Gender Problems and Technology

While technology is a great way to introduce students to the real world, it also poses problems for some students.  Some students do not enjoy technology or they do not know how to use it.  Often times, the group of students that do not enjoy or do not know how to use technology are girl students. This causes a gap in the knowledge of technology between boys and girls.

Let's face it: men have been the majority in computer businesses (information technology) for the time since technology has become a major part of society.  Therefore, teachers (sometimes subconsciously) cater technology towards the male students, making it more appealing to them.  Female students, since the information is not directed toward them, become less interested in the material and henceforth know less about it.  Males are already called upon more in classrooms than girls, so, if you add technology to it, they become even more involved in classroom activities, increasing the disparity in equality between boys and girls in the classroom.

If we integrate technology into the classroom as much as we intend to, we must be extremely careful that we make engaging material for both boys and girls, especially including girls as much as possible.  For instance, if we make the computer programs something they are interested in, such as shopping, cooking, or people-reading, then girls will be more engaged in the information and there will be less of a gap.  If we continue in the way we are going, however, the inequality gap will increase.