Frances “Poppy” Northcutt

Frances “Poppy” Northcutt is a Texas attorney who began her career as a “computress” and then an engineer for the technical staff on NASA’s Apollo Program during the space race. During the Apollo 8 mission, she became the first female engineer to work in NASA’s Mission Control.

“… one-time rocket scientist, some-time lawyer, and full-time feminist.”

American Association of University Women -West Harris County

Keynote Luncheon Presentation June 21, 2021

Returning to Earth – My Journey from Moon Missions to
Women’s Rights Advocacy

… Loud Mouth, Warrior, unusual cases, refugees, proof, Africa, realities of the world … So … what do you think?

Rocket Scientist … Computress

… Hidden Figures, Code Breaking, Women’s Studies, 954 Wage Laws, Promotion, Technical Staff, Team Work Advocates, Progressive Contractor Advocate, Who is best? …  Does this bring to mind anything on this blog site?

ADVOCACY CLIPS

… Stereotypes, STEM Program Expanding Your Horizons Valuable, Equal Pay, $7 million, Custom Yoga Pants, Secure Future, Discrimination, Lucky One – Why Involved in Women’s Rights, AAUW Great History, Equal Rights, Equal Pay Act failed by one vote this week, Violence Against Women Act still unfunded, Speed Dial Congressman, text with resist.bot, Voter Registrar, … Do you think being an educated voter should be a priority?

… Backward with computer science, dropped in 1/2, why? as money goes up women go down. You can register people in high school, do something where earn a living, need role models, that is what women do, if teaches a women to read will teach her child, her husband, her parents. If teach a man stops there … 

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Poppy is an inspiring champion of change!.  Our next steps for AAUW-WHC can be heard at our New Member Coffee on August 28, 2021 … Please let us know if you would like to join our group of WISE Leaders.

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Keystone Habits … Safety … Mindset … Quality Control …

My current listen to book while gardening – best place to have small wins when a flower grow. To grow minds education’s focus should be on quality control and feedback giving the opportunity for learners to share their small wins. For me it’s about the tiny tweak change agents. I found one of the best which comes next.

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Now that was fun …

…. What was fun?

…………Having a Great Day in Houston Cleaning.

Listening to story telling from the heart with Debra Duncan as she connects the dots :))

If you would like to find out why Debra came to sit in my kitchen having a conversation with me, you will just have to log onto Great Day Houston.

Now to ingrain the habit of keeping my house clean as if there was a party happening. So, let’s party everyday. Keep the small wins going.

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And the smiles continued …

… with this video from my daughter who arranged for my carpet to be cleaned.

Want to be part of creating small wins for you youth?

Had a fun day watching the filming by Great Day Houston.

While J.J. Zavalla the Producer was capturing footage, I had an opportunity to chat with Debra Duncan. One takeaway was the suggestion of laying water lines when the oil companies laid pipe lines.  My 12 grade grandson Gage knew her son from the after school program at Idea Lab where he learned to code Mindcraft.

That someone is my grandson.  Someone Builds the Dream was my Hunters Creek Elementary 5th grade graduation gift. So looking forward to seeing his dreams of being an architect grow.

• Architectural Forms – Lego Houses and Floating Cities
• Architectural Wonder of Impermanent Cities

Once in every 17 years … Is the time now? Is there a paradigm shift in caring?  How bad is it behind the current?  How do we scale teachers with wisdom that are put out to pasture?  How can we build wars that bring joy? Questions that are inspired on Sunday Mornings.

Answers that inspire me to keep on my pathway of public education policy. So what did I do? I signed up to be selected to be on the Texas SBOE TEKS K-8 Technology Application review work group. Why I am asked? Answer, because I can. I am the only person in the state of Texas that has the experience and history. I tried to integrate CS / CT in 2010 as a member of the TA TEKS writing team, but alas my ideas were not used. That was when my grandson was in first grade in SBISD. I now have future sixth and kindergarten grandchildren and have to step up and do my part.

Time for some data visualization …  “Inventors are always testing” – Innovation Nation.  It is not testing in schools that needs to go away, it is the way students are tested.  Take flight with a sine wave.  Mission Unstoppable … We can solve it together!!!  As together is better!!!!  We need more counselors and librarians who can build teams to solve for tomorrow.  What does it take to be part of the party? Solution – the universal language of food. Be an architect for the future. Be a builder of Housing for All.  Create a curiosity driven research and collaboration system of education for our future.   Oh, the places we will go with lessons learned.

       

I am so blessed to have 3 loving children and 4 grandchildren who are my inspiration. Now to stop procrastinating and get back to writing Story Worth adventures. And creating my gardens. But relaxing on a Sunday morning is my favorite thing so thinking of tap dancing, remembering Hamster Dance, and watching nature’s chicks.

“A violin contains 70 different pieces of wood.”

Adriana Lopez Cajigas

NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Awards 2021 Mentor Circles
Please read our Houston Awardees Biographies to learn about their aspirations.

What is in your GARDEN of action?
dreams – stories – parents – inspiration

I thinkin circles.

• • Are you a linear or circular thinker?
  • Do you connect by centering or looping?
  • What is your challenge? What sparks your fire to take action?

1. 1. 1. Health
      2. Environment
      3. Education
      4. Public Policy
      5. Social
      6. Economic
      7. Cyber Security  – AI & ML
      8. Collegiate
      9. Unicef CFCI – Children Friendly City Ambassadors
         1. Promoting Education Across the Country (PEAC) Ideathon

 

NCWIT Aspirations in Computing AiC Mentor Expectations

AiC Award Event:

• Feedback needed as there is always a need for improvement.

This is the story of my life.  What is yours?

Do you see TedE sitting in the chair?

 

Efficiency …

Asked my 5 year old granddaughter what that means after telling her the story of why I was stopping to buy gas on the way home from picking her up at her pre-K class.  We broke the word into parts so she could say it.  She said Oh, it is “fish in the ocean.”

I explained it is doing things to save time safely. I said sometimes when we rush we make mistakes, and that ends up taking more time.  Ever type the wrong password? After more discussion, I think she understood the need to research and plan.  Gee … that is what I have been teaching in my computer science, math and CTE classes since 1985 – the systems model, inputs -outputs – quality control.

Efficiency signifies a peak level of performance that uses the least amount of inputs to achieve the highest amount of output. Efficiency requires reducing the number of unnecessary resources used to produce a given output.  This includes personal time and other limited resources.

• Models of E-Fish-in-Sea can be found in nature.
• Houston’s Unicef Child Friendly Cities Initiative training is an exemplary example.

• Project Based Accountability (PBA) Research
  • Incentives and Test-Based Accountability
• The Flat World and Education
  • What does World of Flat mean for Education?

 

 

Boston Dynamics: Inside the workshop where robots of the future are being built – After years of trying, 60 Minutes cameras finally get a peek inside the workshop at Boston Dynamics, where robots move in ways once only thought possible in movies – Anderson Cooper reports.

The next generation of robots – Boston Dynamics said when ask why – it is just fun.