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E-mail contact
Charlotte McCullough
cmccullo@boston.k12.ma.us
Teacher Bio
Charlotte McCullough, now at Orchard Gardens K-8, was Vocational Instructor of Business Systems Networking at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. An original techie, she developed her
programming expertise during the dawn of modern computer technology.
Her certifications combine to endow her students with cutting-edge
training plus historical perspective. As HTML creator of the first
100 pages on boston.technet.org, CharM continues to advise and
consult. Her several awards include the National Foundation for
Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) Teacher of the Year, and Golden
Apple Teacher. Through TechBoston she has received the City Excellence
Award for Innovation in Education sponsored by John Hancock and
the Boston Management Consortium.
Subject Areas
Language Arts, Business Systems Networking
Grade Levels
11 - 12
Students
High School Juniors & Seniors mentor Freshmen.
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From Ada to Grace to Sandy ~ Women Have IT
(Information Technology)
Authenticity |
Key Question
How can students in Computer Studies
understand that throughout history, women have made significant
contributions to the growth of Information Technology (IT)?
Overview
When students in a Business
Systems Networking class view the Boston Women's Memorial
they wonder how Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley, and Lucy
Stone, would have used technology. To their surprise, they
learn about three women: Ada Lovelace, founder of scientific
computing; Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, known as "First
Lady of Software;" and Sandy Lerner, co-founder of [c]isco
Systems, Inc. Studying the lives and contributions of this
brilliant trio, the high schoolers share their findings with
freshman buddies. They prepare for e-mail correspondence with
Sandy Lerner and produce their own Local Area Network (LAN)
using Cisco routers and switches. With a broader understanding
of how women contributed to computing history, both male and
female students applaud these pioneers and prepare to enter
the field of Information Technology without fear of gender
bias or discrimination.
Active
Exploration +
Applied
Learning + Adult
Connections |
Classroom
Activities
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Community
Activities
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Career
Activities
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Read
about BWM
& view images of sculptures. |
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Discuss how these 3 writers would have used
technology. |
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Create
computer slide show on these computing pioneers.
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Produce
LAN with Cisco routers & switches.
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Take
IT women post-test.
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Arrange
series of visits to Grade 9 ELA/History class. |
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Describe
BWM to these freshman buddies. |
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Perform KWL activity
on background knowledge of IT women. |
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Present
oral essays & computer slide show about
3 IT women to buddies. |
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Play
computerized Jeopardy with them. |
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Invite
buddies to classroom discussion by military
spokesperson. |
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Demonstrate
LAN to buddies & to Electronics class
at schoolwide Nontraditional Careers Exposition. |
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Academic
Rigor
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Learning
Standards English Language Arts |
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Facilitate
discussion groups independent from the teacher. |
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Summarize
and evaluate what is learned from the discussion.
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Conduct
interviews for research projects and writing. |
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Demonstrate
understanding of reference materials. |
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Identify
and analyze knowledge of the purpose, structure,
and elements of informational materials. |
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Collect
information for writing from different texts and
sources. |
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Identify
visual or aural techniques used in a media message
for a particular audience. |
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Create
media presentations that effectively use graphics,
images, and/or sound to present a distinct point
of view on a topic. |
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Apply
established criteria for assessing the effectiveness
of the presentation, style, and content of films
and other forms of electronic communication. |
Technology
Skills
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Word
Processing |
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PowerPoint |
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Electronic
Research |
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Email |
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Networking |
School
to Career Competencies
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Develop
Communication and Literacy Skills. |
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Communicate
and understand ideas and information. |
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Use
technology. |
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Initiate
and complete entire activities. |
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Act
professionally. |
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Take
responsibility for career and life choices. |
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Understand
all aspects of the industry. |
Assessment |
Students
take pre/post test on
IT women. They use class rubric to assess their
Classroom Logs, and hold
weekly feedback session to edit and critique computer
slide shows, displays, and presentations.
Software
or Materials Used For
technology: Cisco Networking Academy online curriculum;
plus demonstrations on a large screen monitor,
Diagnostic Utilities, software installation disks;
computer slide & digital whiteboard presentations;
Microsoft Office; for research: List
of Women in Technology.
Teacher
Developed Materials Rubr
ic for Classroom Logs, Pre/Post
Tests, KWL chart,
Computer Slide
Template for Jeopardy, List
of Women in Technology.
Student
Developed Materials Classroom
Logs, Oral Presentations, Answers and Questions
for Computerized Jeopardy, Computer Slide Shows,
LAN, Invitations, Display of IT Women.
Web
Sites List
of Women in Technology
Final
Words A recent
study reports "the lack of positive IT
role models for young women, both real and within
fictional popular culture." This project
not only shows positive role models but provides
exciting true life stories to which both young
women and men respond.
Teacher
Tip High School
juniors and seniors are fascinated about the value
of projected skills in dollars & cents. When
they compare salaries of 19th and 20th century
women, who so often were unpaid or underpaid,
with today's salaries, they are impressed. Expect
them to be thrilled with Sandy Lerner's story.
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