Monday: 12:55-2:30
Tuesday: 12:25-2:30
Wednesday: 12:25 -2:30
Thursday: 12:55-2:30
My mentor was out all of this week, so I got a lot of time for various personal projects during the week. I did some research on influential women in the field, as I have posted below, and read up on the gender gap in STEM fields and how much more pronounced it is in those areas than in many other jobs. I also got a lot of time to plan the app Byte Club will be making for our high school. I researched code-sharing programs and brainstormed what we will want to include in the app to make it helpful and include all the things a common student or parent would want to have access to. I did this by asking fellow students their opinions on what they would like to see in a high school app, and what they think is unnecessary to include. Later on in the week, I spent some time preparing for the "Falcon Fair", which is an event held in school in which clubs can fundraise by selling foods or services to the student body. I helped the other Byte Club officers to prepare posters to advertise our booth, collect equipment, and make other general preparations for the fair, which was held on Friday.
This week, while not the most exciting, was very productive for me. I got a lot of work done and started to think seriously about some of the projects I will be undertaking in the future. A lot of computer science is idealistic, so it is good to take time to think realistically about what can actually be done for some projects, given the time restraints and skill level of myself and the other Byte Club officers. This planning gave me a bit of a feel for how a project manager would look at situations and pick out what is possible for their team and the project. It was also good to get a taste for computer science work alone. I spent most of my time in the library working away on my laptop. I'm comfortable alone, but it is harder to stay focused when there is no one else in the room. This is something I will have to work on.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Top Women in Computer Science
Women in computer science and engineering jobs are few and far between. Even more so are those who hold positions of power or management. Some of the most important women in computer science are making a big difference with the work they are taking on as well as the issues they are helping to fight. Ranked among these women are: Meg Whitman, Sheryl Sandberg, Ginni Rometty, Marissa Mayer, Susan Wojcicki, Safra Catz, Mary Meeker, Divya Nag, and Meredith Perry. Each of the above women have made themselves successful in the tech world through hard work and have defied the statistics of the lack of women in tech management.
As a woman hoping to find success in computer science, I take special interest in the success stories of other women in the field. The women I've mentioned all have a few things in common that have helped them to rise in the ranks in their fields. The first thing I've found is a bountiful and prestigious education. All of them have at least a Bachelor's degree, and most have a Master's. Beyond that, most have degrees in multiple fields, some even with a computer science degree and a law degree. They have also all gone to well-recognized schools to get the degrees. So, education is an integral part of becoming affluent in the field.
Another similarity is that most if not all of these women have worked in a plethora of areas of the field. They have all hopped from job to job within their company or area of expertise, and gotten a taste of pretty much the whole company, while also moving up in title as they go. Being versatile and willing to try new things and new positions has helped to advance them to their managerial positions and their prosperity. Similarly, all of the women have been involved in their local and global communities. They complete research, take on worldwide issues, or create new technology for the good of the world. By filling a void in our international community, they get more popular and consequently more fruitful.
Individually, each woman has had their own circumstances, struggles, and victories. Particularly, I have noticed a lot of bad media surrounding a lot of their actions. The more powerful and wealthy these women become, the more they seem to do wrong in the eyes of reporters and the general public. Still, they remain unmoved by the negative opinions. Article titles like "...(Why I Hate Sheryl Sandberg)", "Top 10 Reasons Why Ginni Rometty Will Fail...", and "Dear Marissa Mayer: Please Stop Saying Your Baby is 'Easy'" seem to point out the insignificant details of these women's lives, and ultimately make them feel bad despite all of their accomplishments and good deeds for the world. Despite the hurtful words aimed at them due to their spot in the tech world's limelight, they continue innovating, leading the world, and living their lives.
For this, I am proud of them. At first glance, it seems like a difficult feat to become a leader in computer science as a female. However, these women are setting an example for all of us who follow in their footsteps. Their achievements say to me: "It's possible, if only you put in the effort". As with anyone, they aren't perfect, but the strength they show to stand on the world stage and make it known that women can succeed in STEM fields is inspiring to me. Especially awe-inspiring are the younger of these women: Divya Nag and Meredith Perry. These two are not even thirty, and they are already creating technology that will change the way people interact with their devices and leading the way in their companies and their discoveries. I may never lead the industry, but I will be glad as long as there are women such as these who will.
I can see a bit of myself in the determination and motivation of these women. My biggest goal in my career, unambitious as it might be, is to be as helpful to others through my work as I can be. These women embody this desire of mine through the new technologies they make that help the general public in everyday life, but also through the causes they take up and support. Most, if not all, of these women support other ladies who are looking to start in computer science, and anyone interested in STEM in general. They take up campaigns, like "Lean In", to encourage women in their endeavors, while also taking sides on global issues. When you get more media and money from your occupation, it is easier to raise a movement on topics you are passionate about. These women help thousands through their work and the movements they have been able to start. If I could find ways in my life and career to be helpful to others, I would lead a fulfilled life. Of course, as I've said, it is a lot easier to make a difference for more people when one gets the publicity to let the world hear their opinions.
To make the best of my goal, I would have to step into the limelight as a leader in computer science as well, which is a lot easier than it sounds. However, there are a few things I can do now to give myself the best chances in the future. The first is to get involved in as many ways as possible. If I can make a positive name and image for myself and create connections with those already in the industry, I can begin to be an asset to those I work for when I start working. On a similar note, I can learn as much as possible. If I am capable before I am hired, there is less money spent on training, and I can be useful sooner rather than later. This would also set me up in a favorable position in my future job. Once I have a job I see myself staying in, I can learn about the company's inner workings. In order to achieve a managerial position, one has to know how to run a company and what is best for the specific company being run. So, if I know those things, I could be in the running for positions like CEO and CFO. This is where I will start, and we will see where it goes from there.
As a woman hoping to find success in computer science, I take special interest in the success stories of other women in the field. The women I've mentioned all have a few things in common that have helped them to rise in the ranks in their fields. The first thing I've found is a bountiful and prestigious education. All of them have at least a Bachelor's degree, and most have a Master's. Beyond that, most have degrees in multiple fields, some even with a computer science degree and a law degree. They have also all gone to well-recognized schools to get the degrees. So, education is an integral part of becoming affluent in the field.
Another similarity is that most if not all of these women have worked in a plethora of areas of the field. They have all hopped from job to job within their company or area of expertise, and gotten a taste of pretty much the whole company, while also moving up in title as they go. Being versatile and willing to try new things and new positions has helped to advance them to their managerial positions and their prosperity. Similarly, all of the women have been involved in their local and global communities. They complete research, take on worldwide issues, or create new technology for the good of the world. By filling a void in our international community, they get more popular and consequently more fruitful.
Individually, each woman has had their own circumstances, struggles, and victories. Particularly, I have noticed a lot of bad media surrounding a lot of their actions. The more powerful and wealthy these women become, the more they seem to do wrong in the eyes of reporters and the general public. Still, they remain unmoved by the negative opinions. Article titles like "...(Why I Hate Sheryl Sandberg)", "Top 10 Reasons Why Ginni Rometty Will Fail...", and "Dear Marissa Mayer: Please Stop Saying Your Baby is 'Easy'" seem to point out the insignificant details of these women's lives, and ultimately make them feel bad despite all of their accomplishments and good deeds for the world. Despite the hurtful words aimed at them due to their spot in the tech world's limelight, they continue innovating, leading the world, and living their lives.
For this, I am proud of them. At first glance, it seems like a difficult feat to become a leader in computer science as a female. However, these women are setting an example for all of us who follow in their footsteps. Their achievements say to me: "It's possible, if only you put in the effort". As with anyone, they aren't perfect, but the strength they show to stand on the world stage and make it known that women can succeed in STEM fields is inspiring to me. Especially awe-inspiring are the younger of these women: Divya Nag and Meredith Perry. These two are not even thirty, and they are already creating technology that will change the way people interact with their devices and leading the way in their companies and their discoveries. I may never lead the industry, but I will be glad as long as there are women such as these who will.
I can see a bit of myself in the determination and motivation of these women. My biggest goal in my career, unambitious as it might be, is to be as helpful to others through my work as I can be. These women embody this desire of mine through the new technologies they make that help the general public in everyday life, but also through the causes they take up and support. Most, if not all, of these women support other ladies who are looking to start in computer science, and anyone interested in STEM in general. They take up campaigns, like "Lean In", to encourage women in their endeavors, while also taking sides on global issues. When you get more media and money from your occupation, it is easier to raise a movement on topics you are passionate about. These women help thousands through their work and the movements they have been able to start. If I could find ways in my life and career to be helpful to others, I would lead a fulfilled life. Of course, as I've said, it is a lot easier to make a difference for more people when one gets the publicity to let the world hear their opinions.
To make the best of my goal, I would have to step into the limelight as a leader in computer science as well, which is a lot easier than it sounds. However, there are a few things I can do now to give myself the best chances in the future. The first is to get involved in as many ways as possible. If I can make a positive name and image for myself and create connections with those already in the industry, I can begin to be an asset to those I work for when I start working. On a similar note, I can learn as much as possible. If I am capable before I am hired, there is less money spent on training, and I can be useful sooner rather than later. This would also set me up in a favorable position in my future job. Once I have a job I see myself staying in, I can learn about the company's inner workings. In order to achieve a managerial position, one has to know how to run a company and what is best for the specific company being run. So, if I know those things, I could be in the running for positions like CEO and CFO. This is where I will start, and we will see where it goes from there.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
September 18-19
Thursday: 12:55-2:00
Friday: 12:55-2:45
On Friday, we traveled to one of our district's elementary schools to put some Android tablets in a kindergarten pod. We used the kind of mailboxes that the teachers used with holes drilled in the back for the chords to be run through. First, we had to pull all of our supplies into the building on a flatbed. Then, we had to find somewhere to put the charging station. We asked around, but none of the teachers had a preference, so we chose a table near an outlet. Then the fun began. We had to assemble the shelving first. We placed all of the necessary pegs into the mailbox shell so that the shelves would stay in place. Then, we unwrapped all of the chords, adapters, and power strips for the unit and numbered each shelf. I then had to feed all of the chords through the holes in the back of the unit while my mentor arranged them between shelves. Next, we plugged all of the chords into their adapters and mounted two of the power strips on the back of the unit so the chords had more leeway. Finally, we arranged the power strips to fit into an adapter we mounted on the outlet underneath the table and plugged all of the devices into their designated chords. Below is the finished product:
Friday: 12:55-2:45
On Friday, we traveled to one of our district's elementary schools to put some Android tablets in a kindergarten pod. We used the kind of mailboxes that the teachers used with holes drilled in the back for the chords to be run through. First, we had to pull all of our supplies into the building on a flatbed. Then, we had to find somewhere to put the charging station. We asked around, but none of the teachers had a preference, so we chose a table near an outlet. Then the fun began. We had to assemble the shelving first. We placed all of the necessary pegs into the mailbox shell so that the shelves would stay in place. Then, we unwrapped all of the chords, adapters, and power strips for the unit and numbered each shelf. I then had to feed all of the chords through the holes in the back of the unit while my mentor arranged them between shelves. Next, we plugged all of the chords into their adapters and mounted two of the power strips on the back of the unit so the chords had more leeway. Finally, we arranged the power strips to fit into an adapter we mounted on the outlet underneath the table and plugged all of the devices into their designated chords. Below is the finished product:
This week wasn't all action-packed--I had a lot of time to myself to work on my own projects--but what I did get to do was a lot of fun. Putting the charging station together on Friday was definitely the highlight to my week. I loved the opportunity to problem solve, and I love how diverse the jobs we get to do are. As we were building the unit, kindergarteners were entering and leaving their classes, and being able to see how excited and curious they were to get their new devices was another huge bonus. I am very glad to see that the field I am looking at doesn't have to be constantly sitting at a desk, but can involve hands-on projects as well.
September 15-17
Monday: 12:55-2:40
Tuesday: 12:55-1:50
Wednesday: 12:25-2:30
On Monday of this week, my mentor and I were called to our district middle school to help them sort out a problem they were having regarding Adobe Reader and Flash. We spent our entire time finding and solving the problem, which turned out to only be fixable by allowing the student population to use Firefox rather than Internet Explorer. I got to learn about the limitations of different browsers and how imperative it is that websites keep releasing new versions of their website to match the new versions of software they employ. Without doing so, it makes it much more difficult for customers to continue using their website. It hurts their own business to not keep their website up to date.
For the next two days, I had some time to work on my own. I got to start organizing a coding project that the Byte Club officers and I would start during the year--to make a high school app. We had planned on outsourcing a district app while the high school one was in the works because the district wanted an app by the end of the year. So, I started research on some companies that would take the project on for us. Additionally, I continued reading up on futuring.
Then, during the last half hour or so of Wednesday, my mentor returned and he and I held a meeting with the Byte Club officers to gauge their interest in creating the high school app, and the amount they felt we could accomplish during the year. The meeting was very successful, we decided the course of action in regards to the app, and cleared up some issues that they had found within our computer labs in the school. We also decided how we wanted to go about making the app for multiple platforms, and how we would split the coding as a group. We have a much clearer direction now, and once the project gets started, I think it will run smoothly.
Tuesday: 12:55-1:50
Wednesday: 12:25-2:30
On Monday of this week, my mentor and I were called to our district middle school to help them sort out a problem they were having regarding Adobe Reader and Flash. We spent our entire time finding and solving the problem, which turned out to only be fixable by allowing the student population to use Firefox rather than Internet Explorer. I got to learn about the limitations of different browsers and how imperative it is that websites keep releasing new versions of their website to match the new versions of software they employ. Without doing so, it makes it much more difficult for customers to continue using their website. It hurts their own business to not keep their website up to date.
For the next two days, I had some time to work on my own. I got to start organizing a coding project that the Byte Club officers and I would start during the year--to make a high school app. We had planned on outsourcing a district app while the high school one was in the works because the district wanted an app by the end of the year. So, I started research on some companies that would take the project on for us. Additionally, I continued reading up on futuring.
Then, during the last half hour or so of Wednesday, my mentor returned and he and I held a meeting with the Byte Club officers to gauge their interest in creating the high school app, and the amount they felt we could accomplish during the year. The meeting was very successful, we decided the course of action in regards to the app, and cleared up some issues that they had found within our computer labs in the school. We also decided how we wanted to go about making the app for multiple platforms, and how we would split the coding as a group. We have a much clearer direction now, and once the project gets started, I think it will run smoothly.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
September 11-September 12
Thursday: 12:55-2:40
Friday: 12:55-2:30
We continued the laptop roll out process for the rest of the week, with Friday being the students' last chance to pick up their laptops before they were put in their respective homerooms to be distributed by homeroom teachers. After handing out, configuring, and troubleshooting devices for those students who came to pick laptops up, our team again had to pack up. On Thursday and Friday, however, we also began to inventory the laptops that remained. So, after the last lunch of the day, we sat down and created an Excel document to keep track of the laptops, and the students they were assigned to, that had been left with us. After Friday, we only had around 70 left. So, we consolidated the remaining devices and organized to have them given to their respective students via their homeroom teachers.
This week, I got to meet a few more members of the school tech team and got more experience with working with "clients" through the roll out procedure. I learned some tricks of the trade, and got to see how close-knit teams like this can be due to their small size. I had a lot of fun working with everyone on the team, and enjoyed their banter during work. It seems like an awesome environment to work in--one that I could easily see myself joining. Though the job seems to keep you busy, it looks like it's an enjoyable one. So, even if you have to take work home, you could know you'll enjoy it. These past few days have shown me that you can work with friends on fun projects and get paid for it at the same time.
Friday: 12:55-2:30
We continued the laptop roll out process for the rest of the week, with Friday being the students' last chance to pick up their laptops before they were put in their respective homerooms to be distributed by homeroom teachers. After handing out, configuring, and troubleshooting devices for those students who came to pick laptops up, our team again had to pack up. On Thursday and Friday, however, we also began to inventory the laptops that remained. So, after the last lunch of the day, we sat down and created an Excel document to keep track of the laptops, and the students they were assigned to, that had been left with us. After Friday, we only had around 70 left. So, we consolidated the remaining devices and organized to have them given to their respective students via their homeroom teachers.
This week, I got to meet a few more members of the school tech team and got more experience with working with "clients" through the roll out procedure. I learned some tricks of the trade, and got to see how close-knit teams like this can be due to their small size. I had a lot of fun working with everyone on the team, and enjoyed their banter during work. It seems like an awesome environment to work in--one that I could easily see myself joining. Though the job seems to keep you busy, it looks like it's an enjoyable one. So, even if you have to take work home, you could know you'll enjoy it. These past few days have shown me that you can work with friends on fun projects and get paid for it at the same time.
Friday, September 12, 2014
September 8 - September 10
Monday: 12:55-1:50
Tuesday: 12:55-2:30
Wednesday: 12:25-1:50
This week, we began rolling out laptops for our high school's one to one program. I got to work one-on-one with some students to get their laptops configured with their own personal accounts and worked with other members of the staff to make the process of handing out a few hundred devices as smooth as possible. The first two days of this process were handing out laptops to sophomores who already had experience with the devices. We split into four stations: one to receive and set up the laptop, one to get a power cord, and two for information. I was at the first station, giving out laptops and setting up the accounts for each student. I think I had the most fun job in the process, because my job got interesting. When configuring the laptops, there were occasional network, domain, and login issues that we had to troubleshoot on the spot. So, I got to learn a little about the network of our school, and some tricks for Windows 8 connection issues within the school. After the last period designated for laptop pick-ups, we had to condense the devices that weren't picked up, wheel all of the carts back to the storage room, and set up for the next day of pick-ups by creating tickets to be sent out and making them distinguishable from the previous day's.
Tuesday: 12:55-2:30
Wednesday: 12:25-1:50
This week, we began rolling out laptops for our high school's one to one program. I got to work one-on-one with some students to get their laptops configured with their own personal accounts and worked with other members of the staff to make the process of handing out a few hundred devices as smooth as possible. The first two days of this process were handing out laptops to sophomores who already had experience with the devices. We split into four stations: one to receive and set up the laptop, one to get a power cord, and two for information. I was at the first station, giving out laptops and setting up the accounts for each student. I think I had the most fun job in the process, because my job got interesting. When configuring the laptops, there were occasional network, domain, and login issues that we had to troubleshoot on the spot. So, I got to learn a little about the network of our school, and some tricks for Windows 8 connection issues within the school. After the last period designated for laptop pick-ups, we had to condense the devices that weren't picked up, wheel all of the carts back to the storage room, and set up for the next day of pick-ups by creating tickets to be sent out and making them distinguishable from the previous day's.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
September 4th - September 5th
Thursday the 4th - 12:55-2:30
Friday the 5th - 12:24-1:50
On Thursday, my mentor and I began setting up for the rest of my internship. We started an outline for online coursework and reading so I could continue learning at home or on days I could not be at my internship. We also planned areas that I would like to focus on during the year, like futuring, networking, data, leadership, and app programming. Along with this, we discussed the future of my high school's programming club and other opportunities I could have to get more experience in the field. I am the treasurer of the programming club, Byte Club, and therefore help to communicate ideas and expectations between administration, like my mentor, and the rest of the club. Additionally, we spent some time discussing the difference between jobs in the field.
My mentor had a meeting on Friday, so I had time to reflect and get started on some of the things we had set up online. I began thinking about and answering some of the questions online, and also got to start reading a book that was lent to me on futuring. It's called "The Design of Future Things" by Donald A. Norman.
This week has been really exciting and eye opening for me. Even on the first few days, I got to have a taste of what working in the computer science field is really like and I am ready to do more. There always seem to be new things to figure out and new problems to solve no matter where you turn, so there is never a dull moment. It also seems to be more of an adventure than a job, even though you are paid to do it. The more I get to see of computer science, the more I grow to like it. This week has really helped me to get a feel for how diverse even one job can be and how fun working can be. I feel a lot more confident in the direction I'm heading, now, and I'm ecstatic to continue learning about where I can go from where I am.
Friday the 5th - 12:24-1:50
On Thursday, my mentor and I began setting up for the rest of my internship. We started an outline for online coursework and reading so I could continue learning at home or on days I could not be at my internship. We also planned areas that I would like to focus on during the year, like futuring, networking, data, leadership, and app programming. Along with this, we discussed the future of my high school's programming club and other opportunities I could have to get more experience in the field. I am the treasurer of the programming club, Byte Club, and therefore help to communicate ideas and expectations between administration, like my mentor, and the rest of the club. Additionally, we spent some time discussing the difference between jobs in the field.
My mentor had a meeting on Friday, so I had time to reflect and get started on some of the things we had set up online. I began thinking about and answering some of the questions online, and also got to start reading a book that was lent to me on futuring. It's called "The Design of Future Things" by Donald A. Norman.
This week has been really exciting and eye opening for me. Even on the first few days, I got to have a taste of what working in the computer science field is really like and I am ready to do more. There always seem to be new things to figure out and new problems to solve no matter where you turn, so there is never a dull moment. It also seems to be more of an adventure than a job, even though you are paid to do it. The more I get to see of computer science, the more I grow to like it. This week has really helped me to get a feel for how diverse even one job can be and how fun working can be. I feel a lot more confident in the direction I'm heading, now, and I'm ecstatic to continue learning about where I can go from where I am.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
September 2nd - September 3rd
Tuesday the 2nd- 1:00-2:30
Wednesday the 3rd 12:25-1:50
On my first day as an intern, I got to help set up Android tablets for our elementary schools. The tablets had to be configured to run Google Play for Education, and we had to set up security so that the users (kindergarteners) would not be able to change important settings or download unnecessary apps. We also wanted to ensure that teachers would be able to whitelist apps that could be pushed to all of the tablets in their class without having to download each manually. During the time I got to work with the tablets, we were able to figure out how to activate each tablet to use Google Play for Education, how to share settings between tablets and save time by bumping them, and how to manage devices, classes, and whitelisted apps via Google's provided interface.
The next day, I got my school issued laptop. The majority of my time interning on Wednesday was devoted to setting the laptop up and discovering difficulties that future users of similar laptops would face. We spent time brainstorming ideas for instructions that would be given out with the laptops when they are distributed, and recorded some common problems that might occur during regular use of the laptops so that future problems could be avoided. We also took note of ways that high school kids could get into trouble with some of the features still available to them on the laptops so that these features could be blocked if possible and could be kept track of if not.
Wednesday the 3rd 12:25-1:50
On my first day as an intern, I got to help set up Android tablets for our elementary schools. The tablets had to be configured to run Google Play for Education, and we had to set up security so that the users (kindergarteners) would not be able to change important settings or download unnecessary apps. We also wanted to ensure that teachers would be able to whitelist apps that could be pushed to all of the tablets in their class without having to download each manually. During the time I got to work with the tablets, we were able to figure out how to activate each tablet to use Google Play for Education, how to share settings between tablets and save time by bumping them, and how to manage devices, classes, and whitelisted apps via Google's provided interface.
The next day, I got my school issued laptop. The majority of my time interning on Wednesday was devoted to setting the laptop up and discovering difficulties that future users of similar laptops would face. We spent time brainstorming ideas for instructions that would be given out with the laptops when they are distributed, and recorded some common problems that might occur during regular use of the laptops so that future problems could be avoided. We also took note of ways that high school kids could get into trouble with some of the features still available to them on the laptops so that these features could be blocked if possible and could be kept track of if not.
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