The New York Times Sunday Magazine ran a great education story by Elizabeth Weil today. You should read it. And, since you seem to have ample amounts of free time to do nutty things like read a NYT cover story, perhaps you can come up with a solution to the cold fusion problem.
For the rest of the mere mortals who have kids and no quiet time, let me sum up. There is a movement afoot to create more single sex classrooms, especially in underserved schools in poor urban areas. The fundamental question is a simple one -- do boys and girls learn differently?
The short answer is: Not really, at least not in a way that we can measure. Just like every human has his or her own quirks and abilities, kids can't be easily categorized based solely on their plumbing. Or, as one researcher asks, is gender the right tool for sorting minds?
Still, in certain neighborhoods, gender segregated classrooms do seem to benefit some students. The larger question is why that might be.
Honestly, if you get the chance, read the whole piece. But if educational policy wonk doesn't fry your chalupa, now you can hold forth about the issue at the next PTA meeting thanks to my Cliff Notes version. You can thank me later.
Photo Credit: Michele Asselin for The New York Times
