Generation GIT - Girls Issues in Technology Curriculum Guide and Resources
This guidebook offers teachers more than just activities and lesson plans. The underlying pedagogy of the course is laid out carefully, encouraging meaningful use by teachers as they use the materials and resources in whole or in part. The course is designed to teach technology skills with an emphasis on cooperative group work focuses on human and social issues, problem solving and personal communication. Students are shown that technology can address their needs and interests.
Although this guidebook was designed with a "girls-only" course in mind, many teachers have used it to supplement more traditional technology classes and create courses that are more gender balanced and friendly to "non-techies".
Many of the resources are also found online, matching and enhancing the printed curriculum guidebook units with updated information.
Course Objectives
- To relate technology to the everyday lives of secondary school girls.
- Explore personal issues relevant to secondary school girls through the use of technology.
- To teach technology skills with an emphasis on:
- cooperative group work
- human and social issues
- problem solving
- personal communication
Guide Contents and Course Resources - all included
This flexible guidebook can be used to run a semester elective class, a counseling program, a full-year course, or a service club
- 5 unit comprehensive curriculum - Flexible modules allow the class to be tailored to the unique situation of the class, school, and time allotted for the course.
- Program guides - Best practices, teaching tools, and advice.
- Generation GIT collaboration network - Gives students and teachers access to other motivated participants across the country for connections, support, and collaboration
- Generation GIT website - Provides updated online resources matched to curriculum guide modules.
- Electronic Tools and Resources
- Moderated Gen GIT forums that address the entire class and each of the curriculum units.
- Sample technology skills surveys (pre and post)
- Sample student projects
- Ability to email Gen GIT staff and teachers who have taught the class
- Teacher Support Materials
- Support for recruiting students including sample letters to parents and perspective students
- Support for Title IX issues
- How to plan and deliver an end-of-class parent night celebration
- Gen GIT teachers will be on the Gen GIT listserv and receive regular information and assistance
- Assessment strategies aimed at school, district, and state goals and standards.
Generation GIT Units
The units of study in the Generation GIT course combine adolescent social development with the teaching of technology skills. The course contains the 5 units of study described below.
Unit 1: Topics of Interest to Young Women
The class brainstorms and compiles a list of topics of interest that relate to health, vocational, and social issues. Students create individual multi-media projects on their selected topics. Emphasis is placed on Internet research skills, original graphics and the use of digital cameras for the completion of this project. Class members present their projects to the class. In this way, everyone in the class acquires information on a variety of topics important to adolescent girls. This stimulates dynamic discussions both within the class and via online communication vehicles such as chat rooms, e-mail, and discussion groups.
Unit 2: Eating Disorders and Media Influence
The problem of eating disorders and negative body image in adolescent girls is explored in this unit. This unit provides information about eating disorders and the influence of the media on adolescent girls. Students use technology to express their beliefs and understandings concerning the relationship between eating disorders and the media.
Unit 3: Career Exploration
Vocational interest tests, Internet research, money management skills, and multi-media presentations comprise the activities for this unit.
Unit 4: Women's Self Defense
This unit combines web page development with the acquisition of self defense skills that include: confident body posture, assertiveness skills, verbal defense, how to avoid potentially dangerous situations, identifying the body's five vulnerable areas and basic ways to strike those vulnerable areas, weapons of opportunity and writing safety plans.
Unit 5: Dealing with Grief and Loss
This unit introduces students to the spectrum of loss experiences that they might encounter in their lives. The continuum of loss ranges from minor everyday occurrences to major life changing events. Emphasis is placed on how to adjust to the grief that inevitably accompanies loss and how to support others in their grief. Students use technological artistic expression to communicate their understanding of these issues.
