evaluation

 I found it exciting in this course how virtually every piece of information we come across is new to me. Coming from a major far outside english or gender studies, I find myself becoming far more knowledgable than I had been, particularly when we had the discussion on all the different terms referring to sex and gender. Like a couple of the other students who mentioned their own areas of study, I also find it refreshing that the class is heavily discussion-based. Most of the classes I've ever taken in the last few years here have been more of a lecture style in the sciences and psychology. 

As I have mentioned previously in one of my papers, I find it most enlightening that My opinions and perspectives seem to b continuously evolving in the context of class discussions and readings that we have done. Once I had thought that I had pretty rigid opinions about things, and I come into the class thinking that I would become familiar with the various issues surrounding gender and technology and that I would be able to voice my opinion with confidence. However, I have come to find that oftentimes I would be second guessing my very own stance on these issues. This became particularly clear when the class did the exercise with putting stickers on surgical procedures. I went into the exercise thinking i'd be sure of my decisions and confident about whether or not the differentprocedures should be financed by insurance. But, I soon came to realize that the task was way more difficult and convoluted than I imagined. It taught me that my very own reasoning and opinions were malleable and The class discussions have been particularly helpful in demonstrating this as well. Listening to the reactions of others can be very influential in the formation of my own opinions and therefore the growth of knowledge.

I came across a film that is relevant and potentially valuable towards the course. It actually is related to the character I played in the panel discussion right before spring break. The Bryn Mawr film institute recently held a viewing of a movie that was sponsored by the Bryn Mawr college Department of Computer Sciences. Top Secret ‘Rosies’: The Female ‘Computers’ of WWII is a documentary about the story of female mathematicians recruited to be “human computers” for the U.S. Military during World War II and calculated bombing projectiles.  The movie is about four women who lived and studied in Philadelphia and the work that they did to help win the war and usher in the modern computer age.

I find that a lot of what we discuss in class is theoretical and also highly intriguing. I think it would be interesting to incorporate a real and familiar example of the intersection of gender and technology in local history.

 here is the link to the webpage

www.topsecretrosies.com/Top_Secret_Rosies/Home.html

www.topsecretrosies.com/Top_Secret_Rosies/Project_Background.html