Michael Gurian

1

Michael Gurian

2

Understanding the Minds of Boys and Girls

Michael Gurian

3

Nature, Nurture, and Culture• Gender, like personality, is based in nature, and expressed

through nurture, socialization, and culture.• Nature-Based Theory. Nurture the Nature. An Eco-Systems

Approach.

Michael Gurian

4

Some Potential Questions from Your Students/Staff/Leadership

• How race/ethnicity plays a part in discipline and motivation.• Suicide Prevention, Social Emotional Learning, Success Pressure• Effects of chronic learning/life stress on the developing brain.• Bullying/behavior/discipline policies and procedures in the district.• Health and wellness questions for individual students in distress.• The need to take a “system-wide” approach that unites five populations/five elements of

training and innovation:

• –Teachers/buildings district-wide• --Students/children district-wide• –Parents/community members in the district• –Mental health professionals in the district

–District Leadership/Administration

GI Approaches each issue from a gender lens, utilizing holistic research in nature, nurture, and culture.

Michael Gurian

5

Four Aspects of He and She• Anatomical Sex (reproductive organs, genes-X/Y, cells,

anatomy/body.• Sex in the Brain (differentiated in utero as male and female on

a spectrum of male/female, including transgender brain)• Sexual Orientation (differentiated in the brain, sexually

dimorphic nucleus/anterior hypothalamus, genetics)• Gender Fluidity (like Androgyny movement), creates social

pressure (sometimes healthy) to continue to advance culture into diversity consciousness regarding gender roles.

--Hard science backs up the first three aspects; mainly soft science propels the fourth with anecdotes and opinions--Become a citizen scientist!

Michael Gurian

66

Three Steps1. Chromosome markers2. In utero development3. Nurture/culture/socialization

*Trans-cultural analysis. No gender stereotypes!

*Brain is pre-set for gender, including gender spectrum.

*AND: we do lifelong refinement of the brain

*Gender has low plasticity, nurture guides brain expression, but format and structure are pre-set.

Michael Gurian

7

Testosterone – architect of the maleMuscle mass, bone density, brain development

Michael Gurian

8

Citizen Science: Dolls and Trucks Experiment

Michael Gurian

9

Changes in Gender Differences in the Brain

Michael Gurian

10

Areas of Gender Difference Throughout the Brain

Transcultural Brain Differences, 2017 Study

Daniel Amen, M.D. 46,000 scan study Side View of the Brain

• “Blood flow results from tens of thousands of study subjects show increased blood flow in women compared to men, highlighted in the red colored areas of the brain: the cingulate gyrus and precuneus. Men in this image have higher blood flow in blue colored areas – the cerebellum.”

Michael Gurian

12

Features of the Female Brain: Most Teachers

♀ More brain activity (15-30% more glucose metabolism), even in a rest state

♀ More white matter, connecting more dots; better facial cues recognition ♀ More verbal centers in the female brain that cross communicate♀ Greater internal sensory and emotive experience processed♀ More corpus callosum activity, thus more cross talk between hemispheres

Michael Gurian

1313

Key Gender Differences…Males Tend Toward:

♂ More reliance on spatial-mechanicals; visual/graphic, for relationships; less verbal.

♂ Greater activity in the cerebellum (a “doing” center)♂ More gray matter, less inductive processing (less diverse data

processed--especially if it is sensory or emotive)♂ More motivation/habit (basal ganglia) risk; less cingulate gyrus activity♂ Larger amygdala--right side dominant.

Halpern, D. F., C. P. Benbow, D. C. Geary, R. C. Gur, J. S. Hyde, and M. A. Gernsbacher. “The Science of Sex Differences in Science and Mathematics.” Psychological Science in the Public Interest (August 2007), 8 (1).

Helping Boys Thrive

Developing Spatial Intelligence

•Spatial also develops

--Social-Emotional brain--Motivational brain--Impulse control--Self-Regulation--Cognitive functioning--Concentration, focus--STEM, tech, etc.

It can be as good as “use yourwords” but we don’t respect itas much (recess, movement, squeeze balls). 14

THE SCIENCE

FEMALE BRAINMALE BRAIN

Michael Gurian

16

Boys Hunt Differently than Girls……a father of two daughters, keeping a sense of humor!

Humor is a Crucial Tool with Males.

Michael Gurian

17

In general, the language-related brain activity in girls was on both sides of the brain whereas the activity in boys was only evident on the left side. Reliance on different brain areas for accurate language performance suggests that boys and girls are processing language information differently.

Sources: D. Burman (2009. “Gender Differences in Language Abilities: Evidence from Brain Imaging”; D. Kimura (2000). “Sex and cognition”; P. Howell, S. Davis & R. Williams (2008).

Visual-Graphic, Spatial Mechanical for boys but vulnerability for girls: girls only day in the block corner; do task while talking then while not talking

Michael Gurian

18

(Brain Scans Provided by Daniel Amen, M.D.)

Brain Scans: Brains at Rest

Female Male

Michael Gurian

19

Brains at Rest, IICourtesy of Daniel Amen, M.D. , www.amenclinics.com

The Secret: Boys and Girls Learn Differently

Michael Gurian

21

Male vulnerability: Boys get bored (enter rest state) more easily than girls; this often requires more/varying

stimulation to keep them attentive. (Average Attention Span = 5 minutes)

Girls are better at self-managing boredom and less likely to “give up” on the educational process or act out.

(Average Attention Span = 15 – 20 minutes)

Boredom

22

Emotional Memory: Female Vulnerability/ rumination

Research: Women tend to use both sides of the brain to respond to emotional experiences; men use only one.

Brain Scans: When viewing emotional images, nine areas light up for women; two areas light up for men.

So, while every human being ruminates, girls and boys tend to have different thresholds.The Wonder of Girls

Michael Gurian

23

Female Bridge Male Male

Scans Provided by Daniel Amen, M.D. www.amenclinics.com

Diversity: The “Bridge Brain”

Michael Gurian

2424

Girls have higher levels of oxytocin.

Boys have higher levels of testosterone.

Aggression Nurturance, Empathy Nurturance, Bi-Strategic and Multi-Strategic Approaches, Safe Emotional Container