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Scott Allan, Carli Moochler, Brittany Muller, Megan Saunders

Scott Allan, Carli Moochler, Brittany Muller, Megan Saunders. Personal experiences in single-sex classrooms/schools Relevant issue for teachers The national conversation centers on single-sex education reinforcing gender stereotypes and on the achievement gap between boys and girls.

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Scott Allan, Carli Moochler, Brittany Muller, Megan Saunders

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  1. Scott Allan, Carli Moochler, Brittany Muller, Megan Saunders

  2. Personal experiences in single-sex classrooms/schools • Relevant issue for teachers • The national conversation centers on single-sex education reinforcing gender stereotypes and on the achievement gap between boys and girls

  3. Law changes in 2006 allowed single-sex education in public schools • March 2002 - 12 public schools offered single-gender classrooms • April 2010 - 540 public schools offered single-sex educational opportunities (most of them co-ed schools with single-sex classrooms, retaining some coed activities) singlesexschools.org • Locally, Rochester Academy; Urban Choice, etc

  4. These are all generalizations about both sexes; there are also exceptions and individual preferences for learning • The research does contradict itself and appears highly contextual

  5. Brain Development • Males • Right side = Spatial function, Mental imagery • Left Side = Language, Verbal • Females – Not as clear a separation • Different time scale/ sequence of brain development between the sexes • Boys – spacial memory 4 yrs ahead of girls • Girls – language/fine motor skills typically 6 yrs ahead of boys

  6. Hearing • Newborn females have an 80% greater brain response to the 1500 hz sound range than boys. • Differences become greater in adolescence

  7. Vision • M cells • Wired to rods and cones, black and white • Essentially a motion detector • P Cells • Wired tocones • Texture, color, what is it • Male retina has mostly M cells • Female retina has mostly P cells

  8. Feelings • The amygdala controls emotions at birth • In Adolescent girls, that activity moves to part of the cerebral cortex, allowing for ability to explain feelings • Boys brains don't do that

  9. Girls • More concerned with pleasing teacher • Tend to view teacher as a partner • More likely to do homework even if it is not of interest to them • Small group work is beneficial • At greater risk in high school

  10. Boys • Tend to view the teacher as an opponent • Will only ask for help as a last resort • Small groups are bad, • Energized by moderate levels of competition, stress, time constrained tasks, and direct confrontation • At greater risk in kindergarten

  11. Communication • Boys work best with : • Shoulder to shoulder, don't smile, minimal eye contact, louder voice • Girls work best with: • Face to face, smiling, direct eye contact, softer voice

  12. The following summarizes major findings on outcomes: Example: At Woodward Avenue Elementary in DeLand, Florida, 85% of boys in single-gender classes passed reading in comparison to 55% in coeducational classes. ·Although some studies have shown no differences, studies in England, Australia, and Jamaica have shown that students educated in single-sex schools and classrooms academically outperformed students in coed schools. ·Boys’ performance was boosted in English and foreign languages while girls’ performance improved in math and science. ·Students in single-sex schools and classrooms demonstrate better behavior, including fewer discipline referrals. ·Reliance on different brain areas for accurate language performance suggests that boys and girls are processing language information differently. ·Single-sex schools and classrooms promoted a wider breadth of educational opportunity ·Girls in all-girls’ schools are more likely to study subjects such as advanced math, computer science, and physics. ·Boys in all-boys’ schools are twice as likely to study foreign languages, art, music, and drama. Source: “Single-Sex vs. Coed: The Evidence”; The National Foundation for Educational Research (2002); Australian Council for Educational Research (2000); British Office for Standards in Education

  13. Examples of research • McQuaid website: • http://www.mcquaid.org/page.cfm?p=625 • www.education.com/facts/quickfacts-gender-differences/

  14. Anecdotal evidence from interviews • “The boys she studied who were educated in single-sex classes felt that they could take more risks in class and in making friends” (Sadowski, p. 91).

  15. DISCUSSION? Or…from email?

  16. Teachers are often unaware of the differences between sexes, that there is even a conversation taking place, and therefore do not incorporate different strategies or even consider them • Teacher perspectives in single-sex classrooms (through our communication with them)

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