Aspirations in Computing

How and why do you encourage young women to pursue technology/computing?

My teaching philosophy is based on an old Chinese proverb that states, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."  Teaching has been nothing less than a joy for me these past few years. My base objective as a teacher is to be sure that my students learn the fundamental content of the courses that I teach.  Currently I teach courses aimed at business and computer technology.  Beyond the fundamentals of business and computer technology, I want my students to develop other proficiencies such as analytical thought process and life-long learning skills.  Developing problem solving strategies and helping ease the transition from an educational setting to a career world full of information technology are also goals that I have set for myself as an educator.

How are your computer/technology teaching techniques inclusive of women and underserved students?

Something my father told me long ago sums my teaching philosophy very simply. You can watch baseball all your life.  You can memorize the pitches and the batting averages of all your favorite players.  You can know the plays by heart.  But until you pick up that bat or that ball yourself, you will never know how to play baseball.  This is why I incorporate hands-on learning into most of my lessons.  I want my students to know how to hit every ball that comes across that plate when they leave my classroom at the end of the term. My parents instilled in me that it was of utmost importance to become independent and to not only be able to support myself but to help support a family. Some girls are taught that the pinnacle of their existence is to become a wife and a mother. While I am a wife and as well as a mother, I hope to be able to instill in my children (my daughter and my toddler son) how important their contributions will be to society.