The Brain and Learning…… Boys vs. Girls The Brain and Learning……

The Reason – The Brain Analogy

Simply put…..we are wired differently!

Objectives: Explore and discuss the differences between boys and girls, in terms of brain function and development. Begin to explore teaching and learning strategies to address those differences.

“Are you listening to me?” Translations for Men “Maybe” Translation: No “Are you listening to me?” Translation: Too late, your dead. “Was that the baby?” Translation: Why don’t you get out of bed and walk him until he goes to sleep.

“Nothing” Translation: Everything “No, nothing…really” Translation: It’s just that you’re such an idiot.

Translations for Women “It’s a guy thing” Translation: There is no rational thought pattern connected with it, and you have no chance at all of making it logical. “That’s interesting dear” Translation: Are you still talking? “Oh, don’t fuss, I just cut myself a little…it’s no big thing” Translation: I have actually severed a limb but will bleed to death before I admit that I’m hurt.

“I’m not lost. I know exactly where we are.” Translation: No one will ever see us alive again. “Uh-huh”, “Sure Honey”, OR “Yes, Dear” Translation: Absolutely no translation – it’s a conditioned response.

Gender and Achievement Think about the students in your classrooms. Picture both genders in a learning situation. What can you say about the boys? What can you say about the girls?

Activity: Think/Pair/Share List 4 statements about differences in learning. Partner with another and narrow your list to 3 that you agree on…prioritize… Narrow the list to one, where you can agree on one common characteristic for which you could include examples.

What other teachers say... Boys are more active than girls out of their seats kneeling in a seat lying across a desk want to use the bathroom fidget--squirm in a structured situation Group of Elementary Teachers

FEMALE BRAIN FACTS Develops earlier: Myelination/insulation Left hemisphere develops earlier and is larger than the right Larger Corpus Collosum & Cerebellum: Highway between the spheres, take in more sensory data, decision-making… Spreads thinking function over wider area of the brain = greater coping = fewer learning disabilities 20 to 30% more serotonin = shyness, low self confidence… Hormones Rule: fluctuations = differing academic abilities… Uses higher level brain structures to solve issues… Speaks roughly 8000 words a day…

A BOY’S BRAIN Right hemisphere develops earlier than in females = discipline & sports Testosterone levels aid in abstract manipulation, spatial, math, and so on More compartmentalized brain use, narrower corpus collosum = “Narrow lane in the woods and wins on Jeopardy!”…overload = nag, nag, nag… Less Serotonin = impulsive (quick hands up!), suicide, rage, suicide… Boys move emotive material down from limbic to brain stem (fight or flight!)… Resting brain less active than female brain Hormones Rule: Males receive seven spikes of hormone a day on average making their mood vacillate…testosterone level vary… Boys can take hours to process emotion – crisis at home in the AM could mean little learning all day! Speaks 2000 words on average a day…

The Reality of Boys --Boys earn lower grades and participate in fewer advanced-placement classes than girls. -- Boys make up two-thirds of learning-disabled students. -- Boys represent 57 percent of high school dropouts, reversing a trend from the 1970s. -- Seventy-five percent of Ritalin prescriptions are given to boys, and an estimated 1 in 6 boys is diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. -- Boys commit 85 percent of school violence and commit 9 out of every 10 alcohol and drug violations at schools. -- Boys, several studies show, feel less self-assured, have lower aspirations and feel less emotionally connected to their families and schools than girls. --Greater # in jails --Lower percentage in Graduate Courses (59% Women) --Higher % of Reading Difficulties --1.5 Years Behind Girls on Average (NORMAL!...BUT…) --Feeling Greater Pressure of Standards Push

Implications for Instruction?

We are efficient!

What we know about boys... Boys prefer to work independently Boys get bored easily and need stimulation Boys are not good listeners but enjoy abstract conversations…debates Boys tend to use up more space while working Boys need to be able to move Boys like controlled expository text that have diagrams and charts Boys are visual

What we know about girls... Produce more words and process words more quickly Are more sensitive and less competitive Think inductively Take in more sensory data than boys Brain secretes more serotonin causing passive behaviors Brain is never at rest creating a learning advantage Brain produces more “cross-talk” between hemispheres

Connections?

“Does teacher gender have an impact on student achievement?”

First things first…. “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship” Dr. James Comer

How do I build relationships? Call on students equitably Provide individual help Give wait time – 3.9 seconds Provide specific praise Gets within an arm’s reach of the student each day Shows personal interest Build classroom communities Desist – little negative attention USE HUMOR!!!!

What do we know…. Female teachers are more sensitive than their male counterparts to students setbacks. The quality not quantity of interaction differs among male and female students and teachers. Male teachers interact with males students 2/3 of the time while Female teachers interact 51% of the time with male students. Male students receive more criticism from both male and female teachers. Both male and female teachers interact with males simply because males initiate and respond to teachers more often.

Strategies for Girls…. Smile and make eye contact Sit in the back of the room, lower tone Add more role plays Use inductive reasoning, teach deductive reasoning (general to specific) Group it, try same sex grouping when the boys are around Use manipulatives to teach math/spatial skills Create group problem-solving activities Integrate “hands-on” experiences and journaling Avoid confrontational style Increase “face” time Use cooperative learning frequently Focus girls thinking on the big picture When providing feedback, be discreet and specific

Strategies for Boys…. Use “shoulder to shoulder” approach when possible Do not confront boys directly…walk with OR approach slowly and sit or stand slightly to the side. Sit closer to the front of the room and you Competitions and games with time constraints are great Use illustrations, graphs, pictures, and symbols to highlight content Encourage debate about abstract ideas- especially moral Use manipulatives when possible Wait-time, wait-time, wait-time…. Plan movement into activity/lesson (1 min X age) Lists, codes, and jargon is cool Have lots of things for boys to touch, listen to and smell when reading and writing are being taught Use boy only groups when needed Allow physical movement in the classroom Make available lots of space for learning Offer opportunities for storytelling and other activities that develop imaginative and verbal skills

Discussion and Reflection.. Can you see the rationale for each of the strategies based on what we know about the differences between girls and boys? What’s an idea you will take away, apply, and then come back to be prepared to share? Questions I still have?

Next Session…. The “Fidgety” Boy…….