Judy Lee, Science Teacher, Blocker Middle School

"GirlTECH came through for me with support that can not be explained or measured."
Cynthia Lanius selected me as one of the 1996 GirlTECH participants. Thank goodness she did, because my teaching will never be the same. This program has given me ideas, avenues, connections and visions of how science can be taught with the inclusion of technology. No other technology course has helped keep me up to date with the newest and latest information on education and technology. GirlTECH has taught me that we need to encourage young women to seek jobs in math and science. Blocker's girls have benefited by attending CRPC-supported "Expanding Your Horizons" workshops, visiting the Rice campus and learning how to express themselves to scientists on the web. The young men in my class have grown to understand that a female is a teammate who will help when you do not understand. In gender equity, I feel we must include the young men in gaining knowledge about the roles women play in math and science.

My students and I have grown in understanding technology, gender equity, math, science, HTML, photography with a digital camera and PowerPoint.

This year we were able to get into the lab before other classes were scheduled to use it. I taught the students a basic PowerPoint lesson. They could use it for projects in science and other classes. What I did not expect was that other teachers began asking for help with PowerPoint. My students offered to stay after school for a three-hour workshop to instruct teachers from the district. Teaching can be very demanding at times. On days like that one, it is very rewarding.

I have gone through times when I did not know if teaching was for me. I wondered if I was reaching my students effectively. TAAS [Texas Assessment of Academic Skills] is not the only means of success I expect in my students--I need more. Summer at GirlTECH and meeting with the Rice graduates and undergraduates helped me as I heard them explain how teachers have helped them. I was asked many times, why are you here? I was searching for a reason to stay with teaching, not give up, and keep the vision. GirlTECH came through for me with support that can not be explained or measured. Nowhere in any eduation class or course has a group of people been so compassionate with help.

Governor Bush's office called the other day. They wanted my application for a board position. I sent them a printed copy from my web site with the URL and in the interview told them of this wonderful group of people at Rice called GirlTECH. I invited them to visit and stated that GirlTECH is the reason I use technology in my classroom. It is the reason I constantly seek ways to have students work with computers and learn about all they can do.

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