Here are my reasons for taking this class, late due to
registration issues, but here nonetheless. Here
goes nothing.
Hello, my name is Daniel.
I recently finished my Master’s program in Civil Engineering. I wanted to take more Grad level classes
because I might apply for a PhD program at a different university and the more
credit hours I have the better chance I have of getting into the program. As for choosing this class, I choose it
because one: it is online and since I am working a full time job away from
campus that makes it much easier for me, two: I am looking for a change is
class structure. As an engineering
student at the university for the past seven years, I have had my fair share of
math classes. Even my major specific
classes seemed like advanced calculus classes at times. So I talked to my younger sister, who happens
to be in the undergraduate English program at NMSU, and she told me that this
would be the change of pace class I am looking for. That being said, I have no idea what to
expect from this class. I haven’t read a
non-technical book since I took English 111 my freshman year. I guess what I am looking for out of this
class is to get a glimpse into what it’s like being a girl in our society. In the Engineering College there are about 4
males to every female. I know from
watching some of them that they have to do their best to stand out in the class
room for our professors to get noticed.
I would also like to find out why there aren’t more females in technical
fields. Perhaps it is due to the way
that they are brought up to think that men have to “bring home the bacon.” Whatever it is, I would hope that more women
start pursuing technical degrees. One of
the best engineers I graduated with from the masters program was female, and I probably
would not have made it through without her.
-Daniel
Daniel,
ReplyDeleteYour sister is either inspired or paying back old grudges in recommending this class. ( : Seriously, I think it's great that you are venturing out across disciplines.
Colleen
Wow, this will certainly be a radical change for you. It’s great to see divergent discourse communities commingle as it creates a rich diversity of positions and new perspectives.
ReplyDeleteWelcome!
Welcome Daniel! I am so glad you decided to take a chance with an English class. It must feel a little daunting - I know I'd be scared in an engineering class :)
ReplyDeletePlease let me know if I can be of any help, but mostly we'll just be looking at some readings and trying to talk through - via the blog posts - what we all make of them.
As for the gender gap in technology, the American Association of University Women did a study a few years ago that found that around the age of 12 girls are taught (from TV, from teachers, from parents, etc) that technology is not for them. It is at this age that girls stop taking math classes, stop considering a wider range of careers, and start to see tech as only for socializing. This is one of the main reasons we are doing the Girlhood Remixed Camp this year. Even though those of us in the English Dept tend to approach tech differently than in the "hard sciences", we want girls to see women who have made technology a career.
Here's a link to the study. It might be useful and give you some ideas for your final project for the course. The report is listed as Tech Savvy if you scroll down.
http://www.aauw.org/learn/research/all.cfm