Monday, February 24, 2014

Gender in Education

Notes from Lenard Saxs' presentation:

  • www.leanardsax.com/jh1.pdf  
  • www.leanardsax.com/jh2.pdf 
  • www.leanardsax.com/jh3.pdf

What causes boys to be adrift?
  1. Changes in Education
    1. schools are less friendly to boys because less competition, didactic learning, indoors instead of outdoors, and the acceleration of elementary curriculum.
    2. Sometimes the pathology is the school, not the child.
  2. Video games
  3. Increased diagnosis and medication of ADD
    1. ADD medications damage the motivational centers of the brain.
    2. Affluent children are most likely to be diagnosed
    3. The challenge is to determine WHY they are inattentive or hyperactive not that s/he is. Once you know why, the intervention should address that NOT the kid themselves. Intervention is only successful if you determine the why!
      1. Possible whys that can look like ADD:
        1. Depression
        2. Anxiety
        3. Adjustment (divorce or moving)
        4. Abuse and neglects
        5. Gifts/bored
        6. Not motivated (Ask, "What's your favorite subject in school."  If recess or lunch, they are not motived. )
        7. Sleep deprevation - if you don't wake up at the same time, you are sleep deprived.  Sleeping in or taking naps = sleep deprivation.
    4. Medicalization of misbehavior
      1. If we don't medicate, then the burden is on the people.
      2. We are the only country on the planet that's first resort is medication.
      3. My medicating, we are shifting the responsibility away from kids/parents/teachers.
      4. Re-engage vs medicate
  4. Environmental Estrogens
    1. PLASTIC leeches estrogen into water and sauces.  
    2. Female hormones lower testosterone which in turn lowers motivation.
  5. Enduring Cultures - What do they have in common?
    1. David Gilmore and Gilbert Herdt - anthropologists
    2. What do cultures have that last?  
      1. Navajo and Orthodox Jews
      2. If you dropped someone from that culture from 1000 years ago into the culture today, they would be OK.
        1. Strong bods across generations - grandparents
        2. Community of women for girls and men for boys.
          1. They teach them what it means to be a man/woman.
        3. Single Sex Studies/learning



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