Why Choose a Single-Sex School

No single educational environment is right for every student. From varying learning styles to different interests, education has become an incredibly diverse and customized experience for students. For some children, the best learning environment is one that removes students of the opposite gender from the equation.  Research has shown that single-sex education offers benefits for both girls and boys. While it has long been known that girls do better academically in all-girls’ environments, more recent research has shown that boys may fare even better than girls in single-sex classrooms. The research fairly overwhelmingly and  consistently points to the advantages of single-sex schools. For example, a study at Stetson University  in Florida showed that among fourth graders at a public elementary school in the state, 37% of boys reached proficiency levels in co-ed classes, while 86% of boys in single-sex classrooms did (the boys in the study were matched so that they were statistically equivalent). While 59% of girls reached a proficient level in co-ed classrooms, 75% did when they were only with girls. This type of research has been carried out and substantiated among students of different economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds in many different industrialized countries around the world. Part of the magic of single-sex schools is that the teaching methods can be adjusted to the students. Well-trained teachers at girls’ and boys’ single-sex schools can take advantage of the specific ways in which girls and boys learn. For example, boys often need a higher level of activity, while girls might need more reassurance that they have something to offer to the classroom discussion. In a typical co-ed classroom, it is difficult for one teacher to use these specific strategies for all the students. Here are some other advantages of single-sex schools: Girls Gain Greater Confidence CRC Health studies show that one-quarter of the female members of Congress and one-third of the female board members of Fortune 100 companies attended girls’ schools. This staggering statistic might be in part because girls in single-sex schools learn to feel confident about their ideas, and they more readily jump into class discussions when they are not self-conscious. In a girls’ school, students are not worried about what boys will think about them, and they shed the traditional idea that girls should be demure or quiet. Boys and Girls Feel Comfortable in Non-traditional Subjects Boys in boys’ schools feel comfortable in areas that they learn to avoid in co-ed schools, such as literature, writing, and foreign languages. Many boys’ schools emphasize these subjects, and the teachers in these schools are able to plan the curriculum so that the themes in the books the boys read are geared towards their concerns and interests, as opposed to the usual â€Å"girl-centered† books in many co-ed schools. For example, boys may read stories about boys coming of age, such as Homer’s The Odyssey, and the students’ analyses of these works can be centered on boys’ concerns. Girls in girls’ schools, on the other hand, tend to feel more comfortable in areas that they traditionally shy away from, such as math and science. In all-female schools, they can have female role models who enjoy these subjects, and they are encouraged to be interested in these areas without competition from boys. Students Unlearn Gender Stereotypes In boys’ schools, boys fill every role—whether it’s a traditional role such as captain of the basketball team or whether it’s an untraditional role such as the editor of the yearbook. There are no stereotypes about which types of roles boys should fill. Similarly, in a girls’ school, girls are the head of every sport and organization and can comfortably take on such untraditional roles as head of the student body or head of the physics club. In this way, students in these schools unlearn traditional stereotypes and do not tend to think of roles in terms of gender. Single-Sex Classrooms Often have Better Discipline While sometimes all-girls’ and all-boys’ classrooms have a certain relaxed quality borne of freedom to express themselves, single-sex classrooms have been shown overall to have fewer discipline problems, particularly for boys. Students are no longer busy impressing or competing against the opposite sex but can get down to the true business of learning. Many parents who attended co-ed schools may feel uncomfortable at first exploring the single-sex school option for their children, but there is no doubt that many students learn better in these types of schools.

The Effects Of Sexual Content On Children s Programming

Sexual Content in Children’s Programming Children’s programming is beginning to raise a concern among many parents due to sexual content being included along with other inappropriate scenes like violence, offensive language or verbal abuse. In a news article by Cheryl Wetzstein, she reports that â€Å"one in ten parents agreed that there were â€Å"a lot† of good programs on for kids† because all the programs are portraying sexual content or violence instead of being educational to children (pg. 40). Due to the recent technological advancements, children’s media exposure has increased, causing more children to be bombarded with shows featuring sexual innuendos, sexual activity or adult subtext. Not only is the sexual content being included frequently in programming, children are facing the content in advertisements as well. An example of this is the advertisement poster for The Lion King. The film poster features the face of Simba in which many anal yzers and parents are pointing out that between the eyes and above the nose features an image that looks like the â€Å"butt of a naked woman† creating a sexualized image some children could pick up on (Fyfe, 2006, pg. 8). Sexual content throughout children’s programming can have both positive and negative effects on the children watching. Many children will become able to understand what is going on in the show or film causing questioning and new thoughts or ideas about sexual activity While parents have a concern about sexual content beingShow MoreRelatedTelevision And Its Effects On Children1673 Words   |  7 Pageslives of most people. People spend hours every day watching television programming, so of course this will affect their behavior. Television is like a window to the modern world. Many people view the programs that are aired on television; they can gain a lot of information and knowledge. Most programming like the National Geographic and Discovery Chann els can be used as an educational tools in schools and at home to teach our children to learn instead of reading books. Unfortunately, some programs thatRead More Television and Censorship - Violence Rating System Needed for TV1130 Words   |  5 PagesViolence Rating System Needed for TV Programs While society recognizes the detrimental effects of general television on children, parents and other child advocacy groups dont feel as though there is an adequate rating system. Consequences of ineffective rating systems are that childrens personalities are being negatively affected. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has made legislation to address this issue, but the childrens advocacy community is still dissatisfied. 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Those in society that simply do not know any better, such as children, are inclined to imitate what they see being done. Without censorship daily television shows are increasingly exhibiting more violence, foul language and sexuality to susceptible youth. Due to lack of censorship, explicit music lyrics and inappropriate images on music videos are being introduced to impressionable children. There is a lack of control on the internet leading to internet addiction and forcesRead MoreThe Negative Influence of Television on Children2095 Words   |  9 Pagesdebate as to how television media affects our children. Many parents have been concerned since the beginning of television. Through extensive research over the last few decades, television has been thought to desensitize and have detrimental effects on our children, which inhibits them from developing feelings of security, compassion, diplomacy, and discernment. Television watching also promotes violence, unsafe sexual practices, and eating disorders in children. According to Muscari, the average AmericanRead MoreTV Censorship Essay1523 Words   |  7 Pagestelevision are made to be broken. The amount of violence, vulgarity, and sexual content that can be found this year on television is unprecedented in the history of broadcasting. Many people wonder how television could have sunk to such a low level of glorifying violence, embracing vulgar language, and expanding sexual content in current programming. Most viewers are troubled more by violence on TV than by profanity or sexual content. Vulgar language is being embraced faster than we think. There areRead MoreHow Television Images Affect Children1547 Words   |  7 PagesHow Television Images Affect Children by Ron Kaufman [A nursery school teacher told me] her children were crudely bopping each other much more than previously, without provocation. When she remonstrated with them, they would protest, But that s what the Three Stooges do. This attitude did not signify a serious undermining of character. But it certainly showed me that watching violence can lower a child s standards of behavior. Recent psychological experiments have shown that watching brutalityRead MoreEffects of Television as Mass Media on Children of 10 Years1893 Words   |  8 Pageshttp://customwritingtips.com/component/k2/item/11170-effect-of-mass-media-on-children.html Thursday, 01 November 2012 12:27 Effect of Mass Media on ChildrenFeatured Written by  Ã‚  customwritingtips.com Introduction Mass media is a collective term that refers to all the media technologies whose sole intention is reaching a vast audience through mass communication. There are two major categories of mass media, which are, broadcast media and print media. Transmission of information by broadcast

Kill the Media Free Essays

The formation of personal identity in present-day society can be seen as awkward and challenging. Many teenagers gravitate towards the media for direction on how to stay up-to-date and fresh on trends while going through a tumultuous puberty stage. The dominant influence of accepted media affects every individual’s sense of self. We will write a custom essay sample on Kill the Media or any similar topic only for you Order Now Lauren Moak, author of â€Å"Is This What You Really Want? † attempts to explain the effect media portrayal has on a younger audience’s stance on beauty and self-esteem. She states, â€Å"The media sends the same message on every commercial, billboard, and television show out there. If you do not have the perfect shape, clear complexion†¦well, you’re not â€Å"beautiful†. † (Moak). Moak verifies that the mainstream media crafts images that youthful individuals struggle to become. Every day many girls strive to fit the mold the media has created. Girls fixate over thin frames, tan skin, and unattainable facial features. What many fail to realize is that most, if not all, images are airbrushed or photo-shopped to transform the average face of a model to an unrealistic being. Moak further elucidates her point by saying, â€Å"The media says that if we all fail at achieving this â€Å"ideal† body image, we must try harder no matter what the costs. †(Moak). Attempting to assemble an identity in a media-saturated world is nearly impossible. Everything one does is inspiration from the media and what society deems as â€Å"right†. Self-individuality cannot coexist with popular media. Personal identity, as well as gender identity suffers from the media. Many images from popular media exhibit cliched, constricting, and naive perceptions on various issues, most commonly being gender. David Sedaris, author of â€Å"I Like Guys†, explains his self-awareness of his own sexuality and the portrayal of homosexuals by the media and close people around him. Early into his essay, he describes, â€Å"It was my hope to win a contest, cash in the prizes, and use the money to visit a psychiatrist who might cure me of having homosexual thoughts. † (Sedaris). By Sedaris wanting to instantly be cured from homosexual thoughts, it shows that homosexuality is not acceptable in his society. He also explains viewing homosexual men on television and looking down upon them. This is parallel to the gender identity issues in present-day society because the media is yet again forcing their viewpoints onto others and limiting individual’s perception of people. This, in turn, leads to new stereotypes and discrimination against sexes. One should not feel ashamed, but instead entitled to one’s own views and standpoints on issues. Sedaris expresses the immediate shame he felt after an encounter with another boy. He states, â€Å"My jealousy stemmed from the belief that he had been cured. One fistful of my flesh and he had lost all symptoms of the disease†¦why couldn’t I do the same? † (Sedaris). The media’s continuous backlash to painful topics causes gender identity issues to prevail. Judith Ortiz Cofer, author of â€Å"The Myth Of The Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria† attempts to explain the effect media portrayal has on a younger audience’s stance on beauty and self-esteem. She states, â€Å"The media sends the same message on every commercial, billboard, and television show out there. If you do not have the perfect shape, clear complexion†¦well, you’re not â€Å"beautiful†. (Cofer). Moak verifies that the mainstream media crafts images that youthful individuals struggle to become. Every day many girls strive to fit the mold the media has created. Girls fixate over thin frames, tan skin, and unattainable facial features. What many fail to realize is that most, if not all, images are airbrushed or photo- shopped to transform the average face of a model to an unrealistic being. Moak further elucidates her point by saying, â€Å"The media says that if we all fail at achieving this â€Å"ideal† body image, we must try harder no matter what the costs. (Cofer). Attempting to assemble an identity in a media-saturated world is nearly impossible. Everything one does is inspiration from the media and what society deems as â€Å"right†. Self-individuality cannot coexist with popular media. The formation of personal identity in present-day society can be seen as awkward and challenging. Many teenagers gravitate towards the media for direction on how to stay up-to-date and fresh on trends while going through a tumultuous puberty stage. The dominant influence of accepted media affects every individual’s sense of self. How to cite Kill the Media, Papers