Boys-only class becomes testing ground
Portland Press Herald, February 10, 2008
(excerpt) The last period of the day at high school, especially a 75-minute one, can be tough for both teachers and students, whose eyes stray toward the clock or droop after a day spent indoors.
But in Greg Dumas' freshman English class at Thornton Academy, the atmosphere is far from soporific. The 19 students sit upright in their seats. Hands shoot up in response to his questions. They laugh at his jokes.
There is one other notable difference: It is the only English class at the co-ed school where every student is male.
Thornton Academy set up the same-sex classroom as a yearlong experiment to try to boost the achievement scores of boys, which are lagging behind girls at the privately run school that also serves as a public school for Saco, Dayton and Arundel.
Some research suggests that same-sex classrooms can break down gender stereotypes and improve learning. Although it's too early to tell whether the Thornton experiment is working, Dumas' classroom has become a laboratory of sorts for educators around the state.
(excerpt) The last period of the day at high school, especially a 75-minute one, can be tough for both teachers and students, whose eyes stray toward the clock or droop after a day spent indoors.
But in Greg Dumas' freshman English class at Thornton Academy, the atmosphere is far from soporific. The 19 students sit upright in their seats. Hands shoot up in response to his questions. They laugh at his jokes.
There is one other notable difference: It is the only English class at the co-ed school where every student is male.
Thornton Academy set up the same-sex classroom as a yearlong experiment to try to boost the achievement scores of boys, which are lagging behind girls at the privately run school that also serves as a public school for Saco, Dayton and Arundel.
Some research suggests that same-sex classrooms can break down gender stereotypes and improve learning. Although it's too early to tell whether the Thornton experiment is working, Dumas' classroom has become a laboratory of sorts for educators around the state.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home