GLIDE and Google Tokyo host programming workshop for 100 female computer science students
Posted:
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Introduction: Kanako, a former BOLD Engineering Intern studying Computer Science at Waseda University in Japan, writes about her experience attending the Google Technical Workshop featuring GLIDE event.
Have you ever been to an event with 100 female computer science students programming together in groups? I’m proud to say that I went to such an event at the Google Tokyo office. As a member of the GLIDE community, I was invited to the Google Technical Workshop featuring GLIDE on a Saturday in late May. The event was aimed to encourage women in computer science to pursue careers in technology, especially in its creation. The challenge was to make a webpage with HTML and JavaScript that searches people using Google+ APIs.
I was blown away the moment I walked into the room. Not only was I surprised by the sheer number of female computer science students, but also by the diversity. I met international students studying in Japan as well as people in various grades ranging from bachelor to doctorate levels. There were also people from all over Japan, including a person who came from Hokkaido located more than 500 miles away. She had flown in just for this event! Despite our various backgrounds, the one thing that we all shared was our passion for programming.
After we split up into groups, we tried to dive right into creating the webpage but we quickly realized that it would be difficult. Some of the members in my group had never used JavaScript. None of us were familiar with Google+ APIs or had any experience programming in a group environment. Where do we start? How do we write HTML and JavaScript? What is JSON? How do we distribute the work amongst ourselves so we can all contribute? And most importantly, how do we figure all of this out in three hours? There was so much to do and learn in such a short period of time. With the support of Google, the search engine, and Google engineers, we were able to complete the page in the given time!
At the end of the three hours, each group presented their solution along with their learnings and challenges. We all agreed that it was a great learning experience despite the challenges we faced. When I look at the coursework offered at my school, there are limited opportunities to learn about JavaScript. We do not have the chance to code in a group environment either. Through this event, I learned the fun and benefits of coding as a team and the excitement of creating a product. I can’t wait to attend the next event!
Take a look at more photos on the GLIDE page on Google+.
Posted by Yumi Oishi, People Programs Specialist
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I was blown away the moment I walked into the room. Not only was I surprised by the sheer number of female computer science students, but also by the diversity. I met international students studying in Japan as well as people in various grades ranging from bachelor to doctorate levels. There were also people from all over Japan, including a person who came from Hokkaido located more than 500 miles away. She had flown in just for this event! Despite our various backgrounds, the one thing that we all shared was our passion for programming.
Take a look at more photos on the GLIDE page on Google+.
Posted by Yumi Oishi, People Programs Specialist
