Tech Girlz

Why I’m A TechGirl: Taylor Feld

Becca — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:18:40 +0000

Why would you consider yourself a TechGirl?

I’ve always had a fixation on technology and its potential as a venue for both creativity and practicality. However, after enrolling in lackluster computer elective after lackluster computer elective in school, I’ve decided that maybe I’ve been looking in the wrong place.I approached TechGirlz because it’s a program dedicated to making sure young girls like the middle school version of me can explore their passion for technology. By getting involved at TechGirlz, I can participate in the education of girls in a situation all too familiar while immersing myself in an environment straight out of my daydreams.

What first got you passionate about tech?

In elementary school, my teacher would routinely assign my class these cut-and-paste exercises. The instructions were to cut out the little paper eggs with the numbers on them and paste them onto the little paper birds’ nests with the corresponding math problems. When I turned in the assignment, the teacher would always find that I’d used the extra eggs to create a “game” on the back of my paper, complete with crayon – drawn conveyor belts, buttons, and score counts. As soon as I had the tools available to me, I traded my crayons for code, but I’ve been a TechGirl at heart since the little birds’ nests.

What is most interesting about technology to you?

I am most interested in technology as a tool for education and storytelling. I hope to work in the video game industry, crafting experiences that can evoke emotions and imbue lessons that cannot be evoked or imbued by any other medium. Video games as tools can be harnessed for a myriad of positive effects on our society, be it through education, communal problem solving, or even just a well-told story. And that is wonderfully exciting to me.

What would you tell another young girl who is interested in technology?

“You are the future.” Cheesy, perhaps, but true. Girls like that hold in their hands not only the future of a society growing ever more connected to and by its technology, but also the future of their own female peers, each of whom has the potential to an be ambitious, innovative woman.

Why I’m A Tech Girl: Shirin Salemnia

Becca — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:34:37 +0000

I first heard of TechGirlz when I met Tracey Welson-Rossman at the Tech Inclusion Summit at the White House this past January. I am currently the Founder and CEO of PlayWerks, an interactive media company that creates high quality interactive experiences that inspire,empower and engage children and adults. Previously, I worked in consumer research at MGA Entertainment and at Mattel, Inc. and also as a nursery and pre-kindergarten teacher.

I have always been passionate about children and education and now I am about to embark on
the next phase of my life-long mission to create positive changes in the world, especially for
young girls.

As a young child, I was inspired by the media, particularly Tom Hanks in the movie BIG, to create a dream job for myself, which I did when I was working on Barbie and Bratz Dolls at Mattel and MGA. Now I am determined to create media platforms that include STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields that will empower, engage, educate and inspire young girls to create amazing jobs for themselves.

I love how TechGirlz is making technology cool for middle-school age girls. I think they will continue to help close the gender gap in STEM – keep up the good work!

You can read more about Shirin’s work here.

Ignite Philly: Introducing TechGirlz

Becca — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:01:53 +0000

“I’m the skirt at every meeting. And I was curious as to why I saw so few women in the field. Research showed me the numbers, but there did not seem to be anyone addressing the problem as I saw it.”
Tracey Welson-Rossman, founder of TechGirlz

Girlz Just Want To Go Tech: A Talk With TechGirlz Founder Tracey Welson-Rossman

Becca — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:34:36 +0000

Tracey Welson-Rossman started her career in retail management and advertising sales, learning about lead development, marketing and distribution. But what she really learned was that she’s an entrepreneur – and an activist — at heart.

With several successful ventures behind her, today she is a founder and chief marketing officer for Chariot Solutions, a Philadelphia-based software development and consulting firm, helping it to grow from 10 employees in 2002 to 50.

That’s just her day job. Welson-Rossman is also the founder and current chair of the Emerging Technologies for the Enterprise Conference, held annually in Philadelphia. She’s a founding board member of Philadelphia Startup Leaders, a regional organization dedicated to growing technology startups, and in her spare time, she heads the nonprofit TechGirlz to help adolescent girls embrace STEM careers.

Why I’m a Tech Girl: Joyce Akiko

Becca — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 16:21:12 +0000

I decided to become a TechGirl after I saw a tweet from the organization saying they were looking for a volunteer web developer. I had been teaching myself various tech platforms as well as some programming languages for the past few years, so I signed up. I thought it would be a good way to hone in on my own personal skills while also supporting an organization that does the same for other females.

I’m a very process-oriented person and technology is all about processes, data and logical sequence. I think I’ve always been drawn to the tech world. Technology makes sense to me, so I like to immerse myself in it. What I’ve learned through being a part of TechGirlz is that there is a whole world of girls out there who want to know tech… girls just like the younger me.

My primary duty with TechGirlz is updating and maintaining the design and development of the website. I do this to ensure TechGirlz is able to expand its reach to as many people as possible, better inform them about the organization’s services and create easy access for the public to important information. I hope that my involvement with TechGirlz will help me achieve my personal goal, which is to meet and change the lives of talented girls who will grow into brilliant women.

Make Your Own Electronic Monster Toy with Arduino

Coreen Tossona — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 12:00:16 +0000

Join us November 10 for a post-Halloween monster class, where you’ll get to create your own electronic monster toy.

Using a technology called Arduino, you’ll have a chance to take arts and crafts to the next level. Arduino is an open-source microcontroller/circuit board that was designed by artists for other artists and designers to use. It can be used in all sorts of e-crafts, electronic clothing, robotics and more.

Read more about Arduino at Skillcrush or Wired. This is an exciting technology that’s accessible to everyone. And you’ll get to learn about it with TechGirlz for free!

We’ll start off the workshop by explaining basic electricity concepts and demonstrating examples of how simple manipulations with electric circuits can lay foundation for interesting art projects, like electronic toys, glow in the dark clothing and other cool technology that uses circuits in everyday life.

After that, you will use what you’ve learned to create your own electronic monster, connect the electrical components and watch your toy come to life—with eyes or other parts that light up or blink. Supplies will be provided (fabric cutouts, conductive thread, circuits, etc). All you have to do is show up with your imagination ready to go!

This workshop is part of NSF grant program that encourages communities to conduct educational workshops around e-textile projects.You can learn more about the program by visiting http://ecrafting.org/

Clouds, Burpees, Inner Nerds and, Yes, Building a Web App

Coreen Tossona — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:32:11 +0000

All TechGirlz workshops are different from one another, and our one on October 27—Building Web Applications—was no exception. The girls found that out quickly as Ameet, CEO of Conigent, had them all doing burpees.

Nothing like a little exercise to get the girls energized for the workshop!

Ameet, Nicole and Justin from Conigent spent the rest of the workshop helping each participant follow step-by-step as they created a sample web/mobile app.

Ameet also told his own personal story to getting where he is today. He said that when he was younger he wanted to be a programmer, but he was afraid people would think he was too much of a dork or nerd.

He encouraged all the girls to “embrace your inner nerd.” He added, “Don’t wait 38 years to be honest with yourself. Do what you love.” A valuable lesson.

The Conigent team introduced the girls to applications by showing the class their Wodify app that was built for the fitness sport CrossFit. Entering the number of burpees performed by each participant gave a glimpse into what a web or mobile app can be used for.

From there, the group lesson began as Ameet and team introduced the “Star Gazer” app the group would be constructing together, using a spreadsheet full of celebrity names and addresses, a cloud platform, wireframes and Google Maps.

Within a few hours, the girls completed the app and were able to test it out on smartphones. They were also offered a free trial on the cloud platform Outsystems in case they wanted to go home and build their own app.

Special thanks goes out to Ameet, Nicole and Justin of Conigent for putting on this free workshop.

Conigent is a process improvement and business management consulting firm focused on finding cloud-based technical solutions for their clients.

A Tech Girl’s First-Hand View of the Future of Education

twelross — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 02:12:30 +0000

This blog post was written by Ariel Gabay, a ninth-grader at Kohelet Yeshiva High School.

I first heard that the Kohelet Foundation was going to be rolling out a SmartSchool Program last year. The idea was that every school in the Jewish Day School Collaborative was going to be receiving an iPad and that teachers were going to be incorporating the iPad into our curriculum. I also heard that Kohelet Yeshiva High School was going to be one of the first schools to participate in the program, and I honestly thought it was just a rumor. But sure enough, at orientation this fall, there was a whole iPad presentation, and I thought – wow, this is going to be the coolest thing ever! During the presentation they showed us how interactive and useful the iPad is. Although I was so excited and the idea seemed amazing, I knew it was still going to be a difficult transition for us to get used to using the iPads on a daily basis in the classroom.

When we first received our own iPad, it was great. I felt empowered – that the future of my education was literally at my fingertips. They had us freshmen, along with the sophomores, in one classroom to set up the systems. To set up our iPads, we had to go through complex steps to activate it. For example, we had to set up our iTunes accounts, emails and passwords and click on several links to get each process started. It was a little overwhelming and complicated, but we finally got through it.

The first day we used the iPads was so confusing, and I started having mixed emotions about using it. Classes were challenging because we didn’t know when we should be using the iPad or taking notes on paper. Plus, not every application was set up, and we kept hitting roadblocks.

But after the first week or so of using the iPad and getting all the proper applications up and running on my tablet, everything started falling into place. The teachers also started getting the hang of using the iPad, so it made opening up worksheets in Notability, which is our note-taking application, much easier and less stressful. We started using our iPads to take online quizzes for biology, we started looking things up on the Internet, typing up essays, writing down our homework in our planners, using textbooks, and just taking notes. I was starting to get the hang of it! I also knew once the major transition was over, that the iPad would be a great tool for learning. But I won’t lie, that first week was hectic.

Now that I have been using the iPad for a while, I realize how amazing and privileged we are to have them. In class when a teacher asks a question and no one knows the answer, or they want us to look up a specific fact, we can just Google it. It’s truly incredible what the iPad is capable of doing. When I’m taking notes in classes using Notability, I can type up my notes and then also draw diagrams on the side.

When we open up worksheets in Notability we can highlight things right then and there and write little comments or translations on the worksheets.

Also, the history textbook that I have is incredible. It has videos you can click on and commentaries you can listen to, simply with the tap of a finger. The iPad is highly interactive, and I think that it makes me think more during class. It makes learning more interesting and fun for me, and the fact that we’re even using an iPad during class, is just really cool. In the bigger picture of all this, I also believe that we are going green and looking towards sustainability and really helping out our planet. There are barely even any handouts anymore – everything is right there on the iPad.

I think that in the years to come the iPad will continue to prove itself. The school has already gone through the transition, so everyone will be experts at using the iPad (aside from each incoming freshman class), and everything will run smoothly. Also, I anticipate the Kohelet Foundation working with our tech company and Apple to bring us the latest and greatest technology out there to incorporate into the iPad and further our education. I truly believe that we will be able to learn so much more with the iPads, and it will be interesting to see the transformation of using the iPad now as a 9th grader and what will be enhanced on the iPad by the time I’m a senior. I definitely look forward to the years ahead.

TechGirlz Give ApprenNet Incredible Insight on ApprenNet’s Website Design

Becca — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:42:55 +0000

Twelve smart, inquisitive, curious TechGirlz gathered at Tech+Wise Group and taught ApprenNet a thing or two about their website design. Lauren Schwartz, CEO and Founder of Tech+Wise, hosted and taught the most recent TechGirlz Workshop on User Experience. After a phenomenal lesson defining design and teaching the importance of user interface and experience, the girls formed three design companies: Green Paint, CANS Creative and Girls Website and Design (GWAD). Next, Green Paint, CANS and GWAD were each tasked with learning about theirvcustomer – ApprenNet, conducting user tests, collaborating on next steps, organizing their ideas, creating mock-ups and presenting their designs to ApprenNet.

This past year, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded ApprenNet a series of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants for ApprenNet to develop and offer an innovative way to bring online learning to life. With the funding, ApprenNet created and piloted Meets. Meets are three step learning exercises that involve learning by doing, learning from peers and learning from experts. ApprenNet first piloted Meets in the legal education space. In a LawMeet®, students listen to a hypothetical client, research a solution and upload a video response acting out the role of the lawyer. After grappling with the problem, students review pairs of responses, provide feedback and then vote on a preference. Experts, i.e. the professor or practicing attorneys, then review and provide feedback to the top peer-rated responses and leave their own video responses. All students have access to expert feedback and demonstrations.

ApprenNet asked the TechGirlz to help them design their interface for K-12 students, not law students. Here is what the girls pitched:

Green Paint

Pitch: Make the site more engaging and interactive for a younger audience.

Why: Students like to engage with easy to use platforms. They like to have fun.

Plan: For each action, i.e. uploading a video, engaging in peer review, engaging
in expert review, create a separate and distinct place on the website for the action
to take place. Make sure all the actions are on one page. Suggestion: Use a tree
as the backdrop for each action, i.e. have three trees on your Meet page. Use an
interactive bird to fly from tree to tree as the user completes each of the three
learning steps. In addition to guiding you through each step, the bird can also talk
to a user if the user gets stuck on a certain step in the learning process.

Note: Green Paint created a mock-up in power point and used the infamous
Angry Bird as their interactive guide. Quite funny.

CANS Creative

Pitch: Create an easier registration process, a more engaging front page/logo and
differentiate the site according to age.

Why: Students will leave a site and go to a competitor if it is not easy to use,
inviting and age-appropriate from the get-go.

Front Page Design Plan: Redesign the logo. Use engaging colors and a cool
font. CANS suggested the logo “LearnIt”. They suggested a clean, white
backdrop with the name LearnIt in bright pink and purple colors created with
splatters of paint. They also suggested including mascots on the front page.
Students can choose mascots to help them guide them through the platform, e.g.
tweety bird.

Registration & Login Plan: Make it simple. Ask for a student’s name
and email. Also ask for a student’s grade. Differentiate the platform design
depending on a student’s grade. Younger grades like more color, avatars, etc…
Older grades like a simpler interfaces. Make sure we know our exact audience.

GWAD

Pitch: Create a clean, easy to use interface where each step of a Meet is on a
separate page with clear, large directions in the form of icons (not text). Create a
forum for students to communicate and a forum for parents to communicate.

Why: Separating a Meet’s steps with large icon directions cuts down on any
confusion on how to participate in a Meet. Parents and students like to be part of
larger communities and to know that a website is safe.

Plan: Make each page clean. Use large icons for the action and icons to show
next steps, e.g. large red buttons to show when to record. Create large buttons to
allow people to go to specific forums to interact with other users.

Note: GWAD also designed a Meet that focuses on website safety for K12
students. Quite impressive!

In addition to pitching design ideas, the TechGirlz had a number of questions for
ApprenNet:

1. What types of Meets are you designing for the different age groups, i.e. K-3
grades, 4-6 grades, 7-9 grades, 10-12 grades?
2. How will you collect revenue?
3. How can parents check in on their children through the site?
4. Can homeschool students use the site?
5. How will you integrate games into the site?
6. How are you going to promote your business?
7. What are you going to do to help blind and deaf students use your site?

8. Have you considered including video and writing tutorials?
You should, we like both.

9. Are you going to have an alternative way to participate in a Meet if a user is
not comfortable uploading a video?

We learned a tremendous amount from the TechGirlz. Thank you for spending a
Saturday with us. We wish we could hire all three companies to start working for us
now! Stay in touch and let us know what great things you embark on over the next
few years.

- Emily Foote, Co-Founder, ApprenNet LLC

Track the progress of the girls’ startups from the entrepreneur camp live!

Becca — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 19:37:57 +0000

Check the status of the websites – live! – from the various startups that were brainstormed and developed by our bright group of girls.

Find My Food – a mobile app designed to locate particular brands or types of foods at nearby grocery stores.
My Creative Cards – a website that allows you to build your own personalized business cards.
OLAA Pet Care – a website that connects pet owners with trustworthy pet sitters.
U Make the T – a website made for designing and customizing personalized t-shirts.
Our Swap Shop – a website that allows a younger age set to trade cards online without giving away any personal information.

Watch these websites grow and develop as the week goes on!