Blog 7 - Issues of Gender in Schooling

These are some interesting things that I found while searching on the topic of gender and schooling. The first two links are articles, and the last link is a video.

http://news.illinois.edu/news/05/0726math.html

The link above was the first article that I came across. It's all about the stereotype that boys are better at math and sciences than girls. What makes this article different is that it reports about a survey they did which stated that parents of female students tried to help with their math homework without having been asked. It just goes to show you how people can unintentionally pass on their prejudices and how it can affect others.

http://www.sadker.org/100ideas.html

I liked this article because it's a list of activities that you can do in the classroom to promote equality. It reminded me of an activity my class did in 6th grade, a woman came in and passed out 2 note cards to each student that either had a name, color, or profession listed on it. Then, she had 3 tables set up that said female, male, or both. She then asked us to place our note cards where we thought they belonged. I still remember the cards I had, pink and construction worker. Without so much as a second thought, I placed pink on the female table, and construction worker on the male table. After the activity was over, she reviewed our choices and explained that every card should have gone on the table that said both. Media and advertising really influences the way we look at certain professions/what colors go with what gender, but it's important to remember that that should not be the case

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E_GoN768E8

Lastly, I found this clip on Youtube. It's from a school in Tucson, Arizona during their battle of the sexes week. It's a bit lengthy, but it shows how something meant to be fun and harmless can really have a negative impact on gender equality in schools. The caption in the side bar sums it up really well.