Along with family, educational institutions- from primary schools to secondary schools, colleges, universities and professional schools- are central arenas in which gender is reproduced. (Kimmel 200 p.209) After learning the differences between boys and girls, its clear that both learn differently. Boys are more likely to interrupt, to be called upon by teachers, and to have any misbehavior overlooked. Girls are more likely to remain obedient and quiet and to be steered away from math and science.(Kimmel 200 p.209)
As of now boys and girls are very much learning differently in school. Boys seem to be lagging behind girls in the educational department. Boys do have a lot of trouble when it comes to the classroom, but its not their fault. The interplanetary theory of gender tells us that boys and girls are fundamentally and categorically different. (Kimmel,2004, p.159) Majority of the children, boys and girls, are very much inspired by what they see in the home environment and what’s on television. Early in the school years, children learn to read, thus opening a new source of influence. And they begin to observe the content of other media-television, films, and cartoons.(Kimmel,2004, p.164)
During one of our threaded discussions of session three, my classmate, Pamela Peters stated, "Most of the teachers in elementary grades are women and therefore teach in ways they feel proper.(P.Peters, Personal Communication, July 16, 2007)This was something society never really thought about because you assume teachers are taught in college the difference of teaching boys and girls. If the education process we have to day does not change or re-evaluate its process, boys will continue to fail academically. To close the educational gap, Gurian says, teachers need to change their technique. They should light classrooms more brightly for boys and speak to them loudly, since research shows males don’t see or hear as well as females. Because boys are more visual learners, teachers should illustrate a story before writing it, and use an overhead projector to practice reading and writing. (Tyre, P, Boy Brains, Girl Brains)
After years of studying, examining and observing girls and boys, America had introduced Title IX. The passage of amendments to the Education Act of 1972 contained title IX, which abolished sex discrimination in public school and has since been taken to mandate that women's sports be funded equally with men's.(Kimmel 2004 p.179) Since then, girls participation in interscholastic sports has soared from 300,000 to over 2 million, and the involvement of college-age women has expanded by more than 600 percent. (Kimmel 2004 p.179)
In the year 2050, same sex schools may be a way of life. It will give girls and boys a way to really earn and interact in the classroom on their levels. Women teachers will learn how to teach the opposite sex in an appropriate manner that will appeal to both sexes.
4 comments:
You have provided a lot of information. I really cannot see going back to same sex schools. I remember how hard it was to just open up the playground to where everyone could be together and not be separated by the yellow line. Coeducation has a lot to offer. Coeducation was beneficial to women, opening up opportunities previously unattainable. (Kimmel, 2000. p. 167). I feel same sex schools will always be beneficial to those students with low self esteem but overall the majority of students will benefit most from interaction between sexes and the opinions of the opposite sex.(Opinion of Pamela Peters) Work Cited Kimmel, Michael S. (2000) The Gendered Society. Oxford University Press, Inc.
There are different variables that affect the learning experience of boys and girls and your post covers them well. I agree that gender is produced mostly in the schools because that is where the majority of children spend most of their time. Of course the influences of home play a role in seperating gender but the environment in the schools play a bigger role. Through my research on this topic, I found a study that focused on the low and high 'g-factor' of learning tasks.(MSN Cosmic Log. Alan Boyle) This explained the difference in brain chemisrty between boys and girls and why boys learn math easier. As your post states, boys and girls do learn differently but not because of some chemical difference; it is because they are taught differently. Pam Peters, Team member 2, talked about the fact that there are more women teachers and they tend to favor the boys. From my own schooling experience, I believe this to be true. The 1972 Title IX is something that I have never heard of before taking this course and also has influenced the way girls are being brought up to the same levels as the boys in sports and activities. That action is most certainly an environmental issue and would not have been possible without some serious work by women who grew tired of inequality.
MSN Cosmic Log. Alan Boyle. Are Men Smarter? Posted September, 07, 2006 6:57 PM (http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/09/07/3075.aspx)
I found it interesting that you said “This was something society never really thought about because you assume teachers are taught in college the difference of teaching boys and girls”. We do assume that, and most teachers are women, which means that they teach the way they know how to learn. This creates a problem when it comes to boys learning. They need to have more hands on approaches and see how things work rather than just be told how they work. Up until recently we didn’t know that boys learned differently, and now maybe we can start to adjust the way students are taught. After all the studies that have been done recently all we can do is hope that there will be a change. With all the new technology that there is and will be by the year 2050, teaching should be much easier. Now we have over head projectors and computers to provide amore hands on approach for boys, and in the future we should have much more than that. If we try hard enough, boys and girls should be on the same level academically very soon.
Being a education major, I can say that we were never taught on how to teach boys and girls differently. After reading the article you mentioned in your blog I picked out a few key elements that could help anyone pursuing a career in teaching, or any other type of career where they would deal with boys and girls.
For Elementary Boys
Use beadwork and other manipulatives to promote fine motor development. Boys are behind girls in this area when they start school.
Place books on shelves all around the room so boys get used to their omnipresence.
Make lessons experiential and kinesthetic.
Keep verbal instructions to no more than one minute.
Personalize the student's desk, coat rack, and cubby to increase his sense of attachment.
Use male mentors and role models, such as fathers, grandfathers, or other male volunteers.
Let boys nurture one another through healthy aggression and direct empathy.
For Elementary Girls
Play physical games to promote gross motor skills. Girls are behind boys in this area when they start school.
Have portable/digital cameras around and take pictures of girls being successful at tasks.
Use water and sand tables to promote science in a spatial venue.
Use lots of puzzles to foster perceptual learning.
Form working groups and teams to promote leadership roles and negotiation skills.
Use manipulatives to teach math.
Verbally encourage the hidden high energy of the quieter girls.
(Gurian)
I believe these are very key elements because it is having each sex work on what is difficult for them. If we only identify with what they are good at, their weaknesses will only continue to get weaker. We need to turn those weaknesses into strengths.
I feel that same sex schools would just bring us back to the day where inequality was prominent and women could not get a fair and equal chance at almost anything. We've come such a long way, we need to learn new strategies instead of retreating to old ones.
Gurian, Michael & Kathy Stevens. “With Boys and Girls in Mind. (2004). Retrieved on August 10, 2007 from http://www.ascd.org/authors/ed_lead/el200411_gurian.html
Jennifer Marino
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