Celebrate Pi Day! Pi, Greek letter (pi), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi = 3.1415926535... Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th. The Pi Day  ... more

Celebrate Pi Day! Pi, Greek letter (pi), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi = 3.1415926535... Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th. The Pi Day website features news items, educational material, and sadly, pi merchandising.   less

Cornell University, NASA's JPL and Bill Nye present information on the Mars Exploration Rovers. Images, at-home experiments for kids and lesson plans compliment details of mission goals and payload. " The two powerful new Mars r  ... more

Cornell University, NASA's JPL and Bill Nye present information on the Mars Exploration Rovers. Images, at-home experiments for kids and lesson plans compliment details of mission goals and payload. " The two powerful new Mars rovers have far greater mobility than the 1997 Mars Pathfinder rover. These identical robotic explorers were originally thought to be able to trek up to 100 meters (about 100 yards) a day ("sol") across the martian surface, but on March 31, 2005 Opportunity traveled a distance of 220 meters (722 feet) in a single day. This is farther than the Sojourner rover's travel throughout its entire mission. Each rover carries a sophisticated set of instruments â?? the Athena Science Payload â?? that has allowed it to search for evidence of liquid water in the planet's past."   less

Abstract: Up until the fall of the Wall in 1989, the Communist regime of East Germany promoted policies of gender equality in education and in the work force, but these policies fell far short of creating true equality of opportu  ... more

Abstract: Up until the fall of the Wall in 1989, the Communist regime of East Germany promoted policies of gender equality in education and in the work force, but these policies fell far short of creating true equality of opportunity for women in information technology. In terms of sheer numbers, women came much closer to achieving equality in East German universities than was the case in the capitalist West, making up half or more of students in software-related majors. The East German social state was, moreover, set up in such a way that women could readily combine motherhood and a career. None the less, there was pervasive discrimination against women in hiring and promotion. Moreover, gendered thinking molded the day-to-day work experiences and professional lives of women in the information technology workforce in more subtle ways.   less

Abstract: Finds that computer and mathematics avoidance among women is the result of attitudes, expectations, and discrimination. Present-day creative computing relies upon skills not limited to those with a math and science orien  ... more

Abstract: Finds that computer and mathematics avoidance among women is the result of attitudes, expectations, and discrimination. Present-day creative computing relies upon skills not limited to those with a math and science orientation, and should prove a rewarding occupation to women.   less

Two studies were done with 7th grade students and their math teachers on computers and gender. In the first, teachers were given a one-day gender equity workshop and a random half were then provided with a grad student to give the  ... more

Two studies were done with 7th grade students and their math teachers on computers and gender. In the first, teachers were given a one-day gender equity workshop and a random half were then provided with a grad student to give them help and resources with gender equity; the grad student kept in touch with them too. This was ineffective: teachers "reported that the day-to-day activities of their classrooms were too time-consuming to allow time to use the assistance of the resource person." Students were given skits to act out and a collaborative group activity to do, and this too was not successful. In the second study, teachers observed researchers piloting a new skit and attended two two-hour seminars on gender equity, as "partners" with the researchers. Students this time got two skits and two collaborative group projects. There was a control group for the kids. Results: Girls in the treatment group reported greater interest in future computer and technology involvement and less endorsement of boys' computer expertise than girls in the control group on a pre/post design. Teachers anecdotally said consciousness-raising things about their participation   less

In this software, the user is provided with a representation of a pond with an inflow stream and an outflow stream. Using the available text fields, you can control several parameters, and observe the results. - C(s) represents  ... more

In this software, the user is provided with a representation of a pond with an inflow stream and an outflow stream. Using the available text fields, you can control several parameters, and observe the results. - C(s) represents the concentration of the pollutant in the inflow stream in milligrams per liter. - V is the volume of the pond in cubic meters. - C(0) is the initial concentration of the pollutant in the pond in milligrams per liter. - Q is the rate of flow of both the input and output streams in cubic meters per second. - k is the decay rate of the pollutant in the pond in proportion of the total amount per day. After the user has set the parameters, the user can click the OK button to see the results. On the schematic cross section of the pond, relative concentrations are shown by shades of gray, with darker grays representing higher concentrations. The user can use the Previous Day and Next Day buttons to navigate through time, as is shown by a red dot on the Relative Concentration graph, labeled C(t)/C(%). The points on the graph are listed in the Relative Concentration chart. Progress in the direction of the final concentration limit is shown in the Progress chart and graph. Mathematical Concepts - Asymptotes - Rates - Proportions   less

Template for Describing a (Program, Practice, or Resource) for Increasing Womens Participation in IT This template is for describing and documenting formal and informal interventions that attract, retain, and advance women and  ... more

Template for Describing a (Program, Practice, or Resource) for Increasing Womens Participation in IT This template is for describing and documenting formal and informal interventions that attract, retain, and advance women and girls in information technology programs of study and careers. Discovering what works and under what circumstances, and sharing that information so that successful practices can be broadly adopted. The NCWIT will evaluate these practices and share them through its Digital Library. On Saturday, April 9, 2005, UMBCs Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT) held its third annual Computer Mania Day. This event, designed to encourage girls interest in information technology (IT), provided a half day of technology-related activities for 634 middle school girls and their parents and teachers. The number of girls who attended--634--was nearly double the 319 who came to last years Computer Mania Day. Soccer star Brandi Chastain gave an inspiring keynote address; thirty-one young women involved in IT served as role models and conducted 20 different workshops for the girls, while eighteen presenters offered 13 breakout sessions for the adults. Through their generous sponsorship, a number of companies and organizations helped make this event possible.   less

Case study and tutorial on petroleum refining. Petroleum refineries are marvels of modern engineering. Within them a maze of pipes, distillation columns, and chemical reactors turn crude oil into valuable products. Large refine  ... more

Case study and tutorial on petroleum refining. Petroleum refineries are marvels of modern engineering. Within them a maze of pipes, distillation columns, and chemical reactors turn crude oil into valuable products. Large refineries cost billions of dollars, employ several thousand workers, operate around the clock, and occupy the same area as several hundred football stadiums. The U.S. has about 300 refineries that can process anywhere between 40 and 400,000 barrels of oil a day. These refineries turn out the gasoline and chemical feedstocks that keep the country running.   less

Abstract: The Game Initiative's Women's Game Conference focuses on women in the computer and video game industry. The conference program includes career paths for women in the industry, gender inclusive game design and women and g  ... more

Abstract: The Game Initiative's Women's Game Conference focuses on women in the computer and video game industry. The conference program includes career paths for women in the industry, gender inclusive game design and women and girls as consumers of games.The 2005 Women's Game Conference takes place October 26-27, 2005 - the day before and the first day of - the Austin Game Conference at the Austin Convention Center and is open to anyone interested in the game industry and game development.2005 topics include identifying the female game player market, representation of women in advertising, importance of art for female players, consumer trends of female players, games for girls, recruiting and mentoring of women in the game industry and quality of life concerns, and many other timely topics.   less

This article discusses the effects of a technology day camp geared toward gender equity. Results of a survey of boys' and girls' attitudes toward computers are discussed.  ... more

This article discusses the effects of a technology day camp geared toward gender equity. Results of a survey of boys' and girls' attitudes toward computers are discussed.   less