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Barbara Hitchcox (new secondary ICT consultant) is co-ordinating the CC4G project. She provides an overview of this innovative scheme which is designed to motivate girls to engage with ICT in our schools.
A review of CC4G
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ICT Lessons where the boys are driven and focused and the girls would rather talk to each other about their social life and makeup. Do you recognise the scenario? This might just be the solution! Launched five years ago, CC4G (Computer Clubs for Girls) - a free programme offering access to web and courseware with free software provided by its sponsors - is now being rolled out nationwide. The idea evolved from the drive to increase the number of women in the IT workforce (at present only one fifth of the UK ICT workforce is female) and from evidence which suggests a large reduction in ICT interest for girls between Y6 and GCSE, despite the fact that girls do use ICT outside the classroom. CC4G is a web-based resource which fits within the e-strategy in the context of a club. It is a fully interactive learning environment where girls learn not only ICT but skills for other subject areas too! The courseware is based on research carried out to find out exactly what girls interests and aspirations are and is designed around the ICT curriculum at Key Stages 2 and 3. As a result the context becomes the driving force and girls pick up the skills almost without realising it. Choices include projects based on animals, makeup, fashion, plus a new one called Investigate, which is good for fans of the television programme CSI and is less female-orientated. The club (based around a website) is run by a ‘facilitator’ who can enrol members immediately they arrive, with a username and password which enables them to access the site from home as well. |
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Members are given ‘collateral’ – a membership pack which includes a bag with folders, stickers, pens and CDs on which to burn work, although of course in Oxfordshire they could save work into their personal online webspace on Digitalbrain. These are also free and can be ordered via the website. The free software designed to support the challenges includes: · Mind Genius (mindmap) · Software from Gael · Range of packages from Serif (including digital video editing and graphics package) · Idigicon games package Most challenges use schools existing software e.g. MS Office and it is also intended to incorporate Macromedia Dreamweaver at a future date.
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There are nine topics presented on the first courseware page (soon to increase to ten). They include · Design Time – room/garden design · Celebrity – based on favourite celebrities · Sounds Great – sound engineering · Fashion – clothes design and interactive website · Dance – designing dance routines · Game Girl – games design · Fit 4 Sport – P.E. based · Communicate – communication technology · And finally Showcase where girls are delegated particular roles in a given project, such as finance director and have to then come together as a team to complete a challenge.
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The courseware is user-friendly and includes assistance in the form of How2, Assets and Glossary. Step by step guides to using all the software which can be printed off for ease of use, are included in How2 while the Assets include sounds, images and videos all subdivided by topic.
There are three subtopics within each main topic, each at a different level - for example in Celebrity, the level 3 and 4 task involves writing an interview, the level 5 and 6 task involves recording an interview for radio and the level 7 and 8 task is based around a television interview.
Facilitators, who don’t need to be teachers, can run the club at a time convenient to the school and are supported by CC4G with training and induction courses as well as training on software packages. A future aim is to map progress through e-skills qualifications where schools can opt in for assessment, which will be low key, to enable members to obtain certificates. Facilitators will also get skills recognition.
Your school should by now have received an information pack with a CD ROM and details of how to register.
Want to know more? Contact Barbara Hitchcox at bhitchcox1@theocn.net or visit
