Recognizing  and  Honoring    Gender  in  the  Classroom  

David  Chadwell,  Curriculum  Coordinator  

Cairo  American  College;  Cairo,  Egypt  dchadwell@g-­‐cacegypt.org    

INCREASINGLY  GENDERED  WORLD  Gender  is  becoming  more  recognized  as  a  factor  in  more  areas  

Recent  ArDcle  in  The  Atlan*c  

•  Stop  Penalizing  Boys  for  Not  Being  Able  to  Sit  S@ll  at  School  

•  Instead,  help  them  channel  their  energy  into  producDve  tasks.    

•  Jessica  Lahey  Jun  18  2013,  2:08  PM  ET    

•  hRp://www.theatlanDc.com/sexes/archive/2013/06/stop-­‐penalizing-­‐boys-­‐for-­‐not-­‐being-­‐able-­‐to-­‐sit-­‐sDll-­‐at-­‐school/276976/    

China  turns  to  all-­‐boys  classes  as  girls  progress  

•   Feb  25th  2013    •  Teenage  boys  in  a  Shanghai  school  are  on  the  front  line  of  teaching  reform  a<er  the  world’s  top-­‐scoring  educa*on  system  introduced  male-­‐only  classes  over  worries  they  are  lagging  girls.  

•  scmp.com  

South  Sudan  ini@a@ve  aims  to  keep  young  girls  in  primary  school  

"Some  of  the  boys  used  to  threaten  me  because  I  got  beGer  results  than  them,"  said  Nagomoro  last  week  during  a  visit  to  Britain.  Now  a  local  government  commissioner  in  Ibba  county,  she  wants  to  make  it  easier  for  girls  to  get  an  educa*on  by  seLng  up  a  boarding  school  for  girls  aged  10  and  above  –  the  point  at  which  most  drop  out  because  of  the  compe*ng  pressures  from  family,  household  chores,  childcare  and  early  pregnancy.    

•  guardian.co.uk  

Bicycles  in  India  •  Before  starDng  the  program  in  2007,  officials  in  Bihar,  one  

of  India's  poorest  and  least  developed  states,  despaired  over  how  to  educate  the  state's  females,  whose  literacy  rate  of  53  percent  is  more  than  20  points  below  that  of  its  males.  

•  "We  found  that  the  high  school  dropout  rate  soared  when  girls  reached  the  ninth  grade.  This  was  primarily  because  there  are  fewer  high  schools  and  girls  had  to  travel  longer  distances  to  get  to  school,"  said  Anjani  Kumar  Singh,  Bihar's  principal  secretary  overseeing  educaDon.  

•  The  program  was  an  instant  success,  with  the  number  of  girls  registered  in  the  ninth  grade  in  Bihar's  state  schools  more  than  tripling  in  four  years,  from  175,000  to  600,000.  

Business  •  When  you  quanDfy  the  sorts  of  start-­‐ups  started  by  men  versus  

women,  there  is  quanDfiable  gender  difference,  if  not  a  gap,  according  to  newly  published  research  by  a  doctoral  candidate  at  the  Carl  H.  Lindner  College  of  Business.  

•  Indeed,  the  research  by  Diana  Hechevarria  on  more  than  10,000  different  entrepreneurs  across  52  coun@es  found  that  women  were  1.17  @mes  more  likely  than  men  to  pursue  a  venture  with  an  environmental  or  social  mission  statement.  

•  “There’s  a  global  trend  towards  narrowing  the  gender  gap  in  entrepreneurship  to  create  a  favorable  environment  for  social  entrepreneurship  and  socially  responsible  venturing  versus  tradiDonal  conceptualizaDons  of  entrepreneurship  being  solely  for  a  profit  venture.  Thus,  I  think  we  will  likely  see  more  policy  to  encourage  women  to  conDnue  to  pursue  these  types  of  start-­‐ups.”  

Medicine  •  Gender  Gaps  Discovered  in  Overall  Use  of  Prescrip@on  Drugs,  

Adherence  PaWerns  and  Medical  Management    •  Women  use  more  prescripDon  drugs  than  men;  yet  they  are  not  

prescribed  proper  amounts.  In  a  new  study  presented  at  Women's  Health  2012:  The  20th  Annual  Congress  by  Medco  Health  SoluDons,  Inc.  and  the  Society  for  Women's  Health  Research  (SWHR)  women  are  prescribed  more  drugs  than  men,  have  poorer  adherence  rates  to  using  the  drugs  than  men,  and,  perhaps  most  surprisingly,  lag  behind  men  in  receiving  the  appropriate  drugs  for  their  documented  diseases.    

•  Historically,  clinical  trials  have  included  predominantly  men,  but  medicaDons  affect  men  and  women  differently.  Because  sex  differences  in  prescripDon  drug  absorpDon,  metabolism  and  dosage  have  not  been  properly  researched,  women  may  be  leh  to  suffer  the  consequences.    

Memory  and  EmoDon  

•  Men  are  more  likely  than  women  to  accurately  remember  unpleasant  emo@onal  experiences,  whereas  women  are  more  likely  to  remember  aWrac@ve  experiences,  a  new  study  suggests.  

•  Previous  research  has  shown  not  only  that  people  remember  emoDonally  charged  images  more  accurately  than  neutral  ones,  but  also  that  our  brains  physically  respond  more  to  emoDonal  images.  However,  research  results  have  been  inconsistent  on  whether  pleasant  or  unpleasant  pictures  elicit  greater  brain  acDvity  in  men  and  women.  

Risk  •  Stress  increases  the  differences  in  how  men  and  women  think  about  risk,  

according  to  a  newly  published  arDcle  in  Current  Direc*ons  in  Psychological  Science.  

•  When  it  comes  to  stress  and  gender  there  are  some  surprising  differences,  said  Mara  Mather,  a  professor  of  gerontology  and  psychology  at  the  University  of  Southern  California  who  co-­‐wrote  the  paper  with  Nichole  R.  Lighthall,  a  PhD  student  in  her  lab.    

•  According  to  Mather,  when  men  are  under  stress  they  are  willing  to  take  more  risks  and  make  decisions  at  a  much  faster  pace  than  women.  When  women  are  under  stress  they  tend  to  take  fewer  risks,  choose  more  conserva@vely  and  take  much  longer  to  decide.    

•  These  differences  were  most  surprising  for  Mather.  “We  almost  never  see  gender  differences  in  our  lab,  but  these  gender  differences  were  really  striking.…In  these  studies  we  found  males  and  females  didn’t  differ  in  laboratory  tasks  when  they  weren’t  under  stress.  But  when  they  were  under  stress  they  diverged.”  

Average  AP  Scores  (0-­‐5)  2011  

•  AP  Sta@s@cs  Boys  (2.91)    Girls  (2.62)  

•  AP  Calculus  BC  Boys  (3.86)    Girls  (3.57)  

•  AP  Biology  Boys  (2.84)    Girls  (2.43)  

•  AP  Chemistry  Boys  (2.91)    Girls  (2.43)  

•  AP  Physics  B  Boys  (2.95)    Girls  (2.49)  

SelecDon  of  AP  Classes  (2011)  •  What  girls  like  (%  female)  

•  Art  history:  66  percent    •  Biology:  59  percent    •  English  literature  and  composiDon:  63  percent    •  French  language  and  culture:  69  percent    •  Psychology:  63  percent    •  Spanish  Language:  63  percent    •  Studio  Art:  Drawing  Porpolio:  74  percent  

•  What  boys  like  (%  male)  •  Calculus  BC,  59  percent    •  Computer  Science  A:  80  percent    •  Computer  Science  AB:  86  percent    •  Music  Theory:  58  percent    •  Physics  C:  Electricity  and  MagneDsm:  77  percent    •  Physics  C:  Mechanics:  74  percent  

Aher  School  AcDviDes  •  Data  from  the  InsDtute  for  Social  Research  at  the  University  of  Michigan  

finds  vast  gender  differences  in  parDcipaDon  in  extracurricular  acDviDes  for  high  school  seniors.  For  example:  

•  •  Slightly  more  than  11  percent  of  women  were  involved  with  the  high  school  newspaper  or  yearbook.  This  is  about  double  the  rate  for  male  high  school  seniors.  

•  •  About  46  percent  of  male  high  school  seniors  were  members  of  an  athle@c  team.  Only  31.4  percent  of  female  high  school  seniors  were  on  an  athleDc  team.  The  percentage  of  women  parDcipaDng  in  high  school  sports  has  dropped  from  35  percent  in  2004.  

•  •  Some  13.1  percent  of  women  who  were  high  school  seniors  were  members  of  student  council  or  other  school  government  body.  This  is  more  than  double  the  rate  for  male  high  schools  seniors.  

•  •  More  than  16  percent  of  female  high  school  seniors  were  members  of  an  academic  club,  compared  to  11.6  percent  of  male  high  school  seniors.  

•  •  Thirty  percent  of  female  seniors  par@cipated  in  music  or  the  performing  arts.  For  high  school  males,  the  parDcipaDon  rate  was  17.8  percent.  

THE  DATA  IS  CLEAR  There  is  gendered  dispariDes  internaDonally  and  naDonally  

PISA 2009 Reading Score and Gap Selected Countries

0

100

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Shang

hai-C

hina

Korea

Finlan

d

Hong Kong

-Chin

a

Singap

ore

Canada

New Zealan

dJa

pan

Austra

lia

Belgium

Switzerl

and

Poland

United Stat

es

German

y

Sweden

France

United King

dom

Portug

alSpa

in

Austria Chile

Brazil

Argenti

na

Read

ing

Scor

e

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10

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Read

ing

Gap

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Reading ScoreReading Gap

Lines = OCED Averages

PISA 2009 Math Score and Gap Selected Countries

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Shang

hai-C

hina

Singap

ore

Hong Kong

-Chin

aKore

a

Finlan

d

Switzerl

and

Japa

n

Canada

New Zealan

d

Austra

lia

Belgium

German

y

France

Austria

Poland

Sweden

United King

dom

United Stat

es

Portug

alSpa

inChile

Argenti

naBraz

il

Mat

h Sc

ore

-25

-20

-15

-10

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ap (P

ositi

ve =

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ativ

e =

Mal

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Math ScoreMath Gap

Lines = OCED Averages

PISA 2009 Science Score and Gap Selected Countries

0

100

200

300

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600

700

Shang

hai-C

hina

Finlan

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Hong Kong

-Chin

a

Singap

oreJa

pan

Korea

New Zealan

d

Canada

German

y

Switzerl

and

Austra

lia

United King

domPola

nd

Belgium

United Stat

es

France

Sweden

Austria

Portug

alSpa

inChile

Brazil

Argenti

na

Scie

nce

Scor

e

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

Scie

nce

Gap

(Pos

itive

= F

emal

e; N

egat

ive

= M

ale)

Science ScoreScience Gap

Lines = OCED Averages

Summary  of  Gaps  on  PISA  

-­‐30  

-­‐20  

-­‐10  

0  

10  

20  

30  

40  

50  

60  Reading  Gap  Math  Gap  Science  Gap  

Reading  all  gaps  favor  females  Largest  gaps  in  Europe  and  NZ  Smallest  reading  gaps  in  Belgioum,  UK,  US,  Chille  Math  gaps  favor  males  usually,  if  females  less  than  5  Largest  math  gaps  in  Belgium,  Switz,  UK,  Austria,  USA,  Chjile  Sceience  gaps  vary  by  region  Asia:    mostly  female  by  liRle  Australia  female  Europe  mixed  NA  male  SA  mixed  Gaps  all  favor  

Sex  Differences  in  MathemaDcs  and  Reading  Achievement  Are  Inversely  Related:  Within-­‐  and  Across-­‐  

NaDon  Assessment  of  10  Years  of  PISA  Data  Gijsbert  Stoet,  David  C.  Geary  

•  We  analyzed  one  decade  of  data  collected  by  the  Programme  for  InternaDonal  Student  Assessment  (PISA),  including  the  mathemaDcs  and  reading  performance  of  nearly  1.5  million  15  year  olds  in  75  countries.  Across  naDons,  boys  scored  higher  than  girls  in  mathemaDcs,  but  lower  than  girls  in  reading.  The  sex  difference  in  reading  was  three  Dmes  as  large  as  in  mathemaDcs.  There  was  considerable  variaDon  in  the  extent  of  the  sex  differences  between  naDons.  There  are  countries  without  a  sex  difference  in  mathemaDcs  performance,  and  in  some  countries  girls  scored  higher  than  boys.  Boys  scored  lower  in  reading  in  all  naDons  in  all  four  PISA  assessments  (2000,  2003,  2006,  2009).  Contrary  to  several  previous  studies,  we  found  no  evidence  that  the  sex  differences  were  related  to  naDons’  gender  equality  indicators.  Further,  paradoxically,  sex  differences  in  mathema@cs  were  consistently  and  strongly  inversely  correlated  with  sex  differences  in  reading:  Countries  with  a  smaller  sex  difference  in  mathema@cs  had  a  larger  sex  difference  in  reading  and  vice  versa.  We  demonstrate  that  this  was  not  merely  a  between-­‐naDon,  but  also  a  within-­‐naDon  effect.  This  effect  is  related  to  relaDve  changes  in  these  sex  differences  across  the  performance  conDnuum:  We  did  not  find  a  sex  difference  in  mathemaDcs  among  the  lowest  performing  students,  but  this  is  where  the  sex  difference  in  reading  was  largest.  In  contrast,  the  sex  difference  in  mathemaDcs  was  largest  among  the  higher  performing  students,  and  this  is  where  the  sex  difference  in  reading  was  smallest.  The  implicaDon  is  that  if  policy  makers  decide  that  changes  in  these  sex  differences  are  desired,  different  approaches  will  be  needed  to  achieve  this  for  reading  and  mathemaDcs.  IntervenDons  that  focus  on  high-­‐achieving  girls  in  mathemaDcs  and  on  low  achieving  boys  in  reading  are  likely  to  yield  the  strongest  educaDonal  benefits.  

10  Year  Study  of  PISA  by    PercenDle  and  Point  Difference  

10  Year  Study  Findings  

Graduate  School  Enrollment  

0  

200,000  

400,000  

600,000  

800,000  

1,000,000  

1,200,000  

1,400,000  

1976   2004  

Males  

Females  

Undergraduate  Enrollment  

0  

1000000  

2000000  

3000000  

4000000  

5000000  

6000000  

7000000  

8000000  

9000000  

1970   1975   1978   1980   1985   1990   1995   2000   2004  

Males  

Females  

Intended  College  Major  from  SAT  2005  

0  10  20  30  40  50  60  70  80  90  100  

Male  2005  

Female  2005  

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hRp://blog.american.com/?p=19508  

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Your  Data  

•  Analyze  Class  Grades  by  Gender  –  %  of  each  category  by  gender  

•  Analyze  MAP  Scores  by  Gender  –  Check  Mean  RIT  Score  and  Standard  DeviaDon  by  Gender  

Classroom  and  School  Awareness  

•  Interest  Inventories  – Find  out  what  interests  your  boys  and  girls  (hobbies,  free  Dme,  on-­‐line  acDvity,  sports,  books,  movies,  etc.)  

–  Incorporate  their  interests  into  your  examples  and  learning  tasks  

•  Role  Models  – Students  need  to  “see”  themselves  reflected  in  the  content  that  you  teach  

POTENTIAL  GENDER  DIFFERENCES  

Consider  •  Humans  have  systemaDc  sex  differences  in  brain-­‐related  behavior,  

cogniDon,  and  paRern  of  mental  illness  risk.    Our  findings  extend  models  first  established  in  rodents,  and  suggest  that  in  humans  too,  sex  and  sex  steroids  shape  brain  development  in  a  spaDotemporally  specific  manner,  within  neural  systems  known  to  underpin  sexually  dimorphic  behaviors.    We  speculate  therefore  that  our  finding  of  accelerated  corDcal  thickness  gain  with  age  in  males  compared  with  females  within  temporal  poles  is  consistent  with  delayed  maturaDon  in  males.  –  Longitudinally  mapping  the  influence  of  sex  and  androgen  signaling  on  

the  dynamics  of  human  corDcal  maturaDon  in  adolescence,  16988–16993  |  PNAS  |  September  28,  2010  |  vol.  107  |  no.  39  by  Armin  Raznahana,  Yohan  Lee,  Reva  SDdd,  Robert  Long,  Dede  Greenstein,  Liv  Clasena,  Anjene  Addington,  NiDn  Gogtay,  Judith  L.  Rapoport,  and  Jay  N.  Giedd  

Carol  Ann  Tomlinson  

“There  are  four  categories  of  learning-­‐profile  factors,  and  teachers  can  use  them  to  plan  curriculum  and  instrucDon  that  fit  learners.  There  is  some  overlap  in  categories,  but  each  has  been  well  researched  and  found  to  be  important  for  the  learning  process.  A  student’s  learning  style,  intelligence  preference,  gender,  and  culture  can  influence  learning  profile.    (How  to  Differen*ate  Instruc*on  in  Mixed  Ability  Classrooms,  2001)  

30

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KEY  IDEA  FOR  GIRLS  

31

KEY  IDEA  FOR  BOYS  

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PlasDcity  of  the  Brain  

•  “But,  the  very  fact  that  three  decades  of  special  programs  for  girls  in  these  subjects  [math  and  science]  has  narrowed  the  gender  gap  demonstrates  that  performance  is  changeable  and  not  carved  in  biological  stone.”  Bank,  Barbara  ed.    Gender  and  EducaDon:    An  Encyclopedia  Volume  1.    Westport,  CT:    Praeger.    (2007).  

•  Habits  are  but  thoughts  and  acDons,  which,  through  frequent  repeDDon,  have  become  more  or  less  automaDc.  …  This  cogniDve  process  is  even  more  important  when  we  realize  that  every  Dme  we  think  a  thought  or  perform  an  act,  a  slight  change  takes  place  in  the  delicate  nerve  cells  in  some  part  of  the  brain,  including  the  frontal  and  mid-­‐brain  areas.  Learning  Smarter  page  21    

•  While  we  can’t  erase  –  nor  would  we  want  to  –  all  the  differences  between  boys  and  girls,  it’s  clear  that  the  size  of  the  gaps  depends  on  what  parents  emphasize  and  how  teachers  teach.    Pink  Brain,  Blue  Brain,  page  16  

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Six  Possible  VariaDons  that  Can  Impact  Teaching  and  Learning  in  the  Classroom  

•  VariaDons  in  How  We  Get  InformaDon  1.  Seeing    2.  Hearing    3.  Engaging  

•  VariaDons  in  How  We  Work  with  InformaDon  4.  Processing  5.  Responding  6.  Choosing  

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Gender Differences are based upon research and averages. Not all boys are “all boy” in all areas and not all girls are “all girl.” Differences do NOT imply better or worse. Use this research to better understand your students, not to limit them. Based on averages Boys are not all-boy and girls are not all-girl Use to know your students better Do not use to limit students

Consider  quotes  on  seeing  …  1.   The  Essen*al  Difference,  page  76    One  finds  that  most  men  and  boys  

are  beRer  able  to  spot  movement  than  are  girls  and  women.  

2.   Brain  Based  Learning    Page  95    Men  see  beRer  in  brighter  light;  while  women’s  eyesight  is  superior  at  night.    Females  are  more  sensiDve  to  the  red  end  of  the  spectrum;  they  excel  at  visual  memory;  are  superior  at  interpreDng  facial  clues  and  context.  …  Women  were  able  to  store  more  random  and  irrelevant  visual  informaDon  than  men.  

 3.  Cahill  (2009)  page  259  SubstanDal  evidence  indicates  that  the  right  

hemisphere  is  biased  toward  the  processing  of  more  global,  ‘‘gist’’  aspects  of  a  sDmulus  or  scene,  while  the  leh  hemisphere  is  biased  toward  more  local,  finer  detail  processing  of  the  same  sDmulus  or  scene.  

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•  Overall:    We  gather  informaDon  visually.    Color  and  movement  affects  our  aRenDon.    We  focus  on  things  that  are  interesDng  to  us.  

•  Boys  tend  to:  –  Pick  up  on  the  spaDal  aspect  of  percepDon  –  Focus  on  the  big  picture  –  ARend  to  the  movement  of  things  more  ohen  –  Be  sensiDve  to  the  blue  end  of  the  light  spectrum  

 •  Girls  tend  to:  

–  Focus  on  details  of  percepDon  –  Have  a  strong  visual  memory  –  Seek  informaDon  from  facial  expressions  more  ohen  –  Be  sensiDve  to  the  red  end  of  the  light  spectrum  –  Provide  more  detailed  informaDon  in  responses  

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WriDng  Assignment  

•  It  all  started  when  I  was  …  

•  It  was  early  on  a  Saturday  morning  …  

•  Dear  Diary,  Todays  weather  is  beauDful.  

•  I  was  a  raindrop.    It  was  a  good  life.  

•  I  started  in  a  river,  then  I  tried  to  go  …  

•  I  am  a  liRle  raindrop.    I  have  been  places.  

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Consider  quotes  on  hearing  …  

1.  Sex  and  Cogni*on,  page  82  Women,  however,  find  noise  unpleasantly  loud  at  lower  levels  of  sDmulaDon  than  men  do.  

2.  Even  otoacousDc  emissions  (audible  ‘clicks’  made  by  the  inner  ear)  differ  reliably  between  the  sexes,  being  both  louder  and  more  frequent  in  female  than  male  adults,  children  and  infants    Cahill,  Larry.  Nature  Reviews  Neuroscience  |  AOP,  published  online  10  May  2006;  doi:10.1038/nrn1909  

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•  Overall:    Speaking  informaDon  is  one  of  the   most   common   ways   of   delivering  informaDon.      

•  Boys  tend  to:  –  Have  a  higher  threshold  of  loudness.  –  Speak  in  deeper  tones.  

•  Girls  tend  to:  –  Have  a  lower  threshold  of  loudness.  –  Are  sensiDve  to  the  tone  of  speech.  –  Interprets   certain   tones   as   personal   in  

meaning.  –  Speak  in  higher  tones.  –  Remember  informaDon  given  verbally.    

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Consider  quotes  on  engaging  …  1.   Teaching  the  Male  Brain,  page  49    StarDng  around  

ages  2  to  4  and  lasDng  at  least  unDl  age  10  and  perhaps  later,  boys  may  be  more  acDve  than  girls  as  a  result  of  higher  basic  metabolism.  

2.   Real  Boys,  page  247    Some  research  suggests  that,  whereas  many  girls  may  prefer  to  learn  by  watching  or  listening,  boys  generally  prefer  to  learn  by  doing,  by  engaging  in  some  acDon-­‐oriented  task.  

3.   Reading  Don’t  Fix  No  Chevys,  page  46    More  than  half  of  the  boys  in  the  study  talked  about  the  importance  of  physical  acDvity,  the  drive  to  be  doing  something  at  all  Dmes.  

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•  Overall:     Exercise   gets   blood   to   the   brain  bringing   glucose   for   energy   and   oxygen;  sDmulates   proteins   that   keeps   neurons  connecDng.    

•  Boys  tend  to:  –  Be  more  acDve  in  general.  –  Invent   ways   to   accomplish   a   task   BEFORE  

reading  direcDons.  –  Start   sweaDng   at   lower   temperatures;  

efficient  in  regulaDng  body  temperature.  –  Prefer  physical  interacDon  with  content.  

•  Girls  tend  to:  –  Gather   informaDon   through   tacDle   means;  

have  a  high  sensiDvity  to  touch.  –  Start   sweaDng   at   higher   temperatures;  

perceive  being  cool  longer.  –  Develop  small  motor  skills  early.  

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Consider  quotes  on  processing  …  1.   The  Essen*al  Difference,  page  1    The  female  brain  is  predominately  hard-­‐wired  for  empathy.    

The  male  brain  is  predominately  hard-­‐wired  for  understanding  and  building  systems.  2.   Nurturing  the  GiRed  Female,  page  66    A  woman  discovers  herself  through  context  and  

relaDonships.  3.   Pink  Brain,  Blue  Brain,  page  148    Overall,  though,  boys  are  slower  than  girls  when  it  comes  to  

developing  the  self-­‐control  that  is  essenDal  for  success  in  school  and  other  social  situaDons.  4.   He  Said,  She  Said    By  Deborah  Tannen  ,  

hRp://www.scienDficamerican.com/arDcle.cfm?id=he-­‐said-­‐she-­‐said  men’s  talk  tends  to  focus  on  hierarchy—compeDDon  for  relaDve  power—whereas  women’s  tends  to  focus  on  connecDon—relaDve  closeness  or  distance.  

5.   Sex  differences  in  the  neural  basis  of  emo@onal  memories    Turhan  Canli,  John  E.  Desmond,  Zuo  Zhao,  and  John  D.  E.  Gabrieli      Women  had  significantly  more  brain  regions  where  acDvaDon  correlated  with  both  ongoing  evaluaDon  of  emoDonal  experience  and  with  subsequent  memory  for  the  most  emoDonally  arousing  pictures.  Greater  overlap  in  brain  regions  sensiDve  to  current  emoDon  and  contribuDng  to  subsequent  memory  may  be  a  neural  mechanism  for  emoDons  to  enhance  memory  more  powerfully  in  women  than  in  men.    

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•  Overall:    The  more  ways  we  work  with  informaDon  the  beRer  we  will  be  able  to  remember  it.    RepeDDon  is  also  important.  

•  Girls  tend  to:  –  Consider  the  emoDonal  aspect  of  informaDon  and  events  ohen.  –  Give  importance  to  the  relaDonal  aspect  of  informaDon  and  events.  –  Seek  connecDon  with  content  and  others.  –  Remember  informaDon  through  emoDonal  details.  –  Have  self-­‐control  at  an  earlier  age;  can  see  the  long-­‐term.  

 •  Boys  tend  to:  

–  Focus  on  the  task  at  hand.  –  Focus  on  the  big  picture.  –  Seek  to  order  and  prioriDze  informaDon;  hierarchy.  –  Be  more  impulsive;  relevance  tends  to  focus  on  the  here  and  now.  

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Consider  quotes  on  responding  …  1.   The  Development  of  Sex  Differences,  pages  32-­‐33  This  is  consistent  with  

McClelland’s  (1953    The  Achievement  Mo*ve)  finding  that  among  women  the  level  of  achievement  moDvaDon  is  not  affected  by  an  “arousal”  treatment  involving  academic  compeDDon,  while  among  men  it  is  increased.      

2.   Cahill  (2009)  page  258  Overall,  the  cogniDve  outcomes  of  acute  stress  are  significantly  more  posiDve  in  males  than  in  females.  …  The  effects  of  corDsol  on  working  memory  have  also  shown  a  sexually  dimorphic  paRern,  such  that  a  posiDve  relaDonship  is  found  in  men,  while  the  relaDonship  in  women  is  negaDve.  

3.   Under  Threat,  Women  Bond,  Men  Withdraw,  By  Ingrid  Wickelgren,  April  19,  2010    The  men  under  the  influence  of  high  corDsol  levels  showed  less  acDvity  in  a  key  face-­‐processing  region  of  the  brain  (the  fusiform  face  area  or  FFA)  than  the  unstressed  men  did,  suggesDng  that  stressful  situaDons  diminish  the  ability  of  men  to  evaluate  facial  expressions.  By  contrast,  the  brains  of  the  women  under  strain  worked  harder  on  the  faces:  in  these  females,  the  FFA  was  more  acDve  than  it  was  in  women  who  did  not  experience  the  corDsol  boost.  

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•  Overall:    High  stress  can  disconnect  access  to  cerebral  cortex.    Stress  can  come  from  home  situaDons,   friendship   issues,   health   issues,  and  school  ability  levels.  

•  Girls  tend  to:  –  Focus  on  the  faces  of  other  people.  –  Tend  and  befriend  under  stress.    

•  Boys  tend  to:  –  Seek  compeDDon  and  respond  posiDvely.  –  Become  alert   and   focused  on   the   task   under   acute  

stress.  –  Fight  or  flight  under  stress.  

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Consider  quotes  on  choosing  …  1.   Pink  Brain,  Blue  Brain,  page  237    In  contrast  to  boys,  who  tend  to  view  their  success  as  a  

maRer  of  natural  mathemaDcal  talent,  girls  are  likelier  to  credit  their  success  to  “hard  work.”  2.   Pink  Brain,  Blue  Brain,  page  284    These  studies  tell  us  that  there  may  indeed  by  inborn  

differences  in  the  orbital  prefrontal  cortex  [earlier  development  in  boys]  that  bias  boys  toward  greater  risk  taking  and  lower  fear.  

3.   Real  Boys,  page  8    As  we’ll  discuss  more  in  this  book,  boys  who  do  share  their  feelings  ohen  take  longer  to  do  so  than  girls  go.  …The  fourth  step  involves  what  I  call  connec*on  through  ac*on.    This  means  that  rather  than  nudging  a  boy  to  sit  down  and  share  his  feelings  with  us,  we  begin  by  simply  joining  him  in  an  acDvity  that  he  enjoys.  

4.   Girls  Will  Be  Girls,  page  26    They  like  to  know  that  there  is  only  one  right  answer  …  For  now,  I  will  just  say  that  it  is  widely  seen  and  accepted  that  most  girls  are  far  less  open  to  ambiguity,  and  therefore  risk-­‐taking,  than  boys.  …  So  it  doesn’t  take  much  to  close  down  a  girl’s  divergent  thinking.    

5.   Reducing  the  Gender  Achievement  Gap  in  College  Science:  A  Classroom  Study  of  Values  Affirma@on    Akira  Miyake,  Lauren  E.  Kost-­‐Smith,  Noah  D.  Finkelstein,  Steven  J.  Pollock,  Geoffrey  L.  Cohen  and  Tiffany  A.  Ito    Values  affirmaDon  reduced  the  male-­‐female  performance  and  learning  difference  substanDally  and  elevated  women's  modal  grades  from  the  C  to  B  range.  Benefits  were  strongest  for  women  who  tended  to  endorse  the  stereotype  that  men  do  beRer  than  women  in  physics.  A  brief  psychological  intervenDon  may  be  a  promising  way  to  address  the  gender  gap  in  science  performance  and  learning.    

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•  Overall:     Learning   involves   taking   risks   and  making  mistakes.    Giving  and  ge�ng  feedback  in  the  learning  process  is  criDcal.    Specific  praise  and  encouragement  is  key.    MulDple  aRempts  at  a  task  is  necessary.  

•  Girls  tend  to:  –  See  success  coming  from  their  own  hard  work  and  effort.  –  Seek  the  right  answer;  hesitate  with  uncertainty.  –  Seek  input  from  others.  –  Seek  affirmaDon.  

•  Boys  tend  to:  –  See  success  coming  from  their  innate  talents;  overesDmate  their  abiliDes.  –  Be  over  confident  about  their  abiliDes.  –  Rise  to  risks;  seek  them.  

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•  Baron-­‐Cohen,  Simon.    (2003).    The  EssenDal  Difference:    The  Truth  About  the  Male  and  Female  Brain.    New  York,  NY:    Basic  Books.  

•  Cahill,  Larry  and  Andreano,  Joseph.    (2009)    Sex  influences  on  the  neurobiology  of  learning  and  memory.    Learning  and  Memory    16:    248-­‐266.    Available:    hRp://www.learnmem.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/lm.918309.    

•  Deak,  JoAnn.    (2002)  Girls  Will  Be  Girls.  Hyperion.  •  Eliot,  Lise.    (2009).    Pink  Brain,  Blue  Brain:    how  small  differences  grow  into  troublesome  gaps  –  and  what  we  can  do  about  

it.    New  York,  NY:    Houghton  Mifflin  Harcourt.  •  Fletcher,  Ralph.    (2006)  Boy  Writers.  Stenhouse.  •  Ginsberg,  A.  ,  Shapiro,  J.,  Brown,  S.    (2004)  Gender  in  Urban  EducaDon.  Portsmouth,  NH:    Heinemann.  •  Hall,  J.    (1984)    Nonverbal  Sex  Differences:    CommunicaDon  Accuracy  and  Expressive  Style.    BalDmore,  MD:    Johns  Hopkins  

University  Press.  •  Hines,  Melissa.  (2004)    Brain  Gender.    New  York,  NY:    Oxford  University  Press.  •  James,  Abigail.    (2010)    Teaching  the  Female  Brain.    Thousand  Oaks,  CA:    Corwin  Press.  •  James,  Abigail.    (2007)  Teaching  the  Male  Brain.  Thousand  Oaks,  CA:    Corwin  Press.  •  Jensen,  Eric.    (2000)  Learning  Smarter.  The  Brain  Store.  •  Jensen,  Eric.    (2000)  Brain  Based  Learning.  The  Brain  Store.  •  Kimura,  Doreen.    (1999)    Sex  and  CogniDon.  Cambridge,  MA:    MIT  Press.  •  Maccoby,  Eleanor,  Ed.    (1966)    The  Development  of  Sex  Differences.    Stanford,  CA:    Stanford  University  Press.  •  Maccoby,  Eleanor.    (1998)    The  Two  Sexes:    Growing  Up  Apart,  Coming  Together.    Cambridge,  MA:    Harvard  University  

Press.  •  Newkirk,  Thomas.    (2002)  Misreading  Masculinity.  Portsmouth,  NH:    Heinemann.  •  Pollack,  William.    (1998)  Real  Boys.  Owl  Books.  •  Rimm,  Sylvia.    (1999)    See  Jane  Win:    The  Rimm  Report  on  How  1,000  Girls  Became  Successful  Women.    New  York,  NY:    

Crown.  •  Simmons,  Rachel.    (2002)  Odd  Girl  Out.  Harcourt.  •  Slocumb,  Paul.    (2004)  Boys  in  Crisis.  aha!  Process.  •  Sousa,  David.    (2006)  How  the  Brain  Learns.  Corwin  Press.    •  Tate,  Marcia.    Worksheets  Don’t  Grow  Dendrites.      

SOME  KEY  STRATEGIES  TO  BETTER  MEET  THE  NEEDS  OF  STUDENTS  WHO  NEED  STRUCTURE  AND  CONNECTION  

This  is  all  about  engagement!  

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Basic  STRUCTURE  Procedures  1. Graphic  Organizers  2. Rapid-­‐Fire  3. StaDons  4. Side-­‐by-­‐Side  5. Time  6. Verbal  Cues  

Key  Idea  for  Boys  

1.    Graphic  Organizers  

•  Webs  •  Venn  Diagrams  •  Bubble  Maps  •  Use  to  provide  structure  and  order  to  the  thinking  or  note  taking  process  

•  hRp://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/  

 

•  Math:    Steps  in  a  problem  

•  Language  Arts:    Procedures;  WriDng  

•  Science:    Overview  and  note  taking;  RelaDonship  

•  Social  Studies:    Overview  and  note  taking;  cause/effect  

   Four  Square  

   

 Verbal Representation or Real-Life Example

Three pieces of a pizza that is cut into five pieces.

Numerical Representation 3/5

Graphical Representation

Word Form Three-fifths

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 2  Rapid  Fire          

§  Go  around  the  room  and  have  every  student  respond  to  a  quesDon.  §  Go  at  a  reasonably  fast  pace  

§  Students  can  all  stand  and  then  sit  as  they  answer  

•  Math:    Math  Facts  •  Language  Arts:    Vocabulary  

•  Science:    Vocabulary;  IdenDficaDon  

•  Social  Studies:    Vocabulary,  Timeline,  People  

 3  StaDons        §  Use  staDons  to  divide  work  into  groups  and  rotate  students  through  the  staDons.  §  Worksheet  quesDons  with  2  minutes  per  place  

§  Notes  with  3  minutes  to  copy  each  page  

•  Math:    PracDce  Problems;  Different  types  of  learning  acDviDes  

•  Language  Arts:    QuesDons;  Visuals  

•  Science:    InvesDgaDons;  Visuals  

•  Social  Studies:    Notes,  Different  acDviDes  

 4  Side-­‐by-­‐Side        §  Talk  with  boys  side-­‐by-­‐side  when  you  want  to  process  difficult  situaDons  (bad  grades  or  discipline  issues.)  

§  Lean  against  the  wall  or  locker  and  ask,  “What  was  going  on?”  

•  Classroom  Management  Technique  

 5    Time  §  Break  longer  work  

segments  into  shorter  Dme  periods  with  specific  tasks  to  be  accomplished.  

§  Use  a  Dmer  and  count  down.  

 §  GROUPS:    Steps  for  

checking  individual  progress  and  group  progress  and  ge�ng  feedback  §  Stop  every  10  minutes  and  do  “rapid  fire”  on  progress  

•  Math:    Steps  in  a  problem  •  Language  Arts:    WriDng  

length  •  Science:    Gathering  

observaDons  •  Social  Studies:    

CompleDng  acDviDes  

 6    Verbal  Cues        §  When  you  want  to  get  the  

aRenDon  of  boys,  use  a  verbal  cue:  

§  “All  Set”  –  “You  Bet”  §  “Marco”  –  “Polo”  

§  Instead  of  “I’m  waiDng  for  you  to  listen.”  

§  Use  Call  Back,  Echo  Response,  or  Choral  Response  with  boys.    It  engages  every  boy,  uses  volume,  and  is  repeDDon.      

•  Verbal  Cues  are  a  Classroom  Management  Technique  

•  Math:    Facts  •  Language  Arts:    Facts  •  Science:    Facts  •  Social  Studies:    Facts  

59

Basic  CONNECTION  Procedures  1.  Checklists    2.  Use  of  Name  SDcks  or  SelecDon  Process    3.  Check-­‐in    4.  Color  OpDons  5.  Responding  to  QuesDons  6.  Assign  and  Rotate  7.  Recognizing  ConnecDons  

Key  Idea  for  Girls  

1.  Checklists  §  Use  posted  checklists  so  

students  know  what  they  need  to  accomplish  and  how  it  should  be  accomplished.  §  Fights  the  need  for  them  to  get  your  approval  

§  Builds  confidence  that  they  can  figure  out  what  needs  to  be  done  

§  “Teacher  Time  Out”    

•  Math:    Steps  to  solve  the  problem  

•  ELA:    WriDng  process  •  Science:    CategorizaDon  of  

Animals  •  Social  Studies:    CompleDon  

of  a  Map  

2    Name  SDcks  or  SelecDon  §  Use  Name  SDcks  when  calling  on  students  §  Addresses  the  potenDal  “fairness”  issue  

§  Or,  have  a  selecDon  process  §  Not  just  raising  your  hand  

§  Not  just  “who  is  the  quietest”  

 

•  Math:    QuesDons  to  solving  problems  or  going  to  board  

•  Language  Arts:    Reading  selecDon  

•  Science:    Making  observaDons  

•  Social  Studies:    Answering  quesDons  

3    Check-­‐in  §  Check-­‐in  with  students  at  the  beginning  of  class.  §  Hand  Shakes  §  “How’s  your  day  going”  

§  Thumbs  Up,  Down,  or  Sideways  

§  10  Second  Share  

§  If  needed  …  do  Dump  It  

•  Math:    One  way  that  you  used  mathemaDcal  idea  yesterday  

•  Language  Arts:    Words  to  describe  the  day  

•  Science:    Three  scienDfic  properDes  you  noDce  here  and  now  

•  Social  Studies:    One  event  happening  in  city  or  country  

 4    Responding  to  QuesDons    

§  Answer  student  quesDons  with  probing  quesDons.    §  What  have  you  tried  so  far?  §  Show  me  what  you  have  done?  §  Have  you  shared  what  you  have  

done  with  a  partner?  §  In  what  way  is  this  similar  to  

something  you  have  already  learned?  

§  What  have  you  done  previously  when  you  didn’t  “get”  something?  

§  What  steps  can  you  show  me  first  to  help  me  understand  what  you  need?  

§  What  do  you  think  is  going  well  so  far?  

§  Help  students  avoid  “learned  helplessness.”  

•  Math:    During  pracDce  problems  

•  Language  Arts:    Trying  to  answer  a  quesDon  or  complete  a  task  

•  Science:    Conduct  a  lab  experiment  

•  Social  Studies:    Complete  a  project  and  find  informaDon  

 5    Assign  and  Rotate    

§  Assign  seats  and  groups  for  students.    Try  not  to  let  them  pick  their  own  seats  as  this  can  build  cliques.  §  Randomly  assign  seats  and  

groups  §  Pull  Name  SDcks  §  Arrange  by  Interest  Inventory  

or  Learning  Style  §  Use  a  paRern  to  change  seats  

and  groups,  such  as  when  having  groups,  seat  1  goes  to  seat  2  in  the  next  group;  seat  2  goes  to  seat  4;  seat  3  to  seat  1;  and  seat  4  to  seat  3.  

§  Use  Appointment  Clocks  §  Try  to  set  the  groups  or  rotaDon  

process  in  advance  §  Change  groups  and  seats  ohen  

to  build  the  process  of  working  with  everyone  and  supporDng  everyone  

•  Math:    Word  problem  solving  or  manipulaDves  

•  Language  Arts:    Reading  groups  

•  Science:    Experiments  •  Social  Studies:    Projects  

Playing  Cards  •  Get  two  decks  or  one  deck  (and  cut  cards  in  half)  •  Select  sets  of  cards  so  that  you  have  one  per  student  (all  2’s,  3’s,  4’s,  5’s,  etc.)  

•  Randomly  distribute  cards,  one  per  desk.  •  As  students  enter  the  room  they  get  one  card  (or  half)  and  sit  where  they  make  a  match.  

•  Shuffle  the  deck  each  day  to  change  seats.  

•  Create  “Quick  Groups”  •  Suit  Groups,  Number  Groups,  Color  Groups,  Color  and  Number  Groups,  etc.  

 6  Recognizing  ConnecDons    

§  Create  mulDple  opportuniDes  during  each  lesson  for  the  students  to  arDculate  how  they  are  connected  to  the  content  that  is  being  presented.  §  Previous  experiences  §  Opinions  §  Their  likes  or  dislikes  §  Use  of  polls  or  surveys  §  Diaries  or  Journals  §  Role  plays  §  “When  have  you  …”  §  “How  is  this  like  a  Dme  when  you  …”  

§  Share  experiences  as  appropriate  in  pairs,  small  group  or  whole  class.  

§  Have  students  reflect  on  iniDal  connecDons  during  the  lesson  or  unit  with  changes,  updates,  extensions,  quesDons.  

•  Math:    PracDcal  life  and  tell  stories  about  applicaDon  

•  Language  Arts:    Use  of  themes  

•  Science:    Use  of  natural  world  

•  Social  Studies:    Use  of  concepts  or  family  structure  as  model  

Single-­‐Gender  Is  About  …  

•  Recognizing  that  gender  impacts  teaching  and  learning  •  Maximizing  opportuniDes  for  engaged  learning  through  a  stronger  understanding  of  gender  and  using  typical  strengths  to  build  comfort  and  supporDng  development  in  areas  of  typical  weakness  

•  Building  a  community  of  learners  •  Allowing  students  to  learn  and  take  educaDonal  risks  without  the  veil  of  social  pressures  from  the  opposite  sex  

•  Providing  a  quality  choice  for  parents  that  make  a  difference  

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Equality  verses  Equity  

•  Where  is  Equality?  –  Input  or  Output?  – Do  we  have  equality  of  output  at  this  Dme?  

•  Equity  requires  responsiveness  in  order  to  strive  for  equality  of  output  

•  Think  about  Reading  Groups  –  Lab  Groups  

Recognizing  and  Honoring    Gender  in  the  Classroom  

David  Chadwell,  Curriculum  Coordinator  

Cairo  American  College;  Cairo,  Egypt  dchadwell@g-­‐cacegypt.org