Boys and Girls learn differently book talk

I really enjoyed your presentation, and thought that the group on the whole did very well to convey the messages that the book presented. I felt as though I personally was able to share my own experiences, and that kept me involved in the discussion. I felt as though the discussion was successful, and could have gone on for a great deal more time, had we actually had more time. The games were interesting and all seemed pertinent, with the exception of the eskimo game, I didn't really see how that effectively showed how the boys and girls were learning in different ways. The comic life was a good means for review, and allowed us to look back at what we had learned to help us remember it. I personally enjoyed the squishy ball, it allowed me a means to keep active, yes keep my attention on the powerpoint. It would have been easier if we had gotten to take some notes, because it is tough to remember all of the stuff without data, it seems to me as though we need to find the balance between our presentation and yours. Overall I think the presentation was wonderful and fun which is key. 

book talk response

LOVED YOUR PRESENTATION!!!!, I did not get to take notes and I am a visual learner, I found however that though there was not a lot of visual stimulation over the materials I remember most of the presentation. To me that says a lot. I liked the section on dress codes, I feel like that class engaged in a healthy honest discussion on the pros and cons of the subject. I really liked Sarah’s honesty in encouraging us to read the “essentials” before reading other parts of the book. I feel like the presentation you all gave made me want to (and will) read this book at some point in my career. I also liked the fact that you mentioned that there is a crossing over of the ways boys and girls learn I feel like this helps to make us aware that we sometimes expect boys and girls to behave and learn a certain way and this may not always be the case. The team building activities (human knot) I have done before, I had never considered why and how differently girls and boys approached the situations before them until you asked us to examine what happened in our groups in that regard.

CHAPTER 8

This chapter discusses safe and healthy environments for children to learn in. Providing a safe and comfortable atmosphere for students helps them to feel as though they belong and takes some stress off them and allows them to be ready to learn. The chapter mentions that for some students this may be the only place they have to feel safe as their home (neighborhood or actual home) may not be the safest place for them. The types of risky behaviors that middle school students may engage in is discussed as well.This chapter also refers to classroom management, discipline and physical activity. It gave examples of support structures for students too these included, student support teams and peer mediation. Physical activity is an aspect of health that is changing in our schools; there is an emphasis on keeping kids active for a lifetime and giving them the skills to accomplish this. One way we are doing this is to use a CSHP (comprehensive school health program). The chapter brings all of these aspects together nicely and shows you how to organize and utilize the programs and information given.

The class liked this chapter overall; one aspect that was mentioned several times was the physical activity aspect. The class was interested in keeping kids active and the obesity rate. They also liked the ideas of incorporating different types of physical activity. Another aspect that caught the classes’ attention was the classroom management and discipline piece. Most of us seemed to take different ideas and information from this section. Keeping the school an inviting place where students feel comfortable was the overall consensus of the class, as well as keeping the students active and engaged in learning.

Turning Points chapter 4

Abstract:

Tracking was the most talked about thing in chapter 4. The chapter said that it was negative, and a few agreed that maybe they or their peers were shortchanged. However, most of the class felt that tracking was a good idea as long as it is used correctly. Every teacher need to make sure to use fun learning activities. Also, teachers need to make sure to vary the type and amount of work based on the level of the students in their classes. The other really big thing in this chapter is the WHERE (Where, Hook, Explore, Rethink, Evaluate) model for backwards design. This is a helpful tool to use to make sure that every student is included in each lesson. There is also a little focus on technology in this chapter. It needs to be used effectively, but if it is then it is a great way to get the students to get into higher order thinking.

Reflection:
Most of the class was shocked by the number of students that are still going through the school systems and not knowing how to read and write. Or if they do know how their level is way behind where it should be. This made a lot of the class think that reading and writing should be incorporated into every class. It also was a little bit repetitive from Content lit. Reading is a skill that every student will need in order to be successful, I know that the other subject areas are important too, but reading is necessary in order to function independently in the world.

I really enjoyed your lesson. I didn't really have much time to write anything down, so this is mostly just based on what i remember. I really liked the knot activity, that was fun and it would be a great way to have students meet each other if they hadn't already spent 12 weeks together. I have to admit that i was a little annoyed with the fact that i was asked to dress up, but i think that you guys did a good job incorporating the dressing up in well with the whole uniform vs no uniform idea. That section of the book, i definitely feel was written about kids like me, i am still one of the most judgmental people that i know. I judge mostly on looks, so i think that a uniform would have made me a little less rude about how people look.

I was a little disappointed, like you guys were, because i really wanted to have a list of how boys and girls learn. I felt like there wasn't really a lot of information on the differences between the boys and girls, not that it was your fault, your book just seemed to be titled incorrectly. I think that I learned that I learn and act more like a boy than the boys in our class do. Overall, i really enjoyed your presentation. The comic book was a really cool idea! I really wanted a squishy ball to play with!!

Book Talk Response

I really enjoyed this presentation and was amazed at how fast the time passed. Opening with the knot activity was a fun way to get everyone comfortable and engaged. The discussion regarding dress codes was good and brought up a lot of ideas or points that I hadn't really considered before. Having a mix of classmates who did and did not have uniforms in school was a really good thing and helped us all to get a comprehensive look at the issue. I loved that the girls got handouts of the powerpoint slide and the boys got little stress balls. Having the paper in front of me made me pay more attention and it really played into my visual learning style. The only thing that I didn't like was the part about mandatory sports. I feel that forcing all students to participate would be traumatizing for some people or make them resent physical activity. This isn't a problem with the presentation but more of a disagreement with the information that the book presented. Overall, I think you guys did a really great job and I can't think of anything major that you could have done better.