Here’s how to reach every student brain

Expert gives educators tips on how to get every student brain to learn

brain-learning-neuroscienceBy now, most educators know that classroom practices such as differentiating instruction, critical thinking, and making the environment less stressful for students are critical to a 21st-century education. But…why does it work? One education and brain expert says it all comes down to chemicals and neurons.

Dr. Sarah Armstrong, the senior director for statewide K-12 professional development at the University of Virginia and a former elementary school principal and assistant superintendent of curriculum, said she became a “brain junkie” in the 1980s and never looked back.

Armstrong, author of Teaching Smarter With the Brain in Focus: Practical Ways to Apply the Latest Brain Research to Deepen Comprehension, Improve Memory, and Motivate Students to Achieve, discussed with educators how students learn at the chemical level, and why certain practices succeed when others fail.…Read More

Brain-wave sensors: The answer to student engagement?

New technology could help educators monitor student engagement in real time, allowing them to adjust their teaching accordingly

brain-student-engagementA Florida-based start-up firm called Nervanix is working on an idea that, if successful, could help educators find the “sweet spot” to effective teaching: maintaining active student engagement.

What if you could tell whether students really were engaged in a lesson or activity, rather than just pretending to be interested or going through the motions?

Furthermore, what if you had a tool that could measure a student’s brain-wave activity in order to develop a profile for the type of content that most engages that student? And what if this tool then could suggest specific content to match the student’s engagement profile?…Read More

Can gaming change education? Brain research has answers.

Studies on gaming’s effects on the brain could shed new light on educational gaming and how today’s students learn

gaming-brain-educationAs video games continue to permeate our culture, students are increasingly interested in using video games for learning. This interest has prompted universities and neurologists to explore what the popularity of gaming and how gaming as a whole affects the brain, as well as how today’s student learn.

According to a paper by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), games, when developed correctly and used appropriately, can engage players in learning that is specifically applicable to curriculum—and educators can leverage the learning in these games without disrupting the worlds of either “play” or school.

Moving Learning Games Forward: Obstacles, Opportunities, and Openness,”  by Eric Klopfer, Scot Osterweil, and Katie Salen of the Education Arcade, an MIT research division that explores games that promote learning through play, explains why educational games have seen an increase in popularity: mainly owing to the advances in consumer games.…Read More

What educators can learn from brain research

How to choose applicable neuroscience research, connecting research to campus faculty, and one fascinating study on emotions

brain2As technology advances, new discoveries based on brain mapping are helping researchers understand how students learn. But how can educators spot the best neuroscience research, and how are researchers partnering with university staff to implement applicable research? Thanks to expert reports and diverse initiatives, higher education can reap the benefits of cutting-edge brain research.

Thanks to functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)–a type of non-invasive, low-radiation brain scan that measures neural activity in response to certain stimuli, and developed forms of neuroimaging–researchers are learning more about how we learn than many thought possible.

For example, perhaps the most shocking revelation in neuroscience is that the brain’s structure is more flexible than previously thought–a concept called neuroplasticity, meaning that the brain can still learn new concepts after various ages, and that every student can be taught many different ways. In a sense, the brain can be rewired.…Read More

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