Boys and girls learn in different ways. Girls mature more quickly, and boys need to be more hands on. Here in Baltimore, I have noticed too that students get sexual at an earlier age, sometimes unaware of the risks and repercussions of sex at a young age. The drawbacks, of course, include a lack of social interaction with the opposite sex, but it is important to consider that academically students may thrive in this situation.
As a product of single sex education, I believe that single sex education made a difference for me. I have not been able to find any examples of a public school with single gender, or to find their level of success. The research that I have found though states that if teachers are properly trained in how to teach a single sex classroom, they can capitalize on the situation and make the most out of it to raise student achievement. The research states that children will not become more gender restricted, but instead will be given more opportunities to explore and express their actual interests.
It will be interesting to see how the board votes on these two high schools, since there are so few charter high schools. If they are approved and can prove to be successful, they could change the way education is done on a much larger scale.
3 comments:
Jamie,
I, too, have been interested in the idea of single gender education in Baltimore. As a product of mixed gender classrooms my entire life it is hard for me imagine the two being separate all of the time. I like the idea, however, or classroom time being separate. Especially for things like gym, health, advisory, and other classes that have more license to focus on character development. I have lots of ideas about how my young ladies should act that I can root in personal experience, but sometimes I see my boys rebel against what I am saying because (and they are right) what do I know about being a young, teenage male in Baltimore City? What are your thoughts, or did you find any research, about conjoining campuses? Or partner schools that share athletic resources and teams, as well as, social events like dances and graduation ceremonies. Your comments make me curious to go and observe single gender educational environments. I am also curious if their is data supporting that they are more beneficial for girls or boys. Overall, it is an interesting thought for our city, our schools, and, most importantly, our students.
Jamie,
This post interests me, particularly because I am the product of a co-ed classroom. It was always difficult for my to imagine life at an all - girls school, as there were often rules such as enforced uniforms that usually went along with the idea. After teaching in Baltimore, I have softened to the idea of uniforms, even in public schools as they decrease drama and hold all students accountable to the same standards.
I do also agree with your statement about the increased opportunities students will have to learn in a single - sex classroom. As most of my classes are 70% male to 30% female, it is obvious that my boys would behave much differently if they did not have to compete for the girls' attention. I am eager to see what Baltimore decides in terms of these single gender schools.
mt
Single-sex education is built upon the idea that the learning styles of boys and girls are so fundamentally different that students of both genders would do better in a different environment. I believe that there are some dangerous implications associated with this assumption. First, that all boys and all girls learn in the same way. (Personally, I learn more “like a boy” in that I am a hands-on learner who loves to vocalize and get the attention of the entire class). Second, that all boys and all girls feel most comfortable learning with members of their same gender. I could use myself as an example again, but I think that many people have the experience whereby, at certain times in their development, they feel more comfortable with members of the opposite sex.
I don’t know if encouraging our students not to have early sexual experience will be necessarily be a result of separating students in school. I think that the schools are a perfect place for teaching students how to safely, properly navigate relationships with members of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, I don’t think that these lessons are taught very often.
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