And why do they all date back from 1959 to to 1992?
Curiously this mirrors my experience of finding women as coworkers in the technological workplaces I have worked in since 1980.
They were there back in the day, in small numbers but encouragingly more than decades before by all accounts.
Then all of a sudden they were not. By the time I got to Nokia in 2000 and something there were none to be seen anywhere.
A couple of year back I found myself discussing this with a new generation of young software engineers, all male. They were seriously discussing why is it that so few females turn up for their nerdy meetups? And how could they encourage more?
I know Whit. Sorry, that was another of my failed attempts at humor.
Still that photograph, as seen on wikipedia, bothers me.
It states that it is the "navigation software that she and her MIT team produced for the Apollo project"
If you took all the source code of the Apollo Guidance Computers navigation software and printed it out on good old line printer paper like that, it would be a pile about 4 inches high.
I did the calculation here some place. You can checkout that original AGC source from github now a days, count the lines and check for yourself if you like.
I'm sure that picture is bogus hype.
Don't let that imply that I don't hold Margaret Hamilton in high regard. Far from it. I'm sure she did more than stack up old listing paper though.
@heater - I thought you were kidding, but some of the younger forum members might have never seen this! Everything is in the LEGO recreation but the coat rack!
I’ll have to defer to you on the other point! Perhaps it reflect all the code written till they got it just right? :-)
My personal hero is Admiral Grace Hopper for her Navy career, electronics knowledge, Math skill, and programming expertise.
All things I wish I had. And she was a tough, take no nonsense person.
New Robotics Badges for Girl Scouts
Written by Sue Gee
Saturday, 05 August 2017
What you do as a Girl Scout stays with you for life. So it's great to see that Think Like a Programmer Awards are being introduced for Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies and Juniors, along with badges for robotics.
GSJunior
Girl Scouts collaborated with Code.org to develop computational-thinking programs for girls. Hadi Partovi, its co-founder and CEO, commented:
“We are thrilled to partner with Girl Scouts to introduce more girls to computational thinking. In the 21st century, these critical-thinking and problem-solving skills are essential for all girls as they become tomorrow’s leaders and innovators.”
Explaining the choice of robotics, Sylvia Acevedo, CEO of the Girl Scouts explains:
"We've seen girls being users of technology but not necessarily programmers, and robotics is a great way to learn how to code. It lets girls have a fun experience with friends while learning a skill."
GSBrownie
Research indicates that girls “opt out” of STEM as early as second or third grade, so the first set of badges, which range in scope and skill level, from the Daisy-level What Robots Do to the Junior-level Programming Robots are focused on elementary school girls. However, to ensure that girls have opportunities to continue learning, experimenting, and coding, Girl Scouts and Code.org are currently developing middle and high school computational-thinking and robotics programs. Girl Scouts also plans to unveil 18 badges focused on cybersecurity, between now and 2019.
Avecedo, who as CEO of the Girl Scouts is the person who makes decisions about what's on offer, is herself an engineer who has worked. Her experience of building a rocket while in Girl Scouts inspired her to pursue a career in tech and now she hopes to inspire girls to choose STEM careers. Referring to the planned expansion into cybersecurity she says:
"[These girls] want to be hackers. They want to protect against cybersecurity and cyberterrorism ... If you think about it, that's solving a problem in their community — and that's the core of what we do at Girl Scouts."
The press release announcing the new STEM Badges states:
Through hands-on and age-appropriate experiences for girls as young as five, Girl Scouts is addressing the lack of exposure many girls have to STEM. In fact, Girl Scouts are almost twice as likely as non–Girl Scouts to participate in STEM (60 percent versus 35 percent).
It also points to a new report from the Girl Scout Research Institute that shows that participating in Girl Scouts helps girls develop key leadership skills they need to be successful in life. Compared to their peers, Girl Scouts are more likely than non–Girl Scouts to be leaders because they:
Have confidence in themselves and their abilities (80% vs. 68%)
Act ethically and responsibly, and show concern for others (75% vs. 59%)
Seek challenges and learn from setbacks (62% vs. 42%)
Develop and maintain healthy relationships (60% vs. 43%)
Identify and solve problems in their communities (57% vs. 28%)
Take an active role in decision making (80% vs. 51%)
What girls gain through Girl Scouting positively affects all areas of their lives. For example, Girl Scouts do better than their non–Girl Scout peers in the classroom, earning better grades and aspiring to higher educational attainment, and are more likely to seek careers in STEM, law, and business—industries in which women are underrepresented.
Learning computational thinking has similar benefits so the match between Girl Scouting and coding seems one to be welcomed.
GSDaisyRobotsq
More Information
Girl Scouts and Code.org: Preparing Girls to Smash Glass Ceilings in STEM!
Comments
https://www.facebook.com/roboctopi/photos/a.287501348065139.1073741827.287500974731843/1044668575681742/?type=1&theater
-Phil
Fantastic news Phil! Great photos on the facebook page.
-Phil
See it all here - https://www.cnet.com/news/robotics-engineer-barbie-builds-robots-teaches-kids-coding-tynker/#ftag=COS-05-10aaa0i
It's for real, and no overlap with the ladies in "Hidden Figures". https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/02/health/women-of-nasa-lego-trnd/index.html
Curiously this mirrors my experience of finding women as coworkers in the technological workplaces I have worked in since 1980.
They were there back in the day, in small numbers but encouragingly more than decades before by all accounts.
Then all of a sudden they were not. By the time I got to Nokia in 2000 and something there were none to be seen anywhere.
A couple of year back I found myself discussing this with a new generation of young software engineers, all male. They were seriously discussing why is it that so few females turn up for their nerdy meetups? And how could they encourage more?
What happened?
Margaret Hamilton and a pile of code...
coincidence?
Mike
Still that photograph, as seen on wikipedia, bothers me.
It states that it is the "navigation software that she and her MIT team produced for the Apollo project"
If you took all the source code of the Apollo Guidance Computers navigation software and printed it out on good old line printer paper like that, it would be a pile about 4 inches high.
I did the calculation here some place. You can checkout that original AGC source from github now a days, count the lines and check for yourself if you like.
I'm sure that picture is bogus hype.
Don't let that imply that I don't hold Margaret Hamilton in high regard. Far from it. I'm sure she did more than stack up old listing paper though.
I’ll have to defer to you on the other point! Perhaps it reflect all the code written till they got it just right? :-)
'Just kidding, of course! (Different Margaret Hamilton.)
-Phil
I can see the coat rack in the Lego creation. Isn't it that weird brown gallows construction behind her figure?
The more I look at it the more ridiculous it gets.
All things I wish I had. And she was a tough, take no nonsense person.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkeys_and_apes_in_space
Take a look at this... from https://www.i-programmer.info/news/150-training-a-education/11011-new-robotics-badges-for-girl-scouts.html
Act ethically and responsibly, and show concern for others (75% vs. 59%)
We can count on their support to make robots 3-Laws Safe!
Thanks