We can all start to tackle this issue at home - in our own classrooms and schools. Below are some practical tips from Libby Black and Len Scrogan, district technology specialists, to support girls in their use of technology.

• Provide opportunities for kids to use the computers for collaboration, building relationships, community service, research and art work. These activities tend to have more appeal for girls.
• Introduce girls to web sites designed to engage young females (try www.techgirls.com and www.girlgeeks.com).
• Organize computer use so it's not first come, first served. Orchestrate student access so everyone has a chance to use the computers.
• Be observant. What are the use patterns in your classroom or school? Can you facilitate change in these patterns?
• Talk to your students about how or why they do or do not like to use the computer.
• Model the use of technology for a variety of purposes.
• Encourage teachers, including the women in your building to model technology use.
• When students are paired up to use computers, consider pairing girls with girls.
• Consider "girls only" and "boys only" after-school computer clubs.
• If you are doing math or science activities on computers and half of the students are using the computers at a time, consider having all the girls work at one time and all the boys work at one time. This may give the children more freedom to use the software the way they choose.
• In secondary schools, make sure course titles reflect what a student does in the class, not just what they are using (computers).

Libby Black and Len Scrogen Libby Black is the Internet Director for the Boulder Valley School District. Len Scrogen in Educational Technology specialist. For more information, see Gray Matters Newsletters.