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From: pamp@bcsaic.UUCP (pam pincha)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: educational toys that inspired you...
Message-ID: <430@bcsaic.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-Jan-86 13:49:41 EST
Article-I.D.: bcsaic.430
Posted: Mon Jan 13 13:49:41 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jan-86 06:48:32 EST
References: <1330@mhuxt.UUCP> <1169@inuxc.UUCP>
Reply-To: pamp@bcsaic.UUCP (pam pincha)
Organization: Boeing Computer Services AI Center, Seattle
Lines: 52

In article <1169@inuxc.UUCP> lar@inuxc.UUCP (L Reid) writes:
>> I would like to hear 
>> comments (particularly from women) on toys that "made a difference." My
>> wife fondly remembers a small microscope, old clocks (junkers to play with)
>> and tools. I built telescopes and model airplanes. What did you do? What
>> are kids doing today? 
>> send me mail and I'll post a summary...
>> 	Steve Crandall
>> 	mhuxt!evans
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>I grew up with the 
>attitude that there was nothing I couldn't do if I wanted and to
>not let anything stop me.  My dad also encouraged me to take drafting
>in high school (girls weren't allowed).  My dad had to fight
>the counselors but I finally was allowed and ended up being assigned
>to the boys counselor.  I ended up in the drafting profession although
>I have since changed to the computing profession.
>
>Laura Reid
>inuxc!lar
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Funny that the above example should show up. I was brought up under
similar circumstances -- attitude wise -- with the exception
that it was reinforced by the fact that my mother was an aerospace
engineer (an accoplishment for the 1950's,believe me). For me drafting
was just a disciplined form of drawing that I felt would be helpful.
But you should have seen the look on my instructor's face when
he realized there was a female in his course (I was the only one in
any of the three sections he taught). It was like I had green hair
or something. Fortunately I could draw circles around anyone in the
class -- he couldn't find any reason to get rid of me. It was touchy
for a while. Ridiculous, considering it was 1972.

Otherwise, both my parents encouraged my sisters and I to be what
ever we wanted. I got a Bachelors in archeology and geology, and
a masters in geology; worked for the oil companies a while and
then stumbled onto Artificial Intelligence research and decided to
stay for a while. But then my parents did give us a lot of "thinking"
type toys like science kits,microscopes,telescopes,erector sets,
rockhounding tools etc.etc.etc.  Now my sisters are in non-traditional
fields also. One heads a fire-management section (she directs
setting fires for controlled burning, and controlling wildfires) for
a portion of the Mt.Hood National Foreset in Oregon. The youngest
one was in the Air Force Academy, and is now following in my
mother's footsteps as an aerospace engineer.  We were all encouraged
to use our brains -- and to read ALOT.  We were also push into
more math courses than what a lot of our girlfriends were --
but it did make a difference.


P.M.Pincha-Wagener