls aren’t smart enough to be scientists, engineers, or mathematicians. There are many reasons why young women make up only 20% of science and engineering majors, but steps are being taken to rectify that.

One positive step is the homeschooling movement itself. Because homeschooling is focused on the child, and not an institution, we can tailor the education to the child’s needs, abilities, and talents.

I came across a video today that really inspired me to 1) check my own prejudices and preconceptions, and 2) get excited about girls having a greater presence in STEM fields. The video is a documentary called She++ (probably a take off of the computer programming language C++), and it makes a good case for why girls would not only benefit from taking a computer class or two, our society could benefit also.

Here is the video:

she++: The Documentary from Ellora Israni on Vimeo.

According to the She++ website,

“No matter what your profession, you will interact with code. Coding, like reading or writing, is becoming an essential skill. We will all interact with technology in our jobs, so learning to code will enable us to greatly increase our impact. “

If this video has gotten you or your child excited about computer science, and you would like to explore the possibility of learning how to code, even just out of curiosity or for fun, check out the following resources:

Code Academy

Khan Academy

Android App Inventor

Code HS