Supplying today’s teachers with the tools they want and need is an ongoing race to keep one step ahead of them. As teachers create more engaging lessons utilizing technology, they want and need more technology. This is a good problem for a Library Media Specialist to have. It means our resources, our technology, our expertise is always being pushed. Always expanding, changing, and evolving.
This week I realized we needed some extra pieces of fairly basic equipment that supports video creation. As I was traveling between buildings on Wednesday, I stopped at a local mega technology store to purchase the items that were needed the next day.
I couldn’t help but notice the disproportionate amount of males vs. females shopping in the store. The women that I did see shopping did not appear to be shopping as a part of their job. This is an assumption on my part, but it was fairly clear that women with children in tow were not there shopping for work. Not to mention the only female employees where the cashiers up front; they were not the sales people working with the merchandise.
As I left the store a smile crept across my face. I thought about the young ladies in the STEM program at Princeton High School. I thought about the young ladies in the Digital Music class. I thought about the young ladies in the Digital Art class, Digital Navigation, IB Film, … the list goes on and on.
And just as important the teachers that have seamlessly integrated technology rich lessons into their core curriculums. The Social Studies teacher using Google Classroom. The Science teacher using iPads for students to create their own
content.
As educators we need to continue to provide technology rich environments for all of our students. And open the idea of technology careers to our young females. Princeton looks different than it did 10 years ago. And it will look different in another 10 years. I hope that is reflected in technology fields. I hope in 10 years I will run into a former student in line at the technology store, during the day as a part of her job.
