Session Three

Male and Female Brain Differences

• For years, it was politically incorrect to claim that there were not the same

• New research confirms that the brain of males and females is different

• Scientist can’t agree on completely how it is different or what the implications for this are?

Male and Female Brain Differences

• Male brains average about 100 grams heavier, even when you account for different body sizes

• However, as we have learned, brain size does not reflect intelligence

• Not only are the brains different weights, but the brains have different parts different sizes– The part of the brain that allows a person to tie

together verbal and nonverbal information is larger in females ( The bundle of interhemispheric fibers.)

Male and Female Brain Differences

• Male brains and female brains grow differently and at different rates– Male brains are better at spatial tasks earlier– Female brains are better at verbal and reading

skills in early life.

Male and Female Brain DifferencesWhich of the following would you attribute Females or males?

• Computation tests• Multi tasking• Recalling the position of objects

in an array• Spelling• Mathematical reasoning and

problem solving• Navigation and geometric

properties of space• Verbal intelligence• along a route• Use of verbal memory• Appreciation of depth and

perceptual speed• Reading body language/facial

expressions

Targeting Skills • Working vocabulary• Extended focus and

concentration• Habit formation and

maintenance• Most spatial tasks• Fluency of word

generation• Tasks that require being

sensitive to external stimuli ( except visual stimuli)

• Remembering Landmarks

Male and Female Brain Differences

• General differences not absolutes– Females strengths

• Computation tests• Multi tasking• Recalling the position of objects in an array• Spelling• Fluency of word generation• Tasks that require being sensitive to external stimuli ( except visual

stimuli) • Remembering Landmarks along a route• Use of verbal memory• Appreciation of depth and perceptual speed• Reading body language/facial expressions

Male and Female Brain Differences

• General differences not absolutes– Males strengths– Targeting Skills – Working vocabulary– Extended focus and concentration– Mathematical reasoning and problem solving– Navigation and geometric properties of space– Verbal intelligence– Habit formation and maintenance– Most spatial tasks

Male and Female Brain Differences

• Some of these differences have educational implications– Testing males perform better on many standardized test.

These test makers have taken many steps so this will not happen

– The makers of the PSAT, SAT and other have taken steps, can you think of some things that have been done?

– PSAT does a different calculation and multiplies each test together to help equate scores.

Male and Female Brain Other Differences

• Hearing– Females pickup nuances of sound better, specifically in voice,

music– Females retain their hearing longer than males– Females Have better vocal clarity, much less likely to be

monotone– Females pick up language faster– More females major in a a foreign language in college– Infant girls are comforted by singing more than males.

Male and Female Brain Other Differences

• Vision– Males have better depth perception and distance vision– Girls have better peripheral vision and night vision– Females excel at visual memory– Females recognize facial clues and remember faces better– Females are able to store visual information better

Male and Female Brain Other Differences

• Touch– Females, they react faster and more acutely to pain, however,

can withstand more– Females have greater sensitivity in their fingers and hands– Learn motor activities related to fingers faster– Men react more sensitive to temperature

Male and Female Brain Other Differences

• Activity– Males infants play more with objects– Female are more responsive to playmates– Men and women approach many activities in a directionally

opposite manner ( walking and returning to a place. ( how they turn around)

Male and Female Brain Other Differences

• Smell and Taste– Females have a stronger sense of smell and are more

responsive to odors and subtle changes in smell.– Females are more sensitive to bitter flavors and prefer swetts

flavors over men.

Male and Female Brain Other Differences

• As a teaher be aware of some of these differnces– Boys can learn to read one to two years behind girl– This could lead to many of the labels we place on children

Male and Female Brain Other Differences

– Some say that this is one of the major reasons we should look to have same gender schools? What do you think??

Male and Female Brain Other Differences

– Film first two minutes only

Exercise and the Brain

• There is solid conclusive evidence that physical activity effect the brain in a positive manner.– Some say that physical activity does improve

academics– Minor pause for credibility because some of the

research was done by PE groups and there results the need for further research

Exercise and the Brain• Exercise does several things

to the brain– It enhances circulation so

that individual neurons can get more oxygen and nutrients

– Allows your brain to be at your best

– There is evidence that it spurs the production of nerve growth factor, a hormone that enhances brain function

– Can stimulate the production of dopamine, a mood enhancing neurotransmitter

– And the production of new cells for the brain

– Aerobic exercise improves thinking and learning because of its ability fast adrealine-nonadrenaline response- it allows a body to face challenges

Exercise and the Brain

• What can this look like in the classroom?– Give students the permission to get up without

permission to move around, stretch, or change positions so they can monitor and manage their own energy levels

– Facilitate hand movements hand movements with clapping games, dancing, puzzles, manipulates, use cooperative activities

– Use activities that offer varying levels of physical and mental challenges

– Offer novel activities sin novel locations

Exercise and the Brain

• In spite of all of this research, only 36% of K-12 school have daily physical education.

Exercise and the Brain

• Examples of this in a classroom– (Grade School)-– (a little older)

Exercise and the Brain

• Can these work in a class?• What are the issues, what are the obstacles?• What grades can they work in?

Exercise and the Brain

• Neuroscientist at the university of California discovered that the release of brain-derived neurotoxin factor (BDNF), a natural substance that enhances cognition by boosting the ability of neurons to communicate with each other.

• (BDNF) and exercise truly affect the mind, mood, and memory as well as overall health

Exercise and the Brain

• For the students to be at their best, the brain needs the right balance of chemicals ( dopamine being a very important one)

• Evidence suggest that exercise regulates body functions ( norepinephrine and heart Rate) that are significant in increasing blood flow to the brain that also helps memory

Exercise and the Brain

• Cross lateral movement and other movements can help

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Stress is a reaction to a perception, not a reality,

• It occurs when you experience and adverse situation or adverse person in such a way that you perceive your are out of control, or losing control, and your goals are compromised.

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• There are two types of stress- how would you define them?– Good stress– Bad stress

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• There are two types of stress– Good stress- is simply stress that is not chronic or

acute– Bad stress- -occur when we feel moderately

challenged and believe we can rise to the occasion

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Good stress (eustress)- causes the body to release a number of chemicals like cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine all of which heighten perceptions, increase motivation and strengthen our bodies.– All of these enhance learning

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Eustress- occurs when we have the following:– Actively want to solve a particular problem– Have the ability to resolve the problem– Perceive some sense of control over

circumstances– Get sufficient rest between challenges– Can think of a potential solutions to the problem

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Negative or Bad stress (distress) occurs when a person feels threatened by some physical or emotional danger, intimidation, embarrassment, loss of prestige, fear or rejection or failure, unrealistic time constrains or a perceived lack of choice.

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Negative or Bad stress (distress) occurs when:– Are confronted with a problem we don’t want to

solve– Don’t perceive a solution to the problem– Lack of resources to solve the problem– Feel the risk levels involved are unacceptable– Have little or no control over circumstances– Experience repeated situation of intense

prolonged stress

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• The brain in distress– Threats are define as any stimulus that causes the

brain to trigger a sense of fear, mistrust, anxiety, or general helplessness. This can result as a result of physical harm, or perceived danger

Stress and Threat on the Brain• When the brain feels or perceives a threat, it does the

following:– Loses the ability to correctly interpret clues from the environment– Reverts to familiar, tried-and-true behaviors– Loses some of its ability to index, store, and access information– Becomes more automatic and limited in its responses– Loses some of its ability to perceive relationships and patterns– Is less able to use higher-order thinking skills– Loses some long-term memory capacity– Tends to overreact to stimuli in a phobic –like way

– This matches up with Maslow’s theory

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• When the brain feels eustress, distress, or threats it begins a cascade of chemicals which in the short term help the body.

• However continual exposure to these items it becomes bad stress or threat it has a significant negative reaction and can wreak havoc on the brain.

• Good threat can have positive effects

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Autopsy showed that patients that suffered from Posttraumatic stress brains were different. Neuron production in certain areas of the brains stopped, needed chemicals ( such as serotonin which modulates moods) stopped

• Continual exposure to threats or stress is similar to PTS

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Why is this something educators need worry about?

• There are many cases where children are exposed to circumstances in which distress and threats act negatively upon them.

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Some circumstances:– Tough neighborhoods- violence, drugs– Boyfriends, bad parents, step parents– Rude classmates,– Teachers who threaten, use humiliation,

embarrassment

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• When the brain is exposed to these elements, it goes into survival mode, it cannot:– effectively process, recall even the most simple

facts– Do the most basic math calculations

– Distressed children experience constricted breathing which can alter how they focus and blink.

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Teachers need to understand that different things can cause stress with children

• There have been many children that experience stress and threats yet they succeed, and achieve- they have found that these students associated with other high achieving students, teachers and mentors that have made them feel strong about themselves

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• What schools and teachers can do:– Have the necessary resources and supports that

students need to complete assignments– Give students confidence that they can:• solve problems• Have control over situations• Have the time they need to learn• Have the ability to manage stress

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• How stress effects your brain ( first 2:30 until Dr. Phil)

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Students that live under frequent threats react differently, their brain uses less reflective thought of the frontal lobe and resort to more reactive thinking-less problem solving, more responsive

• They don’t think of long term consequences just immediate responses

• They interpret things differently, see more threats where they are not there. More likely to strike out a people, more likely to interpret harmless things wrong

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• How do you handle these type of children in the class room:– Avoid using threats and fear with them– Avoid overt comparasions that could cause

embarrassment– Connect them with caring adults– Reduce testing stress– Make assessments more meaningful and genuine

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Boot camp is a place where stress is created to prepare soldiers for war

• However, the army has learned that this is not an ideal learning environment and changes its practices where soldiers need to learn technical skills

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Other practices for children that live with constant threat– Provide a situation in which they can talk, provide

opportunities to be involved in groups– Allow for personal choice and worked in academic

situations in groups, allow the to solve problems– Provide opportunities for students to express

themselves, singing, dancing , art and other– Activate prior learning before each lesson

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Relaxation – Research shows that students that are relaxed perform better academically students that were relaxed

• The relaxed group preformed 25 % more

Stress and Threat on the Brain

• Keep students rested,• Used energizer activities.