Engaging Boys through Technology

2. Engaging Boys through Technology Integrating new technologies to empower learning and transform leadership

3. Overview • Introduce boys’ education as an issue of concern, internationally and nationally. • Briefly explain why there are gender differences in learning. • Outline practical strategies using technology that work for boys in the classroom.

4. Is there a gender difference?

5. Boys’ Education as an Issue • International Research • Noticeable achievement gap, literacy key concern • Educational initiatives in USA, Britain and Australia • National Research • Gender gap apparent from entry to primary school to completion of university degrees. • Clear gender gap in NCEA achievement and endorsements • Male students are • more than twice as likely to be given a suspension • three times more likely to be excluded or expelled • more likely to be granted an early leaving exemption • less likely to stay at school until the age of 17.5 than female students.

6. 2007 NCEA Results by Gender and Year Level Source: Boys’ Education: Good Practice in Secondary Schools, ERO, July 2008

7. 2008 NCEA Results by Gender and Year Level Source: NZQA Online Statistics

9. Premier Scholarship Winners 2005 - 2010

10. "And thus, dear students, we have arrived at the formula for understanding women."

11. Why are there differences? • Structural differences in the brain • More developed spatial area • Less connections between the hemispheres • Smaller hippocampus – memory centre • Chemical differences within the brain • Less ‘calming’ serotonin • Less ‘bonding’ oxytocin • More ‘sex and aggression’ testosterone • Also of note • Less active resting brains • Less developed hearing

12. Take 5

13. How can technology be used? • Grabbing attention/ engagement • Teaching Tasks • Collaboration • Modelling best practice • Feedback • Presentation / Assessments • Revision

14. 1. Attention and Engagement • The multi-purpose tennis ball • The power of playdoh • Flashing names

15. 2. Teaching Tasks • Interactive Classroom • Microsoft technology • Puzzlemaker • discoveryeducation.com • theteacherscorner.net • Online lessons • schoolhistory.co.uk • www.famouspeoplelessons.com • Interesting websites • flocabulary.com

16. Interactive Classroom

17. Quick Poll

18. Highlighting Points

19. 2. Teaching Tasks • Interactive Classroom • Microsoft technology • Puzzlemaker • discoveryeducation.com • theteacherscorner.net • Online lessons • schoolhistory.co.uk • Interesting websites • flocabulary.com

20. 3. Collaboration • Sky Drive • Microsoft One Note

21. Sky Drive – Home Page

22. One Note - Student Work

23. 4. Modelling best practice • Scaffolding for students • Tedtalks

24. 5. Feedback • Using a tablet • Tracking changes on Word

26. Tracking changes on Word

27. 6. Presentation / Assessment • Open choice assignments • Manly Apostrophes • Classics Rap

28. 7. Revision • A new use for flyswats • Quizlet – online flashcards • Simple games • classtools.net

29. Revision and Review • There is a national and international trend of underachievement for boys at all levels. • Male and female brains are different and this impacts on their learning • Ways that technology can help in your teaching: • Grabbing attention/ engagement • Teaching Tasks • Collaboration • Modelling best practice • Feedback • Presentation / Assessments • Revision

30. Is technology the only way?

31. Contact details • Alison Derbyshire • Saint Kentigern College, Auckland • derbyshirea@skc.school.nz • Nicola Jacobsen • Botany Downs Secondary College, Auckland • n.jacobsen@bdsc.school.nz