Blog #2
Everybody Blog
Suzanne C.
Introduction and Chapter 1
The book Boys and Girls Learn Differently by Michael Gurian raises the theory that differences in males and females can be explained by the makeup of their brains. Since his book was first published ten years ago, technology has given ways to brain scans that have proven his theory. His methods have also been proven successful in his pilot programs.
Gurian found that because the brain stem in the male brain is at rest to a greater extent than in the female brain that males may be more likely to respond with a physical response when they are emotionally charged. Males also are quicker to respond to attention demands in physical environments because their basal ganglia engages more quickly. Chip Wood, referred to the importance of physical movement in his book Yardsticks. He stated that due to their developmental level children often need to move around during the day. Gurian also discovered that it is is typical for boys to need to be physical because of their brain makeup. Therefore, as Wood states it will help to combat behavior problems and make a difference in how they feel and perform if children have even five or ten minutes to run around.
I was originally skeptical about some of Gurian's claims about how girls and boys learn and react differently. While I know genetics is a factor I always thought environment was a large factor as well. However, science and his pilot programs support his claims. So what do we do with this information. At first glance differences in the brain can make the other sex look superior. It struck me that Gurian described girls that wanted to be engineers and pilots as people that had an abnormality called Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia which caused there adrenal glands to produce excess androgen which is a testosterone-like chemical. It seemed as if he was saying that something was wrong with their brain so that is why they chose a more spatial male field. However, Gurian also mentions in the book that the differences in the brain are not pointed out to state that either gender is superior or in need of more help than the other. Instead, the differences are pointed out so that teachers and parents have explanations for behaviors and can make changes to help children learn better. So now that we know that boys and girls learn differently I look forward to learning how we can take this information and apply it to our teaching methods and strategies.
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ReplyDeleteI believe, like Sue, that it’s hard to entirely agree with Gurian, that the reason boys and girls act they way they do is solely because of their brain fundamentals. But, in the same respect, I don't think that Gurian believes it entirely either; rather, I believe that the author of the book believes that educators have paid no attention to science and its effect on child behavior and that is what he is seeking. Along with what Sue mentioned about the book making certain references that at first, seem as though he is making excuses for what women lack, in comparison to men, is something that might come up very frequently in this book. Not intentionally, of course, because I don’t believe that the author is trying to make excuses for either sex but, we live in a society in which our first instinct is to come to the defense of what we believe. As a woman, I think that as I continue reading the book I will often be stopping myself to say, “what does he mean by that!?”
ReplyDelete-daniela elliott
Daniela I agree we will continue to wonder exactly what Gurian means as we continue to read this book. I don't think science alone can explain all the differences in boys and girls. That being said, maybe Gurian's point is that neither can environment so therefore it is time to take science into account and act upon this new knowledge.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of giving excuses for the sexes, I do feel he does it equally and without much bias. For every time I felt bad that a girl might be behind in science and math because their brain was not as equipped for spacial tasks, I felt the same for boys that were behind in language skills.
I agree with Sue and Daniela about having quandaries regarding the facts in this book. I do realize this book contains facts from research, but, who knew all of this could be true?
ReplyDeleteI find it fascinating that in only 10 years time technology has found their findings to be accurate on what they originally thought about the differences of boys and girls.
I like how you incorporated Yardsticks because you are right about the physical activity needed for children. I too believe, if children move around more, the more productive they can be during the day. Looking back when I was a kid, I know the better I did in school, the more active I was outside of school. I was always playing soccer and had strict schedules to make sure everything got done. Those were the years I got my best grades.
-Ali Getsloff