Group items tagged

"How we learn, remember, process information, create ideas and solve problems lies inside our brain. In our lessons on cognitive perspective, you'll take a look at all these functions and processes to gain a better understanding of how they occur. "

"In this funny, enlightening talk, educational psychologist Peter Doolittle details the importance - and limitations - of your "working memory," that part of the brain that allows us to make sense of what's happening right now. "

""How We Learn: The Surprising Truth about When, Where, and Why It Happens," author Benedict Carey informs us that "most of our instincts about learning are misplaced, incomplete, or flat wrong" and "rooted more in superstition than in science."

"Doing more than one task at a time, especially more than one complex task, takes a toll on productivity. Although that shouldn't surprise anyone who has talked on the phone while checking E-mail or talked on a cell phone while driving, the extent of the problem might come as a shock. Psychologists who study what happens to cognition (mental processes) when people try to perform more than one task at a time have found that the mind and brain were not designed for heavy-duty multitasking. "

"Recent neuroscientific findings have uncovered the source of our motivation to learn, or as neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp terms it, the drive to seek. Seeking is what gets us out of bed in the morning, the engine that powers our actions, and the need that manifests as curiosity."

How can we create professional development that engenders deep learning?

"Edutopia's list of resources, articles, videos, and links for exploring the connection between education and neuroscience."

"MindUP™ teaches social and emotional learning skills that link cognitive neuroscience, positive psychology and mindful awareness training utilizing a brain centric approach. "

"Researchers have looked at the differences in cognitive function of people who have slept four or six or eight hours and how their brains function."

I believe sleep, rest and being relaxed play a huge role in our alertness and readiness to learn. Unfortunately, many children today are overloaded with activities and busy schedules. Coming to school stressed and tired is just another ingredient in the recipe for disaster. Maria Tovo

"One way to create a fully student-engaged learning environment is to allow students to explore content in four brain-based learning areas"

In this article, I argue that today will always be the best day to try or learn something new. You can't teach an old dog new tricks (well you can, but it's hard) Neuroplasticity is the brain's way of reprogramming itself based on what it does. Your brain actually changes structure with new experiences.

International Educational Consultant Dr. David A. Sousa is an international consultant in educational neuroscience and author of 15 books that suggest ways that educators and parents can translate current brain research into strategies for improving learning.