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A large part of the point is simply access. Seymour Papert
found that if you had as many computers as students, all
the students, female and male alike, used the computers:
the machines didn't sit idle. But when there aren't enough
computers, the boys hog them. Teachers permit this: they
don't make students sign up, or limit the amount of time
each student can have, they let the boys who get there first
(because they're pounding keys rather than figuring out what
to do before they get there) keep the machines. And girls
are still discouraged, culturally, from challenging boys:
few will say "it's my turn now" if a boy says "I'm using
this," and fewer will insist if he doesn't get up on his own.
(None of this is meant to challenge Andreas's post, but to
supplement it.)
Vicki Rosenzweig
vr%acmcr -dot- uucp -at- murphy -dot- com
New York, NY
