Same gender classes may be cost effective, but at what cost? Recently there have been many different budget crunching unconventional alternatives in education that promise low cost opportunities that will increase student performance. Online classes, flipped classes, home school academies, one-to-one technology initiatives, are a few different ways given as education innovations. All of them have their positives and negatives, and some may not be so cost effective. Same gender classes might be an option that, with some creative scheduling, may offer a learning option statistically supported to increase student performance and scores.
Separating girls and boys in the public school generates debate into how different students think, and some even wonder if it is discrimination. GreatSchools.org says that there are many factors that must be considered when discussing same gender classes. The physical and mental development of the whole child needs to be examined to determine if a single gender class is the perfect set up before a move like this should be made. Professional development for teachers will also need consideration for teachers to understand the differences in male and female learners.
The idea of same gender classes is fascinating discussion, and it was presented to the sixth grade students at our school. Each class was given some of the resources attached to this blog to build their background knowledge on what the pros and cons of same gender classes might be. For one entire class period, our sixth graders were separated and taught in a single gender atmosphere. The lesson involved three levels of learning, considering silent reading and responding individually, working in pairs to complete a task, and finally in small groups to end the hour and provide a summary to the lesson. All of these parts may make up the lessons of a mixed gender class almost every day.What were the results? As part of this assignment, I am asking my sixth graders to express their thinking on the topic of same gender classes. As a participant of our activity, what did you think? Did you change your mind about same gender classes? What was the most powerful thing you noticed? Let the discussion begin.
Check out our November post from last year. See what kids had to say last year.
As a reader and observer of this post, check out the resources attached. Feel free to comment on what you think about same gender classes as a cost effective way for schools to improve student performance.
I am on the fence with single gender classes. Girls can handle them selves and boys have a problem with side conversations. But people like to use the excuse that you won't know how to socialize with the opposite gender. But that is not true. You could talk to the opposite gender at lunch or recess if you have it and only the not core classes would be taught separate gender anyway.
ReplyDeleteI with you Kelsey because it isn't like forever it'll be a portion of the day and you wil still be able to talk with the opposite gender at lunch and also before and after school.
DeleteBut, if it is an all sex school, they will not be able to learn how to socialize with the other gender.
DeleteI agree with Chris. If someone has a dream to become an engineer for tech classes and they are taught at an all sex school, the opposite gender will have a likely probability to have that same dream and wont know how to cooperate with the opposite gender.
DeleteI agree with Chris because boys and girls don't hang out at lunch
DeleteAudrey, But if your taught in a school of both genders just certain classes taught separate, you can still socialize with the opposite sex. But not in every class.
DeleteNot very often do boys and girls sit or socialize next to each other in classes taught together. Unless they do a seating chart, they will probably stay away because of the time in other classes. they will not be used to the opposite sex.
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DeleteI agree because what if you need a partner and you get paired up with another gender and you never done it before.
DeleteI'm on the fence, Yes i think we should because boy and girls motivate differently and girls act different when boy are and are not around. Then i say no because we need to learn to work together and communicate and NOT fight every time we disagree with each other.
ReplyDeleteIm with you Madysun they will need to have social interaction because if they dont later in life it will be hard to interact with the other gender which will stop you for getting in with other groups like reading clubs.
DeleteQuinton you said they could hang out at lunch
DeleteThat's true but how are we going to in react with each other.
DeleteEven at lunch there still can be interaction from the other gender also at recess is another time. You could talk at those times but most of the times they wont interact with each other.
DeleteDamitri they will probably start fighting like normal and then they will relies that nothing changes and they will go back to hating each other
DeleteI agree with Madysun because, yes boys and girl motivate differently and also need to learn to work together.
DeleteThis is an article that I read while I was researching the topic. I think you should read it. http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=131647
ReplyDeleteThis article will show you more pros and cons about single gender classes and might help you understand it more.
DeleteI think that there should be single-gender schools.Girls and boys will be less distracted by the other gender.Yes it will hurt there ability to socialize during school.But they could participate in clubs or go to each others football and basketball games.If the all girls school had a dance they would be welcome to go to each others dances.Since there is less distractions the test scores may go up.Also some girls and boys work at different levels and different paces.
ReplyDeleteI read this article and I think that that it is good site to go to because it gives you pros and cons. Also it gives you opinions about what other people think about single-gender classes. http://suite101.com/a/pros-and-cons-of-same-sex-classrooms-a80982
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DeleteI say yes because I feel more comfortable with boys . And boys and girls think at different paces and think differently
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DeleteI'm with Mathew and girls do think different than boys
DeleteI agree with Mathew because boys and girls are not so shy around there genders.So they do not have to impress the other gender.
DeleteI think I'm on the fence because when the boys are in the same class they intend to talk and goof around a lot but that's not for all of them. but when we have both genders in the same class we can learn from different ideas and answers and if yours is wrong you can correct it by others answers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with being taught separately. Girls mature faster, so we can control our selves better then boys. So maybe teachers could come up with a way to do different activities that teach us the same thing. And we will be able to socialize at recess and other classes. And at recess, maybe if they make that change, then at recess we will socialize. Maybe you don't hang out with guys at recess doesn't mean nobody does.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we can have same gender class, but then they should make it so we can see boy's and boy's can see girl's at recess or lunch and girl do mature faster and we can control are self's a lot better than boy's
DeleteI'm on the fence because boys and girls have different learning tasks. But I think the schools are basically trying to make schools private.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Kennedy because boys and girls both learn differently and it will help others know what your thinking if your in a same gender class also it is also making more like private schools.
DeleteI am on the fence because it will keep us focused on learning. Then again some kids are affected by different environments. Girls tend to be quiet mean while guys are kind of obnoxious. Girls mature faster guys take a while to grow up.
ReplyDeletei agree because some kids are affected by their environment.also girls mature faster and girls are quiet and guys are loud and want to talk all the time to friends.
DeleteI notice that when given the choice, most of you will choose a same gender group, even if you know you won't be as successful. Why wouldn't you want a same gender class then?
ReplyDeleteI really wouldn't want the same gender class room because we could be way to distracted and not learning from what the other gender people say or what they're thinking.
DeleteThe reason they pick same gender class's because they feel more comfortable with the same gender and they don't have to feel weird asking questions
DeleteI agree with Madysun, because you might be distracted or sidetracked by a different gender.
DeleteThat is a really good point Madysun, girls/boys might be more comfortable to speak up if they are in a same gender class...even though I am sort of against same gender classes!
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DeleteI am on the fence because if the boys and girls where in different class room,then boys wont know how to in react with girls and people can learn faster instead of wasting time and switching to different class rooms just to be in with the same gender.
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ReplyDeleteI was thinking yes girls and boys should be taught together because the boys and girls need to communicate. now because of what i all learned i would say i'm on the fence.the reason why is because the whole same gender classes could be good but also be really bad.but most likely okay there might be good and bad things going on at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI think that having same sex classes may improve test scores and it may even stop sexual harassment but I don't think that it would work out and it shouldn't. Having same sex classes would be like bringing back the different races being taught separately. It also would be harder to be in a relationship or at least not knowing what to react like when the other gender comes up to you or even the other way around. Just overall if the student had different gender classes people would be harder to get friends of the other gender and it may even cause depression which could lead to bad lives and if this keeps up it may have people die a couple years earlier do to depression.
ReplyDeleteBrandon can u explain more about how it would cause depression??
DeleteI'm not on the fence, I don't think that there should be same gender classes, but I agree that it would be useful. If we have same gender classes, it will take away the distractions in the class. Boys don't feel as comfortable when talking to girls. They usually feel more comfortable when talking to other boys. The same thing applies to girls. If we stick to mixed gender classes though, Girls and boys can bring different ideas to each other. according to an article, Boys and girls are motivated differently.
ReplyDeleteI think that same gender classes is some what of a good idea because when my class had all the boys go in one class and girls in another i was able to get more work done then if boys where in the room with us.
ReplyDeletei think boys and girls should be together because boys might have a good question and girls might have a good answer.
ReplyDeleteI am saying no because when you get older how will you get along with other people other than girl or boys.How will you work with them it is easy to learn with them and than when you get older you can get along with everyone
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ReplyDeleteI think that same gender classes should not be aloud because when boys and girls get older they will not know how to communicate as well, also when they get older because they will be so used to having the same gender in there classes and especially if they go to a same gender school. I also think they should not have same gender classes because it is kind of like segregation (being thought separately because of our race). I know that one of the reasons why people do want same classes in because boys and girls like different topics like girls and poem and boys and technology and engineering, but everybody is going to have to learn about every topic. Overall I think that boys and girls should not be thought separately.
ReplyDeleteI think that same gender classes should not be aloud because when boys and girls get older they will not know how to communicate as well.
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