I had a little surprise prepared for the parents who attended the recent Family & Education Series talk entitled, “Do Boys and Girls Learn Differently?” Instead of a formal presentation accompanied by a slideshow packed with facts, graphics, photographs, and online links to videos and additional resources, this time I decided to facilitate a Socratic seminar. The purpose of a Socratic seminar is not to provide organized knowledge, but to enhance the understanding of ideas, values, and issues. Since the topic was based on a question that does not have a specific answer and is also debatable, it seemed ideal for a seminar.

We sat in a circle and began by establishing the ground rules.

• Listen actively.
• Build on what others say.
• Avoid interrupting.
• Silence/waiting is OK.
• Direct questions to peers.
• Ask for clarifications.
• Watch your “air time.”
• Avoid dominating.

Afterwards, parents thought deeply and quietly about the question at hand, “Do boys and girls learn differently?” and began to wonder out loud if there were other questions that preceded this one that should be considered first. We listed several:

• Does the brain develop differently in boys and girls?
• What is the difference between learning and thinking?
• Does the right brain, left brain connection impact learning?
• What is learning?
• What are the ways we learn?
• How are boys and girls different?
• Is learning linked to maturity?
• How much of a person’s gender identity is environmental (nurture) or biological (nature)?

At this point, we just began trying to answer the questions together. Every answer was followed by another question building on the answer just given, with care given to solicit clarifications, evidence, and further details. Since every person in the circle was a parent, each brought real-life examples to the dialogue which made it especially rich. We talked about the fact that boy and girl brains do develop mostly in the same way, with a few exceptions, such as girls’ executive functions in the prefrontal cortex tend to mature more quickly than boys’ which means they are able to plan and organize earlier. Girls also learn language earlier, which gives them an advantage in preschool and elementary school in the acquisition of reading and writing skills. Boys tend to have more early development of the right hemisphere which provides them with better spatial abilities, helpful in mathematics and map reading. Boys are also more active and tend to have more difficulty paying attention than girls do.

We also talked about how middle school is an especially challenging time in the lives of children as they begin to value friendship more than education or family. Attraction to members of the other sex can be a distraction that takes away from learning. But in conversations with our middle school students, I have realized that they very much enjoy being in classes with members of the opposite sex and do take advantage of each others strengths to discover new ways of learning and collaborating.

Many parents, educators, and psychologists have suggested that instruction be varied to accommodate these and other gender differences, even to the extent of creating separate sex classrooms or even entire schools. On the other hand, some argue the opposite, that schools should represent the greater society in which males and females have to live, learn, and work together.

We were not able to answer all of our questions during the Socratic seminar, but parents seemed to find the unusual discussion format rewarding, although more difficult than just listening to an expert provide all the information.

Incidentally, some of our CDS middle and high school teachers are using Socratic seminars as an instructional method designed to pique student curiosity and set the stage for additional learning. We have found that seminars increase student engagement and attention so that further learning is enhanced. Perhaps most importantly, these types of learning experiences promote critical thinking.

If you are interested in the issue of separate sex schools, or differences in how boys and girls learn, you may want to click on these links to access information online:  StarTribune; American Psychological Association; EduGuide; and GreatSchools. I have the books listed below in my office for parents who would like to borrow them.

Gurian, Michael. Boys and Girls Learn Differently: A Guide for Teachers and Parents. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001.

Meehan, Diana. Learning like a Girl: Educating our Daughters in Schools of their Own. New York: PublicAffairsTM, 2007.

Sax, Leonard. Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know abut the Emerging Science of Sex Differences. New York: Broadway Books, 2005.

When I was a child, my father loved cowboy movies. As a result, the first movie I ever saw in a real theater was a 1966 Italian spaghetti Western starring Clint Eastwood. I don’t remember much about the movie, but I have always been amused by the title: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. As odd as it may seem, I think that title also applies to social networking.

I can remember just a couple of years ago when students entering middle school were not yet using Facebook; that was something they became interested in during middle school and eventually signed up for by the time they entered high school. Not anymore. Many CDS students now begin using Facebook while still in elementary school.

Should middle school students be on Facebook? In theory, most of them shouldn’t, simply because Facebook’s privacy policy cautions kids younger than 13 against registering for an account. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) prohibits websites that gather data about users from allowing access to preteens. “If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13, we will delete that information as quickly as possible,” the company says. “If you believe that we might have any information from a child under age 13, please contact us.” However, we all know that many children under 13 have Facebook accounts, at least 7.5 million in the United States alone.  Please see Underage Facebook Members: 7.5 Million Users Under Age 13 for more information.

The Good

I believe that social networking sites can be beneficial to students that have the maturity, self-discipline, and training to use them effectively. For those who use them for educational purposes, social networking has increased collaboration. They are able to share information quickly, which can increase productivity and help them learn how to work well in groups. It allows them to develop familiarity with computers and other electronic devices which may help them succeed in education and later in the work force. Social networking teaches students skills they’ll need to survive in the business world. Students also benefit from the skills obtained by customizing the layout and designs of social networking profiles and can use these skills later to create resumes and personal websites. Students that are able to easily and quickly share pictures, videos, or stories are able to obtain feedback that allows them to refine and develop their creative work.

Something that I consider very good here at CDS is that students have created their own grade level Facebook pages that are open only to students of a specific “generation” or class, i.e. the class of 2015, and this is used to help each other study, to remind each other of deadlines, and to arrange social events for their entire grade. For our older students, Facebook has become an integral part of school life in the sense that it is an important communication and study tool, completely created and managed by them. Some teachers have also created Facebook pages, separate from their personal accounts, for the sole purpose of answering student questions about school work.

The Bad

You might be wondering why I should care about something that occurs off-campus since we don’t allow students to use social networks while they are at school, but Facebook does have an impact here at school. Despite the obvious advantages of social networking, there are also bad aspects. Our younger students gossip about the latest posts to Facebook instead of paying attention in class; they also find ways to access Facebook at school even though it is blocked on our network. There is a direct relationship between Facebook and grades, the more time on Facebook the lower the grades. Students have discovered that they can often fool their parents into thinking they are using the laptop to study, when they are frequently juggling homework with social networking for hours.

According to Larry Rosen, a professor of psychology at California State University, “We have created a world for students where they cannot focus because we have given them all this really cool stuff that is distracting. We’re teetering on the balance – too much time online can lead to health problems and narcissism, but it can also teach you to be more empathic and develop your sense of self.” Please see Kids Who Use Facebook Do Worse in School for more information.

Here are some of the ways that social networking can have a negative impact on education; for the original article, see Ways Social Media Impacts Education.

• There is a reduced focus on learning and retaining information because students rely on social media and the web to provide immediate answers that are often not remembered.
• The distractions caused by multi-tasking, especially checking social media sites while studying, result in lower academic achievement.
• Students who spend a great deal of time on social networking are less able to effectively communicate in person. Because of the lack of body signals and other nonverbal cues, like tone and inflection, social networking sites are not an adequate replacement for face-to-face communication.
• Social media has created a lax attitude towards proper spelling and grammar, reducing effective writing skills.
• Most students don’t evaluate the content they’re publishing online, which can bring about negative consequences. Many colleges and potential employers investigate an applicant’s social networking profiles before granting acceptance or interviews.
• Children seem to find it easy to post harsh comments about people they know, comments they wouldn’t even consider saying to someone face-to-face. This causes conflict and drama that spills over into school.
• Some people become addicted to social networks, to the point that they have difficulty balancing their online and real world lives, even spending so much time on networks that they do not take care of real world responsibilities such as school work and physical activity.

The Ugly

Over the past year, Consumer Reports said more than five million online households in the U.S. have been subjected to some kind of Internet abuse, such as virus infections and identity theft, via Facebook. About one million children who went on Facebook were exposed to bullying. The survey also revealed that parents of kids 10 and under are friending their kids less frequently than parents of older kids, which means they don’t have the opportunity to monitor their children on the social network.

A New Jersey middle school principal, Anthony Orsini, got so tired of all the drama and conflict brought into the school from outside activity on Facebook that he blocked the site at school and urged parents to block it at home. Mr. Orsini made this move because he saw students as young as fourth grade creating Facebook pages to bully others online. “It’s become meaner and meaner,” he said. “They aren’t socially and emotionally ready to understand.” Mr. Orsini told the news media that administrators and guidance counselors spend “a huge amount of time” dealing with the social and emotional problems that arise online. Please see New Jersey Middle School Principal Urges Facebook, MySpace Block.

Facebook activity has also led to disciplinary action and legal problems. Last year, three middle school students in Georgia were suspended for making untrue, insulting comments about a teacher on Facebook because one of the students was mad at the teacher. The student then argued that the school principal violated her privacy by taking her to a school computer and ordering her to log in to her Facebook account. After reading what had been posted by the student, the principal made the girl delete the posts. The parents sued the school. Please see Student: Principal forced deletion of Facebook posts.

Even the American Academy of Pediatrics is beginning to worry about social networks. They are calling on pediatricians to incorporate questions about social media usage into doctor visits. Experts are worried about cyberbullying as well as how childhood has changed now that many kids prefer digital play over activity outdoors. The shift means that much of children’s social and emotional development is influenced by the Internet; experts suggest it could even lead to “Facebook depression” among children who spend a significant amount of time on the social-networking site. Please see Pediatricians Should Discuss ‘Facebook Depression’ with Kids.

School Policies and Procedures

At CDS, middle school students are encouraged to bring their laptops to school, but they are expected to abide by guidelines. Teachers determine the tasks for which laptops are used. In addition, students are expected to establish passwords to protect the privacy of their information and are responsible for all activity on their computers. Students must follow class directions on the use of the laptops at all times and only access the Internet sites indicated by the teacher. Students must not chat or play video games. Laptops are for school work only and cannot be used during breaks for listening to music, playing games or other non-school related activities.

In addition, we have specific guidelines with respect to social networks. This information appears on page 26 of our Middle School Handbook which you can access through my blog Middle School Principal: Sharing Life in the Middle School. “Social networks are part of each individual’s personal private life. As a general rule, CDS does not approve of staff members sharing social networks with students. Students are not permitted to access any social networks while on campus. In the event that a student uses social networking for the purpose of bullying, teasing, or misrepresenting another student, a staff member, or Country Day School, and this behavior comes to the attention of CDS personnel, the student involved may be required to desist from further inappropriate behavior and receive a logical consequence. Depending on the gravity of the situation, parents may also be asked to attend a conference with the Principal and Counselor.”

Parent Involvement

I had a meeting in December with 20 middle school girls because I wanted to learn more about Facebook and its impact on our school from their perspective. After I shared some of my concerns, I was very impressed with the feedback and recommendations they gave me, especially with regards to trying to balance safe and enjoyable social networking with responsibilities such as school and extracurricular activities. When I told them I was planning to write a blog post for parents about Facebook, they asked me to include the following information.

• Parents should also get Facebook accounts.
• Teach us how to have self-control about Facebook and how to use it appropriately.
• Make sure you tell our parents about the good things like study groups, fun, and socializing.
• We know that some people have no self-control, are easily distracted, and are not aware of the need for balance.
• Mention that only some students have Facebook, and only some have a problem with it.
• Tell parents to watch their kids and be sure they have finished all their homework before logging into Facebook.
• Parents should set time limits on Facebook, but let kids have some privacy.

How can parents reduce the negative aspects of social media while enhancing the positive? I recommend that the school and parents work together to follow the suggestions given above by our students. The easiest and most effective method is to simply control the amount of time children spend on social network sites. Another important method is to pay attention to their academic progress. If grades aren’t where you think they should be, or if you realize that homework assignments are not being done despite your child spending lots of time on the laptop supposedly doing homework, then something clearly isn’t right. Children are notorious for using homework as an excuse to stay on the computer for hours, but what are they actually doing?

You can also use our school as a resource. Facebook safety and privacy will be the focus of the next Family & Education Series presentation on Jan. 25 in the CDS middle school assembly hall beginning at 8:15 AM. I invite all parents with children in grades 4 to 8 to join Josh Knudson and Greg MacGilpin for a A Parent’s Guide to Facebook.

For more advice on what parents can do, please see Common Sense Tips for Digital Generation Parents, The 10 Best and Worst Ways Social Media Impacts Education, and Facebook Class for Parents.

Resources

“Common Sense Tips for Digital Generation Parents.” Edutopia, accessed Jan. 13, 2012. http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-parents-commonsense-video

Dunn, Jeff. “The Ten Best and Worst Ways Social Media Impacts Education,” Edudemic: Connecting Education and Technology, July 11, 2011, accessed Jan. 12, 2012. http://edudemic.com/2011/07/social-media-education/

Fogg, Linda, Baird, Derek, and Fogg, BJ. Facebook for Educators, accessed Jan. 10, 2012. http://facebookforeducators.org/

Heussner, Ki Mae. “Underage Facebook Members: 7.5 Million Users Under Age 13.” ABC News. May 10, 2011, accessed Jan. 10, 2012. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/underage-facebook-members-75-million-users-age-13/story?id=13565619

Levinson, Matt. From Fear to Facebook: One School’s Journey. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, 2010.

Tagami, Ty. “Student: Principal Forces Deletion of Facebook Posts.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. March 3, 2011, accessed Jan. 10, 2012. http://www.ajc.com/news/student-principal-forced-deletion-858326.html

Seventh and eighth graders had an opportunity this week during our middle school town meeting to present their ideas for Healthy People Healthy Planet projects. As you know, this is the school-wide theme for this year. Teachers have been encouraged to include lessons that promote health and students have been asked to create related projects. Some of the innovative projects proposed by our middle school students included the following:

Ms. McCray’s advisees asked for permission to have a class pet, hopefully a guinea pig, which students say will help them become responsible, reduce stress, and be happy. 7D, Mr. Morales’ advisory, would like to either do a beach cleanup or plant trees in a national park. They also suggested CDS extend its No Bottle Thursdays to one more day each week and also have a Green Day when no paper is used at school. Mr. DeBoer’s advisory 8A would like everyone to get more exercise by participating in dodge ball and soccer tournaments here at school. Mr. McCorkle’s students challenged the entire middle school community to drink only water and natural fruit drinks for one week, with nothing out of disposable bottles.

I am very proud of our students and their splendid ideas for contributing to their own health and the health of our planet. I’ll send you an update as we see the projects unfold.

Parents, you can also do your part by encouraging your child to bring to school each day a reusable bottle filled with water or a favorite beverage from home.