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Comment by Jeff Yasinchuk on June 26, 2011 at 17:29

Hi Guys!

 

I haven't read "Why Gender Matters" but indeed after Boys Adrift and Girls on the Edge, I can see how Sax could be perceived as sexist or as an anti-feminist on several front. But like you say, his research (the depth) is truly astounding. This isn't just some pseudo-professional using gender as a means to explain male superiority. In fact, he highlights what many folks already (and inherently) know to be true: boys and girls are NOT the same in many respects (i.e. socially, pedagogically, developmentally-- both physical and neurological) and yet we work within a system that is so deeply entrenched and biased to both girls and boys.

Comment by Al Smith on June 24, 2011 at 17:47

Thx for the reminder Julia. Sax's Why Gender Matters is simply gigantic value. I have had more people discuss my rants about boys and reading( school in general) because of this recommendation.  A young parent bible I think.

Comment by Julia Hengstler on June 24, 2011 at 17:40

Jeff,

I've read Sax's Why Gender Matters? & loved it. I have 2 young boys and what I've read is helping me insulate them from some of the issues Sax raised. Interestingly, I sponsored a discussion circle on Why Gender Matters? & the greatest resistance came from the person with the greatest background in feminist issues. In fact, the person brought a confrontational flavour to the circle that I believe caused further discussions to be avoided & the reading group eventually fizzled before the book was completed by the group. I asked the individual to share teh resources that supported his/her position, but none was ever provided as a point of discussion for the group. It's difficult in that historically the feminist movement has tried to combat the conceptualization of men & women having any cognitive differences--as differences were equated to being "lesser" for a long period of time. Sax points to the new technologies in brain imaging that support documented differences in brain structure & processing--where different is different, not lesser or better. I think that for anyone attempting a reading circle on Sax's work, an "old school" feminist perspective can be detrimental to open discussion of the implications of the work. I'm not sure how you might handle that more effectively than I did, but maybe others have some suggestions.

Comment by Julia Hengstler on June 24, 2011 at 17:32

I'm posting my reading list in Delicious. Here it is:

http://www.delicious.com/jhengstler/juliasreadinglist

Julia

Comment by Jeff Yasinchuk on June 24, 2011 at 13:42

I'm currently reading "Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmo... by Leonard Sax. There seems to be so many "uh huh" moments in this book that I'm not sure why more teachers and parents of young boys and male teens haven't read this. I'm not sure why it took me so long before coming across this. Sax has done the research, the analysis, and has the experience to effectively share his what every single educator knows to be true: our boys, for the most part, are in trouble. One of my hopes is that the shift to 'personalizing learning' will work to offset/mitigate some of the factors facing many of our young male students.

Comment by Jeff Yasinchuk on January 22, 2011 at 10:34

I'm currently reading Daniel Pennac's School Blues. Pennac discusses using terrific narrative and personal anecdotes to emphasize his point that the "dunces" (he considered himself as one while in school) in our classes need to be brought into the fold, but the current approach does not allow it; this is a very personal story that speaks volumes about where we need to go. He wrote "The Rights of the Reader"--one that is on my "to-read" list--about literacy and the importance of personal choice in reading to make it a lifelong long affair.

Comment by Jeff Yasinchuk on January 22, 2011 at 10:24

Linda:

 

I'm adding the Empathic Civilization to my list. I've heard of Rifkin but haven't really had the gumption to read any of his work. This is probably a good starting point. Thanks for sharing.

Comment by Jeff Yasinchuk on January 16, 2011 at 20:14

I too, really enjoyed, The Brain that Changes Itself. It did give me much pause and radically changed my thoughts on the growth and development of both young and old. We truly are a dynamic species in many respects including brain thought and development of cognition. Perhaps that is why lifelong learning is so important on many levels including the physical and emotional.

I really see this book reinforcing the belief that what really lacks in our schools of the 21st century (via the industrial model) is helping our students to develop the ability of metacognition (simply, the ability to understand how it is that we, as individuals, learn). This seems so pertinent in the age of information overload where depth has succumbed to breadth.

I haven't read Into the Story, but I am intrigued. And please, make no apologies for it not being 'technology-oriented' because in the end, it's not about the technology. Isn't it about how we, as dedicated professionals help our student to succeed, learn, and grow?

Thanks for sharing, Alana! Feel free to keep them coming!

Comment by Linda McMullan on January 16, 2011 at 16:12

You got me started on Malcolm Gladwell — so I have received all of his books as Christmas presents!  I am now working my way through The Empathic Civilization by Jeremy Rifkin.  Not light reading, but worth the time and effort.  I will post another comment when I have actually finished it (it's one of those books that, for me, requires some time to mull over before proceeding on to the next chapter, so a slow read).

Comment by Alana Jones on January 16, 2011 at 15:05

Hi all,

I too have read The Brain that Changes Itself  and I agree that it is useful reading for all teachers and parents (especially of children with learning difficulties). As a teacher it reinforced my belief that there is always hope for improvement, that change may take a while to occur (say, in a developmental or academic sense) but it is worth the effort. I found it fascinating to learn about how the brain is able to alter itself. The stories about people who went with their gut instincts to defy those who placed limitations on their abilities were truely remarkable and gave me the inspiration to stay positive and focused on doing all that I can to bring about positive growth and change in the students I teach.

 

Another book I have found useful, on a practical level in the classroom, is Into the Story: Language in action through drama by Carole Miller and Juliana Saxon.

Whilst it is not about technology, I still feel it is worth a mention. The units of work that are included in this publication have been very successful at engaging learners in a number of classrooms within my school. I liked the detailed instructions for teachers, and the use of drama and having the children really live the stories being read resulted in such a high quality of written work and spoken discussion. Naturally such units of work could be expanded to involve digital technology in the assignments or assessments. I would be interested to know if anyone has had particular success in combining technology with the units of work described in this book.

 

1. Something that was affirmed by the book I read;

2. Something I learned;

3. Its impact on my teaching practices; and

4. Something (interesting, frustrating, questions I still have, etc.)...

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