Understanding Male and Female Brain Differences

1. Session Three

2. Male and Female Brain Differences • For years, it was politically incorrect to claim that there were not the same • New research confirms that the brain of males and females is different • Scientist can’t agree on completely how it is different or what the implications for this are?

3. Male and Female Brain Differences • Male brains average about 100 grams heavier, even when you account for different body sizes • However, as we have learned, brain size does not reflect intelligence • Not only are the brains different weights, but the brains have different parts different sizes • The part of the brain that allows a person to tie together verbal and nonverbal information is larger in females ( The bundle of interhemispheric fibers.)

4. Male and Female Brain Differences • Male brains and female brains grow differently and at different rates • Male brains are better at spatial tasks earlier • Female brains are better at verbal and reading skills in early life.

5. Male and Female Brain DifferencesWhich of the following would you attribute Females or males? • Computation tests • Multi tasking • Recalling the position of objects in an array • Spelling • Mathematical reasoning and problem solving • Navigation and geometric properties of space • Verbal intelligence • along a route • Use of verbal memory • Appreciation of depth and perceptual speed • Reading body language/facial expressions Targeting Skills • Working vocabulary • Extended focus and concentration • Habit formation and maintenance • Most spatial tasks • Fluency of word generation • Tasks that require being sensitive to external stimuli ( except visual stimuli) • Remembering Landmarks

6. Male and Female Brain Differences • General differences not absolutes • Females strengths • Computation tests • Multi tasking • Recalling the position of objects in an array • Spelling • Fluency of word generation • Tasks that require being sensitive to external stimuli ( except visual stimuli) • Remembering Landmarks along a route • Use of verbal memory • Appreciation of depth and perceptual speed • Reading body language/facial expressions

7. Male and Female Brain Differences • General differences not absolutes • Males strengths • Targeting Skills • Working vocabulary • Extended focus and concentration • Mathematical reasoning and problem solving • Navigation and geometric properties of space • Verbal intelligence • Habit formation and maintenance • Most spatial tasks

8. Male and Female Brain Differences • Some of these differences have educational implications • Testing males perform better on many standardized test. These test makers have taken many steps so this will not happen • The makers of the PSAT, SAT and other have taken steps, can you think of some things that have been done? • PSAT does a different calculation and multiplies each test together to help equate scores.

9. Male and Female Brain Other Differences • Hearing • Females pickup nuances of sound better, specifically in voice, music • Females retain their hearing longer than males • Females Have better vocal clarity, much less likely to be monotone • Females pick up language faster • More females major in a a foreign language in college • Infant girls are comforted by singing more than males.

10. Male and Female Brain Other Differences • Vision • Males have better depth perception and distance vision • Girls have better peripheral vision and night vision • Females excel at visual memory • Females recognize facial clues and remember faces better • Females are able to store visual information better

11. Male and Female Brain Other Differences • Touch • Females, they react faster and more acutely to pain, however, can withstand more • Females have greater sensitivity in their fingers and hands • Learn motor activities related to fingers faster • Men react more sensitive to temperature

12. Male and Female Brain Other Differences • Activity • Males infants play more with objects • Female are more responsive to playmates • Men and women approach many activities in a directionally opposite manner ( walking and returning to a place. ( how they turn around)

13. Male and Female Brain Other Differences • Smell and Taste • Females have a stronger sense of smell and are more responsive to odors and subtle changes in smell. • Females are more sensitive to bitter flavors and prefer swetts flavors over men.

14. Male and Female Brain Other Differences • As a teaher be aware of some of these differnces • Boys can learn to read one to two years behind girl • This could lead to many of the labels we place on children

15. Male and Female Brain Other Differences • Some say that this is one of the major reasons we should look to have same gender schools? What do you think??

16. Male and Female Brain Other Differences • Film first two minutes only

17. Exercise and the Brain • There is solid conclusive evidence that physical activity effect the brain in a positive manner. • Some say that physical activity does improve academics • Minor pause for credibility because some of the research was done by PE groups and there results the need for further research

18. Exercise and the Brain • Exercise does several things to the brain • It enhances circulation so that individual neurons can get more oxygen and nutrients • Allows your brain to be at your best • There is evidence that it spurs the production of nerve growth factor, a hormone that enhances brain function • Can stimulate the production of dopamine, a mood enhancing neurotransmitter • And the production of new cells for the brain • Aerobic exercise improves thinking and learning because of its ability fast adrealine-nonadrenaline response- it allows a body to face challenges

19. Exercise and the Brain • What can this look like in the classroom? • Give students the permission to get up without permission to move around, stretch, or change positions so they can monitor and manage their own energy levels • Facilitate hand movements hand movements with clapping games, dancing, puzzles, manipulates, use cooperative activities • Use activities that offer varying levels of physical and mental challenges • Offer novel activities sin novel locations

20. Exercise and the Brain • In spite of all of this research, only 36% of K-12 school have daily physical education.

21. Exercise and the Brain • Examples of this in a classroom • (Grade School)- • (a little older)

22. Exercise and the Brain • Can these work in a class? • What are the issues, what are the obstacles? • What grades can they work in?

23. Exercise and the Brain • Neuroscientist at the university of California discovered that the release of brain-derived neurotoxin factor (BDNF), a natural substance that enhances cognition by boosting the ability of neurons to communicate with each other. • (BDNF) and exercise truly affect the mind, mood, and memory as well as overall health

24. Exercise and the Brain • For the students to be at their best, the brain needs the right balance of chemicals ( dopamine being a very important one) • Evidence suggest that exercise regulates body functions ( norepinephrine and heart Rate) that are significant in increasing blood flow to the brain that also helps memory

25. Exercise and the Brain • Cross lateral movement and other movements can help

26. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Stress is a reaction to a perception, not a reality, • It occurs when you experience and adverse situation or adverse person in such a way that you perceive your are out of control, or losing control, and your goals are compromised.

27. Stress and Threat on the Brain • There are two types of stress- how would you define them? • Good stress • Bad stress

28. Stress and Threat on the Brain • There are two types of stress • Good stress- is simply stress that is not chronic or acute • Bad stress- -occur when we feel moderately challenged and believe we can rise to the occasion

29. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Good stress (eustress)- causes the body to release a number of chemicals like cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine all of which heighten perceptions, increase motivation and strengthen our bodies. • All of these enhance learning

30. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Eustress- occurs when we have the following: • Actively want to solve a particular problem • Have the ability to resolve the problem • Perceive some sense of control over circumstances • Get sufficient rest between challenges • Can think of a potential solutions to the problem

31. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Negative or Bad stress (distress) occurs when a person feels threatened by some physical or emotional danger, intimidation, embarrassment, loss of prestige, fear or rejection or failure, unrealistic time constrains or a perceived lack of choice.

32. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Negative or Bad stress (distress) occurs when: • Are confronted with a problem we don’t want to solve • Don’t perceive a solution to the problem • Lack of resources to solve the problem • Feel the risk levels involved are unacceptable • Have little or no control over circumstances • Experience repeated situation of intense prolonged stress

33. Stress and Threat on the Brain • The brain in distress • Threats are define as any stimulus that causes the brain to trigger a sense of fear, mistrust, anxiety, or general helplessness. This can result as a result of physical harm, or perceived danger

34. Stress and Threat on the Brain • When the brain feels or perceives a threat, it does the following: • Loses the ability to correctly interpret clues from the environment • Reverts to familiar, tried-and-true behaviors • Loses some of its ability to index, store, and access information • Becomes more automatic and limited in its responses • Loses some of its ability to perceive relationships and patterns • Is less able to use higher-order thinking skills • Loses some long-term memory capacity • Tends to overreact to stimuli in a phobic –like way • This matches up with Maslow’s theory

35. Stress and Threat on the Brain • When the brain feels eustress, distress, or threats it begins a cascade of chemicals which in the short term help the body. • However continual exposure to these items it becomes bad stress or threat it has a significant negative reaction and can wreak havoc on the brain. • Good threat can have positive effects

36. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Autopsy showed that patients that suffered from Posttraumatic stress brains were different. Neuron production in certain areas of the brains stopped, needed chemicals ( such as serotonin which modulates moods) stopped • Continual exposure to threats or stress is similar to PTS

37. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Why is this something educators need worry about? • There are many cases where children are exposed to circumstances in which distress and threats act negatively upon them.

38. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Some circumstances: • Tough neighborhoods- violence, drugs • Boyfriends, bad parents, step parents • Rude classmates, • Teachers who threaten, use humiliation, embarrassment

39. Stress and Threat on the Brain • When the brain is exposed to these elements, it goes into survival mode, it cannot: • effectively process, recall even the most simple facts • Do the most basic math calculations • Distressed children experience constricted breathing which can alter how they focus and blink.

40. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Teachers need to understand that different things can cause stress with children • There have been many children that experience stress and threats yet they succeed, and achieve- they have found that these students associated with other high achieving students, teachers and mentors that have made them feel strong about themselves

41. Stress and Threat on the Brain • What schools and teachers can do: • Have the necessary resources and supports that students need to complete assignments • Give students confidence that they can: • solve problems • Have control over situations • Have the time they need to learn • Have the ability to manage stress

42. Stress and Threat on the Brain • How stress effects your brain ( first 2:30 until Dr. Phil)

43. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Students that live under frequent threats react differently, their brain uses less reflective thought of the frontal lobe and resort to more reactive thinking-less problem solving, more responsive • They don’t think of long term consequences just immediate responses • They interpret things differently, see more threats where they are not there. More likely to strike out a people, more likely to interpret harmless things wrong

44. Stress and Threat on the Brain • How do you handle these type of children in the class room: • Avoid using threats and fear with them • Avoid overt comparasions that could cause embarrassment • Connect them with caring adults • Reduce testing stress • Make assessments more meaningful and genuine

45. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Boot camp is a place where stress is created to prepare soldiers for war • However, the army has learned that this is not an ideal learning environment and changes its practices where soldiers need to learn technical skills

46. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Other practices for children that live with constant threat • Provide a situation in which they can talk, provide opportunities to be involved in groups • Allow for personal choice and worked in academic situations in groups, allow the to solve problems • Provide opportunities for students to express themselves, singing, dancing , art and other • Activate prior learning before each lesson

47. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Relaxation – Research shows that students that are relaxed perform better academically students that were relaxed • The relaxed group preformed 25 % more

48. Stress and Threat on the Brain • Keep students rested, • Used energizer activities.