BlogsAcademicsPre-K to 8Learning CenterUpper School
Fascinating News from the Learning and the Brain Conference
Nov 30, 2012 2:04 PM
By Jean Bonnyman - FF/S
The weekend before Thanksgiving, Lisa Goldin and I went to the Learning and the Brain Conference in Boston, where the leaders who connect learning to brain research present their latest work.
Learning and the Brain is also on the front line of what is now called the 21st Century classroom. Because of the technology available to students today and the research on the brain (that is related to learning), it is well documented that the old 19th Century classroom, where “teacher lectures, student takes notes, student regurgitates information” is not the best way to learn any more (in fact it never was). By introducing project-based learning this year, Darlington is delving into creating 21st Century learning.
Here are some interesting bullets from this year’s conference:
*More than ever, research is demonstrating that environment is important to the “good genes” being “turned on” as opposed to a “bad environment” turning on the “bad genes.” The old nature verses nurture argument (which is more important to behavior, genes or environment) has a new twist now. The new field of epigenetics (gene expression) has begun. People have lots of different genes, but what genes get “turned on” is more susceptible to environment than previously thought. This has all kinds of implications for the family and school environment a child grows up in today.
*Every person’s brain is different, like a fingerprint. People learn differently, which really showcases that teaching all students the same way is not the best method. What kind of a learner are you? If you want to see your learning style on a pie chart, take the learning styles test here.
*True learning takes place when we can connect previous knowledge to new contexts. (This is one reason why it is so important to catch learning challenges early. If a child misses information on a regular basis, they can’t build on what they don’t know.) Learning that has connections to the real world and past experiences gives meaning to new learning because the benefits are clear and therefore more interesting. This is where the question, “When am I ever going to use this?” comes from.
*21st Century learning emphasizes developing what is called higher order thinking skills (basically advanced reasoning skills). To teachers, the question is, “How do I teach my students to think?” Humans are natural experimenters; just watch a toddler exploring their world. Experimental learning and trial and error driven by curiosity is far more effective than passive learning and memorization (the old way).
*Brain research shows that the more intelligent a child is, the more likely their brain matures about five years more slowly. This is also uniformly true for students who are ADHD. This is a critical consideration for parents and teachers, so they don’t discourage a beautifully capable child. Human brains develop differently, and in different periods of time.
Want to know more about brain development of children? Check out Your Brain on Childhood: The Unexpected Side Effects of Classrooms, Ball Parks, Family Rooms and the Minivan by Gabrielle Principe.
Learning and the Brain is also on the front line of what is now called the 21st Century classroom. Because of the technology available to students today and the research on the brain (that is related to learning), it is well documented that the old 19th Century classroom, where “teacher lectures, student takes notes, student regurgitates information” is not the best way to learn any more (in fact it never was). By introducing project-based learning this year, Darlington is delving into creating 21st Century learning.
Here are some interesting bullets from this year’s conference:
*More than ever, research is demonstrating that environment is important to the “good genes” being “turned on” as opposed to a “bad environment” turning on the “bad genes.” The old nature verses nurture argument (which is more important to behavior, genes or environment) has a new twist now. The new field of epigenetics (gene expression) has begun. People have lots of different genes, but what genes get “turned on” is more susceptible to environment than previously thought. This has all kinds of implications for the family and school environment a child grows up in today.
*Every person’s brain is different, like a fingerprint. People learn differently, which really showcases that teaching all students the same way is not the best method. What kind of a learner are you? If you want to see your learning style on a pie chart, take the learning styles test here.
*True learning takes place when we can connect previous knowledge to new contexts. (This is one reason why it is so important to catch learning challenges early. If a child misses information on a regular basis, they can’t build on what they don’t know.) Learning that has connections to the real world and past experiences gives meaning to new learning because the benefits are clear and therefore more interesting. This is where the question, “When am I ever going to use this?” comes from.
*21st Century learning emphasizes developing what is called higher order thinking skills (basically advanced reasoning skills). To teachers, the question is, “How do I teach my students to think?” Humans are natural experimenters; just watch a toddler exploring their world. Experimental learning and trial and error driven by curiosity is far more effective than passive learning and memorization (the old way).
*Brain research shows that the more intelligent a child is, the more likely their brain matures about five years more slowly. This is also uniformly true for students who are ADHD. This is a critical consideration for parents and teachers, so they don’t discourage a beautifully capable child. Human brains develop differently, and in different periods of time.
Want to know more about brain development of children? Check out Your Brain on Childhood: The Unexpected Side Effects of Classrooms, Ball Parks, Family Rooms and the Minivan by Gabrielle Principe.
