On 2/21/13 7:48 PM, Emily Morton-Owens wrote:
>
> This was just the right thing to say, because he was connecting it to
> something that I consider myself talented at (languages), rather than
> something I don't (math).

I want to clear up the "math is hard" and "programming is math" myths. 
First, the ratio of women to men in graduate math programs is 
approaching 50/50, although women are still struggling to be hired and 
gain tenure in math departments. So "math is hard" for many of us, but 
it's not necessarily a gender thing. (I'm looking for the cite for this 
-- I've done too much random reading recently and didn't mark this. May 
be book below.)

Math skills are not required for programming. There was a time when 
silicon valley was desperate for programmers, and some companies 
advertised that they were looking for folks with music skills and they 
would teach them programming -- because they had found that musicians 
make for good programmers. It's the ability to deal with complex 
patterns that makes a difference. Which is why it annoys me when 
programming instruction begins with a list of mathematical functions 
that most programmers will never need.

I believe that Rosy was the first to recommend this, but the IEEE 
publication: Gender Codes - why women are leaving computing/ edited by 
Thomas Misa, 2010 is essential reading. You can get it as a Kindle or 
Nook book. isbn 978-0470-59719-4 (paper) 978-1118-03513-9 (ebook)

kc

>
>> Hi Folks,
>>
>> I'm teaching systems analysis at SILS (UNC CH) this semester.
>>
>> Though the course is required for the IS degree, it's not required for the
>> LS degree.
>>
>> However, the majority of my students this semester are LS.  And the vast
>> majority are women.
>>
>> Apropos of the part of the thread that dealt with numbers:
>>
>> For those of you who came into this community and at some point went
>> through a MSLS or MSIS program I am wondering if there are things I could
>> try to do that might have an impact on better aligning the ratio of men to
>> women in code4lib and the technology end of the field in general to that
>> in the general population?
>>
>> Was there a moment of clarity?  A person who said or modeled the right
>> thing?  A project that helped uncover a skill you didn't know you had?
>>
>> And, I am not just interested in what I can do through one class, but also
>> what the curriculum and school could do more holistically.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Tim
>>

-- 
Karen Coyle
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