Boys & Girls

Blog #8: "Boys & Girls Learn Differently" Final Reflection

I think there is so much I have learned from this book that has really opened my eyes when it comes to being an educator. We know, as human beings, that there are evidential differences between males and females. But when it came to the actual anatomy and the brain structure of our students, it really sparked something in me that made me want to try harder as a teacher. We need to realize the differences, and address them in the classroom in our teaching.

There was so much research that backed up these findings in the brain. Examining the different parts of the male and female brains, and "how they operate" when it comes to certain activities, or mental processes. We always hear about how females mature faster than males, and how males need energy, etc. but it's all certainly true! Sometimes in society, I think we get caught up that "females need to be equal to males" and how there should be no discrimination against the sexes. But in all honesty, in order to succeed better in the classroom, they need to be treated differently. I think it's so important to realize just how different we all are, and how everyone has needs - whether we're talking about children with special needs, or  children without special needs - every child has needs they need addressed in the classroom. And we as educators, are responsible for meeting those needs.

As far as changing my perspective, I think this whole course has really opened my eyes to the differences among us. Growing up in an urban setting, I really thought I understood diversity pretty well. I have many friends who come from many different backgrounds, and I am very accepting, and always was growing up. But I think now that I am a teacher, I am looking at it through a different lens. Maybe I could of treated that one child during student teaching a little more sensitively, maybe I could of come up with a token economy for that difficult class I had during my long-term sub job. All of these things have really showed me that it is a lot of work, but just how rewarding diversity is in our lives as well. We as adults need to learn diversity, and embracing our differences, just as much as our kids do.

I think in "Boys & Girls Learn Differently", there were a lot of lines that I read, and would say "Well... duh." But when you really sit down and think about it? How often are we actually TEACHING that way that we think about in our heads? I know there is so much in my own teaching that needs to be changed... and I am aware of that. We are always self-reflecting, and we are always changing and learning. That's the whole point of our jobs. If you are not willing to learn new things as a teacher, or do the professional development, and better yourself for our kids? Than you don't deserve to be in front of them everyday. It's obvious that boys need to let out their energy in the classroom, and it's obvious the social issues that our children face in the school systems and in their lives. We see them more than their parents do, and we need to educate them to deal with such things.

So when it comes to boys and girls, and teaching them differently? It's something we all need to do. Hands down, they ARE different... so why can't we teach them differently?

Meghan C. Koch

Boys and Girls Learn Differently

Blog #8 Final Reflection (Week 3/31/11) Mary Kay Ward - Boys and Girls Learn Differently

After reading this book by Michael Gurian, I have learn much more than expected.  This book helps the reader to understand the overwhelming differences between the genders from birth through adulthood and how these differences really do impact the learning that takes place all the way throught the education process.  I only wish I had known about this topic when I was raising my own children - 3 boys and 1 girl.  I would have created a different environment in my own home so that my boys would have performed better in school and their love for learning had been more positive and not such a struggle.

Gurian writes about the differences between males and females by describing the different way they learn.  Girls are able to multi-task better than boys because girls use both sides ot their brain to process information, can hear better and are more physically active.  Boys, however, take more time in processing emotive information which takes boys more time to adjust to highly emotional charged situations and stressful situations.  These types of situations can create a lag time for boys and can interfere with the learning process.

Gurain also helps us to understand the diffferences in learning styles,behaviors, and school performance.  These differences give some advantages to the females and other advantages to the males.  According to Gurian, boys are more likely to have learning disabilities, poorer school performances, and more behavior problems than the girls.  On the other side, girls get less attention in the classroom from teachers, do not participate as much in athletics, and experience gender basis in the classroom.

Gurain suggests that if all schools and classrooms were designed with all children in mind, there might not be a reason to address the difference between boys and girls and therefore we would not need the ultimate school or classroom and we would be better able to understand and meet the needs of our children.  Knowing and understanding these fundamentals might help solve the problems of the boy/girls difference.

Below are some words and pictures I found interesting and related to this book.

Brain-based Gender Differences

• Deductive and Inductive Reasoning: Boys are more likely to use deductive reasoning, while girls tend to prefer inductive thinking.

• Abstract and Concrete Reasoning: Males gravitate towards abstract arguments; females do better at concrete analysis: E.g. boys tend to do better at math on the board, while girls prefer math manipulatives.

• Use of Language: On average, females write, read, and speak more words than males. In female groups, girls tend to speak equally often, while in a male group one or two students will often dominate.

• Logic and Evidence: Because girls tend to be better listeners, they feel more secure in conversation, and require less control of the discussion than boys. Boys will often ask for more evidence to support a claim.

• Use of Symbolism: While both boys and girls respond to pictures, boys are more dependent on pictures, diagrams,and graphs in their learning process.


—From The Boys and Girls Learn Differently Action Guide for Teachers, by Michael Gurian and Arlette C. Ballew (Jossey-Bass, 2003).

Boys and Girls Really Do Learn Differently!

Week 8 (3/31/2011) Natalie Gianvecchio, Final Reflection

The book Boys and Girls Learn Differently: A Guide for Teachers and Parents, really changed how I think about teaching to all learners. I never thought about how different boys and girls brains really are. From the beginning to the end, this book was packed with information, strategies, and techniques to help teachers provide both boys and girls with the best education possible. 

Diverse learners can range from students with special needs, to students who live in poverty, to gender differences. The differences in boys and girls is remarkable. Overall, boys are not as fit in the classroom than girls, so that makes it hard for males right at the start. Although, they do excel in certain areas of school such as math and science, where as females have always been known to excel in reading and writing. Teachers must use a variety of teaching approaches to teach to all of these diverse males and females. As a future teacher, I feel very confident after reading this book. I learned how to teach to boys and girls rather than just teaching using one approach. Teachers must be very flexible and ready to use a variety of differentiated instruction. 

I learned so many things from this book that I did not know before. I learned that mostly boys are classified with ADD and ADHD compared to girls. I also learned that girls can remember materials easier than boys. Males tend to be very hands on, so teachers must use that approach in daily lessons. Females tend to struggle with math and science. I myself struggled with math in school, but with a good and dedicated teacher females are just as likely to excel as males. Michael Gurian mentioned that females have come a long way in mathematics over the past few years. Males and females can all thrive in school with the proper instruction from a devoted teacher, which is exactly what I plan to be!

Below are some images that I really liked and I felt related to the book:

 

 

Natalie Gianvecchio

Blog #7 - 3/24/2011

"The Ultimate High School Classroom" (Boys & Girls Learn Differently) - Chapter 6

Creative Connector

1.) "We were girls and boys in high school trying to be women and men. The two teachers I respect most now, Mr. Cantlyn and Ms. Sylvester, knew how to talk to us as women and men, not just kids." (p. 267) At the high school level, I loved the teachers who would push us past our limits. They held expectations on us that were challenging - where we, as the students, were responsible for our own fate. You want to be an adult? Well, here's how I will treat you like one. It's too important at the high school level, to get them ready for their futures. At college, no one holds your hand or tells you when your assignments are due. There are no progress reports for your parents to sign, or the teacher is tracking you in a class of 250. It just doesn't happen. So we need to prepare them for that reality. My teachers would always yell and scream if it was necessary, or give lectures where we did feel guilty at the end of that class period for acting up, or not doing what was expected of us. And you know what? I respect those teachers more than the ones who just sat around, and let us get away with everything. We weren't learning if we weren't pushed.

2.) "Our educational system has been focusing on equal education for females since I started teaching twenty years ago. I have never been trained to focus on the male." (p. 252) As educators, this book has really opened my eyes to a world where we need to pay attention. There are two different genders in our classrooms, why are we not teaching them differently? We want to live in this world where "there should be no difference" or "a girl is just as important or smart as a boy". We all have different needs, as men and women... as girls and boys... and we need to address them in our classrooms. When I was in high school, the ways the girls were addressed, and the guys, all depended on the teacher. Some male teachers were harder on the boys than on the girls. But sometimes, I thought the girls needed to be laid into a little bit more. I was always a good student, but I'd definitely need to be lectured if I wasn't living up to my end of the bargain. So I think as teachers, we need to push our kids. And we need to be educated on how to teach them. Some educators just aren't doing their jobs.

3.) "In an age when too many children are leaving school before graduation, when a high school diploma is only the first mandatory step in gaining the skills and knowledge needed to compete in a growing global market, we must use every resource at our command to prepare our children to compete and succeed." (p. 320) Growing up in an urban school district, I saw kids come from many different paths of life. I had friends drop out of school before graduation. Whether it was for drugs, their families, home difficulties, teenage pregnancies... they did what they had to do. But what if our teachers had caught them? What if we could of changed their lives and kept them in school? It is our job to teach them to love school. It is our job to catch the children who fall through the cracks, so that they aren't ignored by the school systems. We need to grab these children, and put them into our care before it's too late.

Literary Luminator

1.) "It's our belief that the ultimate classroom must include teachers, supported by administrators and parents, who are both trained for and committed to gender-friendly education. Now that we have the scientific knowledge and empirical evidence to substantially document major differences in anatomical structure, neurological development, and the chemical and hormonal climate in developing boys and girls, we can innovate and sustain gender-appropriate educational techniques that bring the greatest benefit to all of our children, with all of their unique and personal strengths and needs." (p. 321)

2.) "It is natural for adolescents to seek identity-attention ("This is who I am; pay attention!") and use clothing for individuation ("I'm an individual and can take care of myself"), dominance ("I demand respect and can outcompete"), and mating strategies ("Look at how cool I am; you should like me"). The more individualizing, competitive, and romance-oriented the culture -- and ours is one of the most intense at pushing children to seek individual expression, rebel, compete and sexualize early -- the more the adolescent uses the colors of clothing, hairstyle, tatooing, jewelry, and other personal innovations to call attention to growing sexual, social, and personal identity." (p. 281)

3.) "It is still up to the high school teacher to help them achieve a balance between being young people to whom only intelligence -- not gender -- matters, and young men or women for whom being masculine or feminine is a worthy ideal, and essential to adult life." (p. 317)

Meghan C. Koch

School Uniforms are a must!!!

Blog #7 (March 24, 2011) Roles: Rigorous Researcher and Idea Illustrator, Mary Kay Ward

 

Rigorous Researcher

In this chapter, Gurian spends more time discussing the idea of uniforms in high school. Boys and girls dress with the idea that this is who they are and associate their identity with what they wear. " It is natural for adolescents to seek identity-attention ("This is who I am; pay attention!") and use clothing for individuation ("I'm an individual and can take care of myself)", dominance ("I demand respect and can outcompete"), and mating strategies ("Look at how cool I am; you should like me"). (M. Gurian, pg. 281). Our culture is one of the most intense at pushing children to seek their own identity through individual expression and our children are doing this by use of colors through their clothes, hairstyles, jewelry and tatoos, thus causing them to seek indivdual expression, rebel, be more competitive and want sex earlier.


Academics and team learning is what high school is suppose to be about and should be high on the list of priorities and not the attitude of "I am better than you" or "I don't care about anyone else", or "I came to high school to get laid." These behaviors must be made a lower priority and according to brain based research maturity and learning are the most important and "any other critical mass of other behaviors that impede the brain's ability to increase kowledge of social and academic technologies that enchance success and personal maturity must be made a lower priority." (pg. 281). Many schools are now requiring school uniforms to ensure that "students rights" are brought to the forefront and letting go of superficial ones. I would really like to see schools go to some type of uniform system. These uniforms do not have be identical, but should follow some kind of dress code, such as navy blue pants and skirts and a white polo shirt. Again, I have first hand knowlege of a high school dress code because my daughter is required to dress according to the school's dress code that she attends. By having a dress code, she does not have to compete with others in deciding what she is wearing and if she looks good enough and has impressed those around her. Also, by dressing like everyone else at her school, she can focus on the importance stuff; her academics. Gurian recommends a dress code for all schools. As much as must students will be rebel at first along with some parents, it isn't the uniform that will make or break who the students are, but will help students make a committment to themselves and their schoolwork. Above is a video regarding why schools should require uniforms.

 

Idea Illustrator

Teens and sleep is an area that so much research is starting to develop regarding teens and their sleep.  This research reports that generally teens needs about nine hours and fifteen minutes of sleep every night.  Without this adequate amount of sleep, the brain does not have a chance to move through the deep REM sleep clycles necessary for proper growth, healthy developmen and learning.  Michael Kipke, director of the academy's Board of Children, Youth, and Families states "Sleep experts feel stongly that high school timings are out of sync with the natral circadan rhythms of adolescents. (pg. 284)  M. Gurian's brain based research supports these findings.  Because of the hormones and the brain chemicals that are attaching the brain, adolescences are having a difficult time managing their homones and energy clycles.  I find this to be true when dealing with my soon to be 15 year old daughter, especially on the weekends.  She wants to stay up late on the weekends and then sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays.   After reading about this topic, I now have a better understanding of why this is happening.  The research shows that if schools start later in the day, they would have less disipline problems and increased learning among the students.  I like this idea because then maybe I would not have to get up so early in the morning.

Another area that I found interesting was the section on Standardized Testing.  What is the place of standardized testing in the ultimate classroom?  There are two important things to know about test scores - first students are getting higher grades in high school than on SAT scores and secondly, males outscore females by ten points on the verbal and forty points on math.  It is very interesting that the girls have better grade point averages and take more advanced placement courses than boys, but boys still out score the girls on the traditional SAT exams.  Why is this?  Brain-based research says that the student who favors deductive and quick abstract reasoning tens to do well in a multiple choice format.  Also, the student who tends to quickly single out information rather than thinking out a larger variety of possibilities also does better.  Also, the student who tends toward a higher risk taking and answers questions more quickly is likely to answer under pressure and risk guesses (Gurian 308).  This student could be male or female but studies show that there is a high statisical probability that the student is male. 
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/genderbias.html

Technology and Gender

Are girls really disadvantaged in acquiring technology skills?  I found this an interesting read because in today's education environment, you would think that it would not matter because both boys and girls have equal time on computers and both have had computers and technology in the classrooms since they began schoo land it would not matter whether it was a boy or a girl who used the computer.  M. Gurian's research found that males aggessively seek out the computers and are loud about wanting to use them.  Girls may step back allowing the aggressive user to dominate time on the computer Gurian 302).  We as teachers need to be more vigliant in this area to see that girls get equal time on computers and are not push out because boys are more aggressive.  Girls must be encouraged to use computers but they must also ask for tutorial help for sophiscated uses.

"Research now confirms what teachers have been observing since we started using computers in the mathematics classroom. In general, girls just aren't as interested in technology as boys are"( Cynthia Lanius Girls and Technology).

Ewww, did you see what she is wearing today??

Blog 7 (3/24) Natalie Gianvecchio, Chapter 6, Roles: Vocabulary Concept Vitalizer and Essence Extractor 

 

Vocabulary:

 

1.) Uniforms/Dress Codes- The idea of uniforms and dress codes was also mentioned in this chapter for high school students. Gurian states, "Both boys and girls dress in ways that we might consider inappropriate for developing a cohesive team-learning environment" (280). He explains that it is natural for these students to dress in such a way to make a statement or to show that this is who they are. High school is very much about appearance for this age group and relating to their peers. Gurian recommends a uniform or even a simple dress code so students can still wear what they want, but in an appropriate manor.

2.) Sex education- This was an important theme of the high school education chapter. This is the age group that needs this the most! Teenagers are confused and curious. They need to be educated not only at home, but in school as well. Gurian states, "Sex is one of life's most confusing and crucial activities; it is in no way merely the responsibility of the family. It has never, in fact, been only the family's responsibility" (294). He recommends bringing in males to talk with the boys about sex as well as females to talk with the girls about sex. Gurian also recommends having co-education discussions. High school students really need to understand sex education because this is the age that many of these teens begin to explore. It must be taught in high school!

3.) Standardized Testing- This area is another important vocabulary term mentioned in this chapter. High school puts a large focus on standardized testing such as the SATs for students getting ready for college. Gurian states, "There are two important things to know about test scores. First, students are getting higher grades in high school today without similar increases in SAT scores. Second, males outscore females by ten points in the verbal and forty points on math" (307). He also mentioned that recently, the SAT test added a writing section. "Girls have consistently outperformed boys on this test" (Gurian, 307). To do well on standardized tests, it really just depends on the student. Students who can think and reason quickly will do well on the multiple choice sections and the student who really likes to take their time on tests will not do well since it is timed and responses must be quick.

Essence of the Chapter:

In secondary education, teachers must prepare young men and women for the real world; life after school. 

Natalie Gianvecchio

Some are scared of Middle School students... but not me.

Blog #6: "The Ultimate Middle School Classroom" (Chapter 5) March 9, 2011

Vocabulary/Concept Vitalizer

• Single-sex education : (p. 208) "Middle school is the time of greatest hormonal upheaval in both males and females. Boys begin puberty with high doses of testosterone. Over just a few years, they need to learn to manage up to twenty times as much of this sex-and-aggression hormone as females." (p. 208) Educators discuss single-sex options in the Middle School setting, including all female and male schools, or female and male classrooms (based on the academic area). Moving back to the issues of competition, and going back into the history of tribes and "staying with your own" all takes a place in the discussion of single-sex education in our schools.

• Multigenerational schools: (p. 220) The discussion of having many different age groups in the same building, ranging from elementary school up to high school. "The sixth, seventh and eighth graders are constantly around younger children and have to be service oriented and mentorlike toward them." One teacher explains that "if they have a way to help others, most middle school kids really do want to help. They just need to be shown how, and given the opportunity."

• Team Teaching: (p. 220) "A team of teachers meets every morning, for a few moments, to talk about troubled students, what lessons they have planned, how they can support each other, and how they can weave a character lesson or something from a colleague's classroom into their own." Creating a sense of bonding among all teachers in the building, or atleast at the same academic area or grade level, is important for the success of students. It builds a community in all classrooms if this is done.

• Movement: (p. 245) "Given the reality of what is hapening to middle school students' bodies and brains, it si essential that we consider increasing physical movement during the school day." Movement helps kids stay focused, and they are able to get out energy and can relax more in the classroom. Goes back to the discussion of getting rid of recess or shortening the amount of recess in schools. You're kidding, right?

• Character Education: (p. 240) "The CHARACTERplus model" (chapter 4) focuses on community agreement regarding certain key character traits, and absortion of training in these traits into all aspects of schooling. (p. 240) Being that Middle School students are older, having them grow into respectful, caring individuals is important. So as teachers, we must have the focus in Middle School be on building good character, and being a good human being.

Essence Extractor

"We must adapt to the needs of Middle School students, embrace individuality, and have the focus be on helping them to grow as human beings and individuals in society."



Meghan C. Koch (Blog #6: Boys & Girls Learn Differently)

Blog #6, March 10, 2011, Mary Kay Ward
Roles this week are Creative Connector and Literary Luminator

Beginning on page 206, M. Gurian starts with one of the most controversial innovations in all of the middle school configurations - Single Sex Education.  This is an issue that is very near and dear to my heart for many reasons; mainly because I do have a daughter who goes to an all girls school and this is her third year attending this school.  She is currently a freshman.  Secondly, I teach middle school in a public arena and I see what goes on everyday between males and females.  On page 208, M. Gurian makes a statement in regards to single sex education at any level can solve many problems at all levels, but so many of the learning and discipline problems can be curtailed at the middle school level if single sex options were utilized.  I strongly agree with statement because my daughter was in a co-ed school from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade and has many problems with both learning and discipline.  Since she has been in a single sex school environmnent, she has florish not only academically but also there have not been any discipline problems.  She has found her niche and really enjoys going to school every day and being herself.

In another section of this chapter, beginning on page 218, the idea of school uniforms are discussed.  I feel this issue dovetails the issue above with single sex schools and education.  Again, I can relate to this issue because of my daughter.  She has to wear a uniform to school everyday and life is so much more simplier.  There is never a fight between the two of us about what she has on and how she looks when she goes out the door every morning.  She gets the chance to accessorize her uniform her with her purse, her shoes, socks, stockings hair ties, etc. that do not detract from the real reason she goes to school every day - to learn and be the best she can be.  Being a middle school teacher in a public school I get see what clothes the girls are wearing and I have to question where are the parents of these girls when they leave for school every morning.  On many occassions, I have to call girls to the back of the classroom and ask them to "put the girls away" by zipping up their sweatshirts and going to get a jacket out of their locker in order to cover up.  This type of dress is definitely a hugh distraction to the boys in the middle school and if everyone had to dress alike or similar would take the focus off of the sexes and put towards what is most important - learning and education.  On page 209, M. Gurian makes the statement "It is useful to remember that our present culture, especially through media imagery, forces early mating, romance and sexualization on children."  I can't agree more because these middle schools kids are still children with so much ahead of them.

Another part of this chapter that I can relate to is Bonding and Attachment in the middle school.  Our students need to feel a sense of belonging and need to have a soft place to fall.  On page 223, M. Gurian says to a great extent the child's emotional well-being is a foundation of good daily learning and our students well being is a large part of their self-esteem and figuring out who they really are and what they are all about.  One of the bullets on this page speaks of overreacting to a small problem that becomes a major production - making a mountain out of a mole hill.  With some many upheavals in the lives in our students, such as divorces, mothers gone, fathers gone and other support systems shattered, teachers are sometimes the most stable part of these kids on a daily basis.  On way to build self-esteem in our classrooms, is to call on each and every student everyday so that no one feels left out.

Literary Luninator

On page 208, under"The Logic of Single-Sex Opitons in Middle Schools", the sentence "In all settings, children going though cognitive and physical trransformations are likely to pick extreme behaviors "
from eating disorders and violent behavior to simple behaviors that affect learning such as not raising their hand, or blurting out the answers,dominating class discussion and being the class clown just to get attention that they are so hungry for.  I see these behaviors every day in classroom, usually from the same students and  now I have a better understanding why some of these behaviors are happening.

On page 221, Single-Teacher Emphasis is something I had not really given much consideration to until I read about this.  Research suggests greater learning takes place with the presence of one teacher for the whole day and other teachers coming in and out of the classroom to teach specials.  Many schools  use the one-class-every-hour method, in which students change  classes every 45-60 minutes, my school included.  I can see where a  stronger teacher-student bond can develop and the teacher can become a mentor to the struggling child and help nuture the whole child.  It is much harder to get  to know the student when you only have them for a short period of time, especially if you only see them in an every other day situation.

On page 235, M. Gurian talks about Commuity Collaboration.  A middle school  teacher was asked what she felt was most needed to help middle school discipline.  Brenda Bock's answer surprised Gurian by saying "Actually, if I were ever to do an educational study I would do it on the following: to show that there is a direct relationship between chores and responsibilities carried out at home and discipline and completion of work at school."  I have said on many occassions that the reason that  many students have problems at school is  because  they have very little direction, discipline and guidance from their parents and have little respect  for authority.  If parents set the expectation early on at home, then there would be fewer discipline problems at school and much more learning could take place.

Middle School Education: A Time of Many Changes for Boys and Girls!

Blog 6 (3/10) Natalie Gianvecchio, Chapter 5, Roles: Rigerous Researcher and Idea Illustrator

Research:

1.) Single sex education was a huge part of this chapter. Gurian thoroughly discussed his positive feelings towards single sex classes. I found many very interesting websites relating to this topic which seems to be very debatable.Some of these articles discuss the pros ans cons to this big topic in education.

http://www.singlesexschools.org/

http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/defining-your-ideal/single-sex-education-the-pros-and-cons.gs?content=1139


2.) Another topic I found very interesting in this chapter was the section about uniforms in school on pages 218-219. Personally, I would have hated the idea of uniforms while I was in school. Being a girl, fashion was a big part of my life at that time. Now that I look back, I think uniforms would have been a great idea for school. Students can focus more on schoolwork and less on what they are going to wear and who is wearing what. Also, everyone would be wearing the same exact thing, so no one could say anything hurtful to person about what they are wearing. School would be more focused on what they are there to do which is learn. I found some great websites about uniforms in school. 
http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/defining-your-ideal/school-uniforms.gs?content=121

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/School_Uniforms/

3.) Another issue I found important to education, especially the middle school age group, was the section titled peer humiliation (Gurian p. 226). In middle school, children are changing and not so friendly anymore like they were in elementary school. Middle school can be brutal for some students, and I believe teachers should try to work together to stop this humiliation for their students. Below is a great article I found directly relating to peer humiliation in middle school. 
http://www.fisherandfrey.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/msj_jhumiliation.pdf




Illustrations:

 These pictures and the video related to the key topic in this chapter which was single sex classrooms. There is alot of evidence that single sex classrooms can really benefit boys and girls. Gurian fully supported this idea and provided many facts about how useful it can be in the classroom. Single sex classrooms are becoming more and more popular! 


Natalie Gianvecchio 

Blog 5: The Ultimate Elementary Classroom

Blog #5 - Ch. 4 "The Ultimate Elementary Classroom" (Boys & Girls Learn Differently)
Roles: Rigorous Researcher and Idea Illustrator

Idea Illustrator:
One section of this chapter that I really liked was how they discussed all the possibilities and opportunities that you can present in an elementary setting. They introduced the chapter with quotes from teachers, including "there just isn't time", "need smaller class rize" and "want more training, but not training that's boring or treats me like an idiot." (p. 128)

There are so many ways to get around behavioral issues in your classroom, as well as academic issues that your students may be suffering from. There are so many outlets, especially nowadays, that are meant to engage children more fully into their academics, and help them stay focused, and have fun learning.

Use of Computers & Other Media in Elementary School: p. 137

In a section entitled, "The Outdoor Classroom" (p. 139), they discuss this idea of "eliminating recess" in our schools. This is a huge mistake, and I thought it was interesting the statistics that are behind letting children be children, and going outside to play. It diminishes social time, play time, "getting your sillies out" time, that all children (especially at the elementary age) are in need of.

Rigorous Researcher:
I decided to do a little more research on the bonding and attachment in elementary learning. Children learn best when they feel loved, respected and safe... and that teacher-student relationship is too important.

Here are some good websites I came across!

• "Bonding with your students" Tips for teachers: http://www.preschoolprofessional.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17:bonding-with-your-students&catid=2:professional-development&Itemid=25

• Bonding - The Teacher-Student-Parent Connection: http://circle.adventist.org/files/jae/en/jae200568011803.pdf

 

Meghan C. Koch, March 1st, 2011 (INCL601)

Bonding and Learning in the Elementary Classroom

Blog 5, March 3, 2011, Mary Kay Ward, Chapter 4, Roles:  Vocabulary/Concept Vitalizer and Essence Extractor

Vocabulary/Concept Vitalizer

This chapter discusses so many concepts to classroom life that touched me that it was hard to narrow this role down to 5 areas, but the following are the ones that were my top five.

In chapter 4 of "Boys and Girls Learn Differently", M. Gurian on pages 130-133 writes a lot aboutYear-Round Schooling and Changing the School Day. In other countries, such as Japan and France, schools are open year round and have breaks of three to four weeks which occur 3 different times during the school year.  In the U.S., we have a long tradition of having summers off to accommadate the families with farming and ranching duties.  Things have changed today, of  course, and young  people are not needed for such duties, actually, their enforced free time creates great concern for many working parents, especially in the elementary school age group, where kids are not old enoughto be home alone (pg. 131).  Since I have been back in the teaching profession, I would like to have school year-round and have breaks several times during the school year.  I agree with Gurian's research that "use it or lose it" theory gives more concrete validity to school year round because the brain retains what it uses and loses what is not repeatedly used.  I know when my own children were home during the summer months, I was constantly trying to come up with ideas that would keep them plugged in because 10 weeks without school is a long time for children to go without learning.

On page 133, M. Gurian also talks about the Class Size, Number of Teachers and Teacher-to-Student Ration.  Eventhough, I teach in a middle school environment, the majority of  the students I teach are in sixth grade, about 350 a year.  In some schools, sixth grade is still considered an elementary grade.  According to M. Gurian on page 133, in the first paragrah, second sentence, "a learning brain that , in secondd grade, experiences the presence of more than one teacher in a classroom for at least part of the day enjoys more neurological variety in learning culture and experience."  For some reason, as children get into the higher grades, a second teacher, volunteer or intern does not seem as important as it does in the younger grades.  This affects my classroom as I have some periods that have 27, 28 and 30 students in the classroom and I am the only adult in the room.  I cannot give my "special needs" students the one on one attention they require and deserve because the rest of my students would be running wild throughout the classroom.

Another area of concern is The Outdoor Classroom.  So many schools are eliminating recess because it is felt that academic success is far more important and feel that outdoor life and play do not enhance academic skills.  We have a nation of overweight and obese school children and children that are developing cancers and Type I and II Diabetis at an alarming rate.  I know this to be true because this is what I teach in the "Get Up Fuel Up" part of my curriculum along with Thompson Hospital.  For the mind to grow, the body needs to move around with gross motor skills such as running and playing.  Maybe, if there were more physical acitivity inside the classroom and more time spent at recess, we would not have so many behavior issues in the classroom.  "The mind wants movement and will wreak some havoc if it doesn't get it." (M. Gurain, pg. 140)

On page 155 and 156, in the section, The Role of the Mentor, M. Gurian list three areas where mentoring supports innovations in classroom.  The first one Gurian list is a second teacher in the classroom.  While this concept would be really great, with school budgets stressed to their limits and students needing so much one to one attention, many of the special areas in a student's school day do not have or get the prviledge of having extra teachers, let alone one, available to help out in the classroom, where it is needed as much as it is needed in the core classes.  The third innovation M. Gurian list is "Adult mentor volunteers from the community" is also a wonderful idea to bring into the classroom.  However, with so many parents working  today to keep up with the changing economy, volunteers are becoming less and less dependable to help out in the classroom.  I ask parents and  community members to help out with one of my units and sometimes it is really hard to find enough parents or individuals that have the time or can make the committment for just a small amount of time.  Also, we have a policy in our school district that any person(s) coming in to help out or volunteer, need to have our Board of Education approval.  The last innovation, which is listed as #2, "Intergenerational (or vertical) mentoring, between grade levels"  is a great concept.  While I have never had the experience of vertical mentoring, my daughter had the opportunity to have a "study buddy" and to be a "study buddy"  in elementary school and she still talks about that experience. I ask her what she liked about the" study buddy"  concept, she said that she liked looking up to someone older in her school and liked being looked up to and being a good role model for the younger children in her school.

On page 189, Standardized Testing and the No Child Left Behind is a very hot topic in my school district and I am sure in every other school across the nation.  Gurian quotes one teacher "No one denies the need to hold schools and teachers accountable, and no one likes schools to constantly underperform, but is the present hysteria to test students healthy for the learning brain?"  I think that "teaching to the test" is having a negative effect on children, a draining experience on teachers and adminisrators and false sense of security for parents to hold on to. 

Essence Extractor

Relationships, relationships, relationships....between home and school - the ultimate classroom.    

Teaching Towards Excellence in the Elementary Classroom

Blog 5 (3/3) Natalie Gianvecchio, Chapter 4, Roles: Creative Connector and Literary Luminator 

Creative Connections:

1.) On page 160 of the book, Gurian discusses discipline by using fear with children. He stated, "this was not the case a hundred, or even fifty, years ago. Discipline could be a matter of fear- fear of God, fear of the rod, fear of parents..." (Gurian p.160). I made a connection while reading this section to my father. My father is in his 60s now and when he was young, he attended a Christian school with Nuns as his teachers. He told me many stories about how him as well as all of the other children in the class were so scared of the Nuns. They would actually hit the children. He will never forget how scared he was in school growing up. I am so glad to see that this is not the case in schools today! 

2.) On page 181, Gurian shares how important manipulatives are for boys and girls. He included an elementary teacher, Jan Miller in the passage and her experiences with the use of manipulatives with reading. Jan Miller stated, "I tried the magnetic letters on the overhead today for a spelling lesson. The students loved it" (p. 181). Gurian also claims, "making a game out of letter making, she had great success" (p. 181). I related to this as well because in my Preschool class I did this with the children often. They absolutely loved it and learned their letters while having fun! I even put the magnetic letters in a closed box and used the first initial of each students name and shook the box. I asked each child to guess what was inside the "mystery box." When I showed them it was magnetic letters, I passed out the initial letter that went to myself which was "N." I then asked the children if they knew what was going to happen and they figured out that the letters related to their names. They loved this activity. 

3.) On page 197 and 198, Gurian mentions how important competitive learning is for girls and especially boys. He states, "teachers who receive brain based research come to realize the importance of open classrooms and cooperative projects as stimulants to the growing brain. They also see how competition helps the brain" (Gurian p.197). A teacher goes into detail with how she used competitive games in her class to motivate all the children in her class. I connected with this experience because I did this as well in my fourth grade student teaching placement. I did it with Language Arts by having students work in small groups of 4. The students were to write a story about anything they wanted using our vocabulary words for 2 minutes. When the timer went off, they has to pass their paper to the left and that person would continue where they left off. When we finished I allowed the students to share and they loved it! It was a competition to write something funny or silly in the 2 minutes they had. I also played Jeopardy with the students before a unit test in language arts. They absolutely loved it and even got a bit too loud but had so much fun! Competition is definitely useful in the classroom.

Literary Luminator:

1.) I thought a very interesting passage was on page 131. It talked about year round schooling for students and teachers. Instead of getting a full 3 months off for summer, the students would take three breaks that would last for three to four weeks. Gurian states, "there is another way to raise academic performance: year round schooling...." (p. 131). He goes into great detail of why the United States even has summers off to begin with which is just based on an old tradition. I was always against year round schooling while I was in school, but now that I look at it in a different way, I think it could be very beneficial. Students lose so much information over the summer. If there was the same amount of time off, but just spaced out differently I think that it could help many students who forget everything over the summer break. 

2.) Alot of the chapter talked about stress with boys and girls. Gurian states, "many teachers find that girls talk out stresses among their friends or with the person who is the source of the stress, perhaps a parent; by contrast, boys often bring the stress to school and seek attention for it there-usually receiving negative attention" (p.152). This is such a common problem in the classroom between boys and girls and it really has a negative effect on all of the students. One of the elementary teachers in the book stated that she has her students make "stress balls" in the beginning of the year. When the children are upset and stressed, they can just take a stress ball with no questions asked. This is definitely a useful tool to have in the classroom to help children relieve some stress. 

3.) Gurian also talked about the outdoor classroom with elementary age children as well as preschool. It is just as important to elementary kids! Gurian states, "Eliminating recess is a profound mistake, though our culture has come to it with the best of intentions" (p. 139). Recess is such an important part of the child's day. It gives students time to let loose and burn off some steam. He also states, "The mid wants movement and will wreck some havoc if it doesn't get it" (p. 140). A teacher even gave the suggestion of a child who was having behavioral problems, but instead of taking away his recess time completely, she had him run around the field a few times so he was still getting exercise and a brain break but he wasn't able to do exactly what he wanted outside. Students definitely need recess and outside time every day or as often as possible! 

Natalie Gianvecchio

The Ultimate Classroom... Rock On!

CHAPTER 3, Week 4:
Creative Connector & Literary Luminator - Meghan C. Koch

I really enjoyed this chapter! What I really loved about it was the way this chapter, in particular, really spoke to parents, as well as teachers. I think it's that teacher-parent relationship is important. Parents need to hold some responsibility to continue what we're doing in the classroom at home. As educators, we know that sometimes, that relationship is never going to happen... and we do need to deal with it differently. But in the long run, we need to advocate for our students more than anything else. We need to be their "person", their "go-to" for anything they might need, that maybe their parents can't. Our students have needs we need to take care of.

A couple passages that stuck out at me...

• "Does the sun grow the plant, or does the plant just wait to fully grow until the sun is present?" (p. 77) This really  just struck a chord in me. It's so important to develop that bond/attachment to our students. An experience that comes to my mind -- I was the classroom teacher for a DPP classroom with Kindergartners and 1st graders with special needs over the summer. I have spent 4 years working in this program, and have developed a relationship with these students as a para. So when I had the opportunity to be their teacher last year, I felt so blessed. I dealt with many challenges, a variety of disabilities in my room, all across the spectrum. But one little boy... 7 years old, non-verbal, undiagnosed because his parents refuse to "label" him. He became my heart. Even not being able to speak to me, we developed this bond, and it just lit him up inside. We played with the basketball, which he loves. He loves to ride bikes and loves to play chase. He grew in the 2 months we spent together, and it really just goes to show you how important that teacher/student bond is. It doesn't matter where they come from, who they are, what their parents are like... nothing else matters except who you are to them. This person in front of them is there to love them, nurture them, care for them, and teach them... that is our job.
• Bonding tips: (p. 85-86) "Listen, and then listen some more." All of the bonding tips listed on these pages, really rang true with me. Again, we're talking about building a bond with our students, and of course, we are there to listen. I have come across many kids who have been told to "shutup" and "be quiet" all of their lives, and all they want is to come into your room and be able to lay it out... dish to you all the gossip and the problems, and leave it at your doorstep. And that should be OK. They should be able to trust you, because if it can't be you, who can it be?
• "Thus, the child believed to need special education may simply need different expectations, in and out of the classroom." (p. 118) Wow. Shouldn't we all think about our classrooms in this way? So many kids have been mislabeled, misjudged... put in a special needs classroom because "they are a distraction" or "the problem child". Put on multiple medications because they just need to be "controlled". Do we hear ourselves? Are we putting the best interest of the children first? Absolutely not. The side effects of some of these drugs, even for adults, is astounding... what is it like on those little human bodies? I can't even fathom. I had a kid in one of my classes last year who was behaviorally disturbed - came from a broken home, a real sad family life. And he would come to school everyday and take it out on our staff. He really beat into us, kicked and screamed, told us that he was going to be bad and do bad things... an 8 year old, mind you. Where was he learning all this? Well, we had an idea. And things had been reported already, but what was our role in this little guy's life? What was I going to do for him to remind him that (1) I am his friend and (2) I care about him, and he is safe with me. Every adult he had ever known had let him down... so why wouldn't I? It broke my heart, but after awhile, he started to let go of that notion that everybody was out to get him. After he made a mistake, or made a bad choice, he always apologized... and became of the sweetest boys, to this day, that I have ever worked with. Sometimes, all we need is love... and as adults, we need to remember that maybe, the solution is as simple as just that. A good hug can do a lot.

A few other good quotes I came across...

"The brain needs bonding and attachment to fully grow and learn."

"In this age group [preschool], the stress is generally founded in fear of attachment loss."

"In young children, the brain needs freedom to discover varieties of information, but also an ordered environment in which to turn raw data and stimulation experience into learning, skill competence, and wisdom."

"Be genuine with children. Call each child by name. Learn about the child's world, personal life, and personal interests. Use "I noticed..." statements. Smile, touch and make eye contact. Attend events in the child's life whenever possible. Respect the child and the child's opinions. Personally describe your life as appropriate. Tell your own story. Be nonjudgemental. Listen, and then listen some more. Give the child choices and options that compel healthy decisions. Admit mistakes you have made."

All of the passages I have mentioned really hit home with me. I have come across a lot in my life - growing up in the city, seeing a lot at a young age, having the variety of friends I had, and now being able to teach and come across so many situations. This is my life. This is what I live to do, and even though this chapter mentioned things such as nutrition, discipline, in the end... the message was really this "bond" we need to create. We want them to trust us. And at the end of the day, they need to know we love them, and only want what's best for them. It's too important, my friends.

Meghan C. Koch: "Boys & Girls Learn Differently", ch. 3/week #4.

Week #4 , Idea Illustrator, Mary Kay Ward

I found a picture that I wanted to upload but could not figure out how to complete the process (after two hours of playing around with google images) I gave up and decided it was time to go to bed.

Eating Healthy Is Important to Learning

Week #4, Rigorous Researcher, Mary Kay Ward

On page 89, Gurian begins the page with Nutrition and Learning. I am a Home and Careers Teacher at Canandaigua Middle School and this particular topic is near and dear to my heart. I teach a program titled "Get Up Fuel Up" in which I have partnered up with Thompson Hospital to teach the importance of eating the proper foods in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Gurain tells us that brain research tells us that the foods children eat greatly affects their abilitity to learn and behave. "If a five-year-old is under emtional stress, she has great difficulty controlling herself or learning. If she is under nutritional stress, the same is true." (Gurian, pg. 89). Gurian also speaks of the ideal classroom should be a place where children need to be eating the right foods at the right time as well as the classroom should also be a place were parents need to be educated about these foods and what the appropriate nutrition should be.

The following article suggest research that supports Gurian findings in eating high levels fatty acids helps brains grow. I found this article very interesting and relevant to what I teach in my classroom.Junk food diet 'makes children badly behaved'by JENNY


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-347122/Junk-food-diet-makes-children-badly-behaved.html#ixzz1DzYSkAhm.


Idea Illustrator

Beginning page 119 and continues through page 123, Gurian write about the use of Ritilan and Prozac and how such drugs are on the increase in children under seven. The overmedication of these drugs has not only caught the attention of early-education theorists but also now politicians are beginning to if this is a good thing to do to our young children. While it is becoming more well known that the rate of depression is increasing among this age group, as well as the presence of
ADD and ADHD disorders, "but using psychotrophics betrays our reliance on medication to solve what are mainly attachment, bonding, and gender-brain-based learning issues. This hits home with me because I can remember when my son, now age 26, was considered ADHD and a candidate for Ritalin in 5th grade, his doctor at that time felt that ADD/ADHD was being overdiagnosed and felt that schools and teachers needed to be retrained in dealing with children that were considered out of control.

Below is a picture that tells it all.

Early Childhood Education: How to socialize, play, and learn all at the same time!

Week 4, Chapter 3, Natalie Gianvecchio, Roles: Vocabulary Concept Vitalizer and Essence Extractor

Vocabulary:

Immense Emotional Stress-  In younger children, this stress typically comes from separation and "fear of attachment loss." This is triggered in the brain by "cortisol, the stress hormone, rises, flooding the brain and making some neural activity slower but other activity quicker. The stressed child learns less learning activities in the classroom then the well attached child or the one under less emotional stress." Gurian page 79 

Nutrition and Learning- Nutrition in children can have a significant affect on their ability to learn in the classroom. "Brain research has taught us that what children eat profoundly affects their ability to learn and behave." "This is especially true for young children who have not yet developed the mature ability to control impulses when under stress.  The stress levels for an early childhood learner could be from emotional stress as well as nutritional stress from not eating the proper foods." "The ultimate classroom is a place where children eat the right foods at the right time." Gurian page 89

Aggressive Behavior- This issue is one of the biggest problems in the early childhood classroom. "Boys are generally more physically aggressive than girls, and girls are generally more socially manipulative than boys." The problem many teachers come across is how much aggression is ok and when should we draw the line? Gurian Page 92-93

Discipline Techniques- Discipline can be very difficult in early childhood education classrooms because these young children are developing their own opinions and start to realize that they have a say in the world, which will normally cause some defiance in the classroom. "One key to improving discipline is the presence of older people. Our research indicates that discipline and behavior of children is heavily affected by the presence of elders in a classroom or other learning environment." Gurian Page 99 

Outdoor Classroom- It is extremely important to allow early childhood students to go outdoors often if not every single day. "-the grounds, garden, play area, and other nature areas- to help not only with stimulating the learning brain but also with handling young children's behavioral nuances. In the outdoor classroom we may find the use of water. It is wonderful for the growing brain. The outdoor classroom is as important as the indoor, especially for younger children. It is their world of play, fantasy, and spiritual connection with the mysteries of nature and an essential component of the ultimate classroom." Gurian Page 102

Essence of the Chapter:

Preschool and Kindergarten age children explore and learn through the magical art of play. 

  

~Natalie Gianvecchio 

Brain-Based Differences

"Boys & Girls Learn Differently": Chapter 2, Week #3 - Meghan C. Koch


Vocabulary:

1. Gardner's Multiple Intelligences: Howard Gardner of Harvard has identified seven distinct intelligences. This theory has emerged from recent cognitive research and "documents the extent to which students possess different kinds of minds and therefore learn, remember, perform, and understand in different ways," according to Gardner (1991). Howard Gardner, researcher; the kinds of intelligences with which children learn. There are five intelligences listed in the book which differ the most between males and females: Time and Sequence (Linguistic intelligence, Musical intelligence & Logical-Mathematical intelligence) and Space and Place (Spatial intelligence & Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence).
2. Pecking order: Where kids fit in the groups social strata. Pecking order is established by physical size, verbal skills, personality, personal abilities, and many other social and personal factors. Pecking order was originally used to describe animals, a hierarchical system of social organization. According to Gurian's research, pecking orders are flagrantly important to boys, who are often fragile learners when they are low in the pecking order. However, girls' school performance, it appears, is not as dependent on pecking-order status.
3. Learning Teams: Otherwise known as group work, research has shown that both girls and boys benefit from it, with boys tending to create structured teams and girls forming looser organizations. Boys spend less time than girls managing team process, picking leaders quickly and focusing right away on goal orientation.
4. ADHD & ADD: ADD (attention-deficit disorder) and ADHD (attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder) constitute only 20 percent of girls, making female students less likely to experience a learning, psychiatric, or behavioral disorder. For instance, boys make up two-thirds of the learning disabled and 90 percent of the behaviorally disabled.
5. Gender advantage/disadvantage: On page 57, Gurian explains the reasoning behind never using the term "gender bias" in educational reform. "We do this because we believe that most of what children suffer in schools such as ours - schools that are in fact very attentive to gender bias, especially against females - is not biast (which implies a directed favoring of one group) - but instead a basic lack of understanding of innate gender differences. Gurian goes on to describe the differences in between when it comes to our culture and societal activities.

Essence Extractor:

"With the proper training, and the proper recognition of the research that has taken place, there is no excuse for any of our students (male or female) not to be succeeding in our classroom."

Teaching in An Ideal Classroom

Week #3, Chapter Two, Mary Kay Ward - Roles:  Creative Connector and Literary Luminator

As I was reading chapter two of "Boys and Girls Learn Differently", so much of what was discussed jumped out at me especially since I am in the classroom all day with boys and girls.  One of the connections I had was discussed on page 50 with regard to learning differences and the intelligneces; specifically muscial intelligence.  I teach in a middle school environment that does not allow the use of ipods during the school day unless it is for instruction use (code of conduct).  I am required to supervise an 8th grade study hall every day and am asked on a daily basis by my students if they can listen to their ipods during study hall to help them concentrate on homework, projects and/or reading.   After making a connection with the following statement "Could this be why music can be such a powerful influence in so many aspects of classroom learning, from memorizing to expressing emotion, from concentrating to boosting self-esteem?", I really have to stop and think that having ipods available for listening to can help many students who struggle to sit still for 40 plus minutes  (especially at the end of the day) would be a great tool beause "music is a whole brain activity, involving both hemispheres at once."

Another issuse that I am compelled to talk about  violence.  Yes I agree that our schools may be the safest places for our children to be because as educators, we have no idea what threatening or violent experiences our students have encountered from the time they go home into the afternoon and return for the next school day.  Often times these experiences are brought in school  and manifest themselves in the hallways, classrooms and cafeterias. I thought it very interesting that the U.S. Dept. of Justice found that it can predict as early as first grade which males will be the future offenders.

On page 66 and 67, Michael Gurian writes about the different between the school environment and the work environment.  The school environment is predominately females while the work environment is predominately male oriented.  Because of the dominance of males in the work environmnet, females are often left out whereas in the school environment, many boys are left out due to the teaching and learning style of the females 's brain,

Important ideas in this chapter:

On pages 54, 55, and 56 the listings of the "Advantages for Boys, Challenges for Girs" and "Advantages for Girls, Challenges for Boys" were interesting to read and learn the differences.  I strongly agree that in some school settings, "the good old boy club" still exists among administrators and male teachers which allows for advantages that females are priviledged to.

On page 59,  the second paragraph states that "the ultimate standard for a classroom ought not to be parity in loudness, agressive hands-up, or dominance."  I do agree with Michael Gurian's statement that as teachers it would be better to find a clear sense of who each student is and help them find a way to express themselves that is best suited for that particular student.  I also agree that we are overdiagnosing our students with ADD/ADHD because we have not been trained properly in how to teach both boys and gitrls.

On page 46, under the ten nuances of learning, I found  "The Likelihood of Boredom"  to be quite true in a classroom setting.  Boys do get bored faster than girls and this can lead to classroom disruptions and behavior problems and shutting down all together to the learning process.  It is important to engage boys on a level that keeps them interested.

Completely different brains means completely different learning

Week 3, Chapter 2, Natalie Gianvecchio, Roles: Rigorous Researcher and Idea Illustrator

Research:

On page 50 of the text, there was a section on music intelligence. Gurian talked about how music is used in the right and left hemisphere of the brain. He states, "Could this by why music can be such a powerful influence of so many aspects of classroom learning, from memorizing to expressing emotion, from concentrating to boosting self- esteem? It certainly is. Music is a whole-brain activity, involving both hemispheres at once." I found this to be very interesting and true! I have seen first hand how music has such a profound affect on children in the classroom. 

 After doing some research on this topic, I found alot of information that proves this method of learning true as well. Chris Boyd Brewer, author of Music and Learning: Integrating Music in the Classroom stated, "How is it that for most people music is a powerful part of their personal life and yet when we go to work or school we turn it off? The intentional use of music in the classroom will set the scene and learning atmosphere to enhance our teaching and learning activities. Plus, using music for learning makes the process much more fun and interesting! Music, one of the joys of life, can be one of the joys of learning as well." (http://www.marthalakecov.org/~building/strategies/arts/brewer.htm) Music is such a powerful tool because it is one of the only learning methods that involves the whole brain rather than just one hemisphere. 




Illustrations:

This picture shows diagnoses of ADHD in boys and girls. The boys are significantly higher than the girls. Typically boys are most often diagnosed with ADHD, but on page 61 of Boys and Girls Learn Differently, Gurian talks about how many boys are misdiagnosed with ADHD because teachers do not understand the male brain. 

I thought this video was very interesting and directly relates to the reading.




~Natalie Gianvecchio