Week 4 Discussion - Change Our Boys or Change the System?

Gurian and Stevens ask if we should "keep trying to change our boys" or should we instead "change the educational system in which they are now taught." How do they address this question?

Gurian and Stevens’ address the question by stating that parents, teachers, and schools need to decide what part of nature, nurture, and culture can and should be changed.  The question arises is the male brain fitting in today’s classrooms? They state the argument that the current educational system fails to accommodate male brains and does not provide them with the appropriate system of learning.

Do you agree or disagree with their position?

Yes, I can agree with Gurian and Stevens’ argument.  I believe there is enough evidence to show that the male and female brain are different.  That the way in which one learns is different so of course the way a male and female learn would be different.  I believe that teachers need to be introducing curriculum in a variety of applications to allow for different learners in the classroom.  The more teachers are aware the more likely they are to make everyone in the classroom feel successful.  Yes, the educational system does have certain requirements like in high school students have to take standardized tests.  This test reflects on the teacher, and students whether they learned the material required for the class.  However, we all know that some students experience anxiety during testing or something could be going on in the personal lives when they take the test.  So is that a true reflection of learning?  In the classroom – the teacher is teaching material represented on the test.  There is no set way or activities that need to be included on how to reach the desired goal.  What a teacher does in the classroom is based off of theories that are guiding the teacher when creating lessons.  One of these theories could be the difference in the male brain versus the female brain.