Gender and ed-tech by Audry Watters
by giulia.forsythe
I wanted to share my reflection on the message shared by
Audrey Watters. I would usually research
the presenter before they presented but I didn’t have time this past week. I found this to be an eye-opener and Audrey’s
message made me think twice about cyber safety and gender equity issues. I admit, I was not aware or affected by these
issues but after this message, I have greater awareness!
As an educator and as a parent, I feel like I should know
more of the inequities and dangers that are ever so present. Audrey’s message has made me feel uneasy and
concerned about what I, and so many others, do not know. I have
3 daughters who are always on their technology and we’ve talked openly about
cyber safety in our home but when we asked our girls about if these same
discussions happen in their school, we find out that they do not. I am not sure why this isn’t discussed more
at the school level or if this will change in the future.
I found it very interesting when Audrey pointed out that the
problem with the Internet is that it was, “Largely designed by men from the
developed world, it is built for men of the developed world.” I know that this is somewhat true because I had
worked for a software company and it was 90% men. She also stated that, “Harassment – of women,
people of color, and other marginalized groups – is pervasive”. Audrey tells of a story where she sets up
fake identities – both boys and girls – and I believe she said that over 70% of
girls were harassed but a very small percentage of boys were actually
harassed! I found this to be the most
shocking of news and I shared this with my daughters – they were shocked as
well but didn’t think that the percentage of girls being harassed was that
high. I’m not sure why this would be but
perhaps my girls don’t go on gaming websites as much? I’m not certain.
As a result of Audrey’s presentation, my wife and I are going
helped them change their identities on the web and now they sound more gender
neutral. Another plan I have is to engage
in a similar conversation with colleagues I work to bring about greater
awareness of the issues, especially with some of our more vulnerable groups
(special education students).
Thank you Audrey for this wonderful presentation!
Kelly
Kelly, Thanks for the post. The Audrey Watters lecture was fantastic. I think that your comments are mindful and shows your concern for these issues. I just wanted to throw in a couple more thoughts your way. First- I really have to say that I don't think what she said was 'somewhat true', it's really true, and it's great that you coudl see that example through your lived experience. More and more, we're seeing ads, commentary, and posts online that are heteronormative, gendered, and often, there are many microagressions being performed. I think it's our job to make sure our students feel comfortable enough to question this content when it comes up, and be able to speak about it. What I also really LOVE about your comment today was shifting your children's identities to more gender neutral. On one hand- I think that doing so- simply fosters a more welcoming environment for young people who may be questioning or transitioning through their identity. And, though, it is a could be a bit of a preventative measure- to avoid potential harassment, I think it's great to be able to take ownership and control how much of yourself you put online. It was great to meet you! Thanks for this awesome post.
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