Chewing Gum in middle schools, an act that has been prohibited for quite a while. Most kids in their preteen to early teen years enjoy chewing gum, as do many other age groups. If the middle school that a student attends does allow chewing gum, some teachers may be strongly opposed to the idea. With the strict rule of no chewing gum in middle school, the facility is not allowing the students to receive the benefits that gum chewing gives. I would like to list those benefits, and resolve any situations that may come up if the rule of gum chewing is allowed.
The company that produces wrigley gum performed a study on the benefits of hewing gum in class. It was headed by Craig A. Johnston who has a Ph.D. for children's nutrition research center Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. This took place from 9:00 to 10:00 am on Wednesday, April 22, at the American Society for Nutrition in 2009. they found the following research.
The researchers found that students who chewed gum showed an increase in standardized testing scores, and their final grades were better than those who didn't chew gum. If chewing gum increases grades, shouldn't we be able to chew it in school? Isn't school all about grades? Not only do schools want to give their students a start at life and a brighter future, but seeing their school as one of the top schools in the area grade wise, it wouldn't only be rewarding to the teachers for doing exceptionally at their jobs, but to the students, who got fabulous grades to help set a good model for younger students.
they also found that students who chewed gum during math class for fourteen weeks and while doing homework had an extreme increase in their standardized math test scores compared to those who didn't chew gum. Chewing gum has been scientifically proven to increase memory, thus making you remember those pesky math drills better. the motion of chewing gum exercises a part of the brain, which increases blood flow. From personal experience, I know on Monday mornings it's hard to zone in on those two step equations. getting blood flowing through your body wakes you up and makes you more alert, thus helping you stay focused. Summing up everything I just said, Chewing gum makes raises grades because it makes you more alert, focused, and increases memory.
Another experiment was held also. At the university of Northumbria in Great Britain in 2001, Professor Andrew Scholey performed a research project to figure out the benefits and effects of gum chewing. He took three controlled groups of people, and had them all take the same test. One group chewed gum during the test. Another pretended to chew gum, just acting out the movement of of chewing, and the last group kept their jaws and lips still. After the test, Scholey found that things were revealed about gum chewing. The gum chewers doubled the scores of those who kept their jaws still. The group who didn't chew gum but still moved their jaws improved, but not as well as those who chewed for real. they did significantly compare to those who did nothing at all.
Scholey found that there are insulin receptors in the brain, on both right and left hemispheres. When the insulin went into the grooves of the hemispheres, they excite the parts of the brain cause attention, comprehension, and memory. The insulin is caused by the chewing movement, and the body getting in sync, and the body being fooled into thinking that real food is coming. Insulin is released because insulin's job is to control glucose in the blood, so if the brain believes that you are going to receive food that contains glucose, it creates insulin. So, therefor, chewing increases attention, comprehension, and your memory.
So, what about gum on the floors at school? Under the desks or chairs? Every school has those few who are "rebels." If schools allowed gum chewing, they could have a meeting at the beginning of the school year, like a laptop meeting, to discuss the penalties and rules of chewing gum on the school property. If students are continually caught being irresponsible with the subject, ban chewing gum for a week. try to pinpoint what class and/or what person seems to be causing the most issues. If it is a specific person, and they get caught numerous times acting irresponsibly, it could end in a demerit and/or detention. If it is a more general group, say a class, have meeting with that class and explain the rules once again. Explain that chewing gum is a privilege, not a right. If necessary, make up a contract having all students agree to the rules and agree to accept any punishment that may come their way resulting from their actions. That way, they can't have the excuse of "you never said that" or "that's not what I heard." It would be practically fool proof. Until people turned in their contracts, they would not be allowed to chew gum.
Middle schoolers love chewing gum, and we all love it for different reasons. It tastes good, it makes your breath smell good, and for a teachers benefit, it would most likely keep kids quiet during class. they will be busy chewing away. There are so many benefits, and if gum chewing was allowed, those students could achieve those benefits. The school could even do a test sort of thing. They could consider it a research project. For one week, allow middle schoolers to chew gum. If everything goes smoothly, it should be okay. If it's a disaster, well, it wasn't a good idea. So, with all the good things that could come of it, why not give it a try? You may be surprised at what us pesky kids could accomplish.
Works cited
Lind, AE. (2009). New study shows chewing gum can lead to better academic performance in teenagers. retrieved from http://www.eurekalert.org/pub releases/2009-04/epr-nss041709.php
wnchsler, HB. (2006). Forget what you heard in school, chewing gum activates your brain. retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Forget-what-you-heard-in-school,-Chewing-Gum-Activates-You-Brain&id=198507
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
i agree
ReplyDelete