Arnow, Jan. Teaching Peace . New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 1995.

            Teaching Peace , written by Jan Arrow, is an informative book for teachers.   This book discusses relevant problems facing schools today.   Gender discrimination is particularly analyzed in this text.   Arnow discusses the discrimination in the areas of science, mathematics, and technology.   Arnow provides various suggestions for tackling gender discrimination in the school. This source can be used as a purposeful text for all teachers.   Although the primary audience intended is teachers, this book can also be very useful for parents as well.   Parents that read this book can implement many similar techniques into their parenting styles.   For example, many parents tend to encourage their sons to succeed in technological tasks and not their daughters.   After reading this book, parents will realize the detrimental affects that this action will have on their children.   Not only will they realize the harmful affects, but they will also be provided with many suggestions to eliminate this gender discrimination.  

She brings up many aspects of this gender discrimination but focuses mainly on mathematics, science, and technology.   In these areas, females are often discriminated against.   Arnow argues that this type of teaching is problematic and that there are ways to change this way of teaching.   She argues that it is essential to reform these content areas so that they include females and their learning styles.   Arnow suggests several methods to improve this, but also includes support materials that teachers could use to promote gender equity.   This inclusion that Arnow provided is imperative as gender discrimination is not just seen in teaching methods, but also in the materials that teachers use including text books, films, etc.

Arnow acknowledges and focuses on the different approaches that boys and girls have when learning.   She says, "Girls prefer to use conversational style that builds group accord...boys learn through argument, individual activity and independent work...which is in direct opposition to the learning style of girls."   Although I appreciate her realization that boys and girls may learn differently; I feel that this generalization further perpetuates the stereotypes of boys and girls and their learning styles.   Although some girls prefer "conversational style," not all girls work best in this atmosphere.

In Teaching Peace , Arnow provides sections titles "How Do You Rate?"   These sections pose probing questions that allow teachers to evaluate their own forms of instruction and the materials he or she may use in their classroom.   For example, Arnow asks the readers to evaluate their classroom visuals.   She asks "Can each of your students see in her classroom a picture or some other visual image of someone with whom she can identify?"   This gender sensitivity is important.   If a young girl in a science classroom sees only pictures of males performing science experiments, she is likely to feel that science is only for males and that she can not succeed in this subject.  

I believe that Teaching Peace is successful because Arnow backs up her claims and suggestions with charts and questionnaires.   Also, Arnow provides the reader with various resources for attaining additional information on these problems.

The only limitation I can find in this source is that I find it to be one sided.   Arnow discusses discrimination against girls in great detail; however, she rarely mentions discrimination that may occur against boys in schooling.   I realize that this does not happen as frequently, but if teachers solely focus on eliminating gender discrimination against girls, problems may arise.   Teachers have the ability to reverse this discrimination and turn it against boys(It is possible that teachers may focus so much on including girls that they exclude boys.)   Therefore, I feel that it is important to use this sources, but also to be sure not to exclude boys.   Arnow's approach is very hands-on.   This is a valuable addition to all teachers' libraries as it greatly contributes to the overall issue of gender discrimination in school sites.   - J.S.