Hello again everyone. This week I promised a Part II Wed-Websites around the Issues of Gender and Sexual Orientation. Of course today is the day before Thanksgiving and there's tons to wrap up here as we all head out for the holidays. I have collected just a few sites that might be of interest for this week, and I can extend this topic in the future. Hope this adds a little to your holiday weekend!

• First I'll start with a personal favorite, Club Girl Tech a great website created by 'Tech Girl'. Tech Girl also has a book out called Tech Girl's Internet Adventures (published by IDG) and a CD-rom (included with the book). She is due to have out a T.V. show soon.

  Tech Girl is cool I must say. Wearing a space-age suit, this new super hero is a bit androgenous and her ethnicity is vague. She writes to girls in the beginning of her book: "...So, why do people think that girls aren't interested in technology? They have been brainwashed by stereotypes. A sterotype is an unchanging traditional idea or concept....My goal is to teach awareness of the stereotypes so that those who like dolls *and* those who have different interests can be "girls." Being a girl is a powerful experience, and I want girls to feel proud of their gender and their strengths. I want girls to feel that they can do anything in the whole world...." The book includes tons of websites, ideas for interacting on-line, tips on how to be an activist for girls issues, places for sharing stories and asking questions, where to meet other girls, etc. Girl Tech provides links to other great sites for all ages too, such as 4000 Years of Women in Science.

• Blue Jean Magazine is another web publication for young women -- "blue jean magazine is an alternative to the beauty and glamour magazines targeting at young women. blue jean is advertising-free, so you will find no beauty tips, fashion spreads, or supermodels on our pages."
• Another really good resource is Kay Vandergrist's Special Interest page. She collect some really interesting things here, including "A Study of the Golem by David Wisniewski" which is an opportunity to examine this Caldecott Award-winning work in building both contextual and visual information, and also "Gender and Culture in Picture Books".
• Check out the GLSEN organization - The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
• Equity On-line
  The national Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA) Equity Resource Center works to improve educational, social, and economic outcomes for women and girls. Also check out their huge list of additional websites that cover a range of issues.

Have a wonderful holiday!

-- Christina

ps> Don't miss the other parts of this series:

• Race, Gender and Student Achievement!
  • Part I, General Diversity Resources (11/19)
  • Part III, Racial/Ethnic Identities and Multicultural Understandings (12/3)
  • Part IV, Websites that are interactive and integrate the Internet into the classroom about Diversity and Multicultural Understanding (12/10)