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All the teen brain research is spawning another placemat idea... one for health class and the counselors office on how to be a successful teen. I think if kids knew some of the research, it might help them at least understand more about their own struggles... And they struggle! That's the understatement of the century! My daughter's friends are dropping like flies.
I am more interested in math, science and English, but the research is just too juicy not to put into a placemat. It's early, but to date, I think there are three central themes needed to be a successful teenager.
The first is to have a "rock" in your life. This is an adult role. Not necessarily a mentor or parent or teacher or someone wise. I like to think it's more about intervention. This adult will intervene when necessary and keep a kid on the right track.
The second component is a champion. The student needs to find a subject matter that is self-sustaining, s/he will learn it on his/her own. Then they need to find a single friend who will champion that passion. It needs to be someone with a similar passion.
The third component is curiosity. The pathway from working to background memory feeds off curiosity. This is why a student can tell you all about last night's Vampire Diaries TV show, but nothing about the lesson they had last period!
Not sure about the placemat idea for this... but have to believe it would help to educate kids on all the research out there. It's almost like a small group of adults have all this great information about teens, but the teens have no access to it. A good step may be to help teens understand why they feel certain ways and what steps can be taken to build future success.
Visual cortex is the first to mature and prefrontal cortex is the last. I think this makes a pretty good case for using image maps with the students to create a filing system for long-term memories. I (even) think, with enough practice, students can use facial recognition capabilities for parts of an image map.
I think homogeneity helps explain some of the Finland(+) success. U.S. is a very diverse country, which means a standardized test may work better in one geography over another.
Teacher is, by far, the most critical asset in education. Students have to be motivated to learn a subject (like biology) that may not be their first choice (to put it nicely!). Only a teacher can generate/build that motivation and kick off the hippocampus, in my opinion.
Students have a very hard time laying down long-term memories. I think the most they can handle in any class period is 7 objects (repeated often!). I also think homework is not for knowledge acquisition, but for rehearsing what was learned in class before sleep (and consolidation).
Textbooks are linear learning tools. Read chapter one in September, take a state test on the chapter in April. Instead, I think a form of scaffolding is better suited. Teach the basics of biology (cradle to grave), then sweep back with more detail. Do this 4 times throughout the year.
The prefrontal cortex is a huge problem for educators. There is an expectation of critical thinking, but the executive function is very immature. I think, at best, teachers can lay long-term memories and see critical thinking as a bonus at this age. Poor kid is barely hanging in there on a good day!
Finally, the lesson material has to sizzle... like a script from a Top Ten sitcom on TV. Holding attention while the hippocampus does it's work is an incredible challenge today. Facebook, video gaming, texting, etc... creates a ton of competition for the teacher's message.
I also think teacher's are having to handle special needs cases with more frequency. Administrators resist large populations of special needs because it messes with their budgets (lower teacher/student ratios). The only thing I can see working here is lot's of structure. The class is sequenced from start to finish and it's that way every single day - everyone knows exactly what to expect.
PS: I think my other links to image maps (blueprints) stopped working. Here they are in case someone wants to download a full copy...
Visual cortex is the first to mature and prefrontal cortex is the last. I think this makes a pretty good case for using image maps with the students to create a filing system for long-term memories. I (even) think, with enough practice, students can use facial recognition capabilities for parts of an image map.
I think homogeneity helps explain some of the Finland(+) success. U.S. is a very diverse country, which means a standardized test may work better in one geography over another.
Teacher is, by far, the most critical asset in education. Students have to be motivated to learn a subject (like biology) that may not be their first choice (to put it nicely!). Only a teacher can generate/build that motivation and kick off the hippocampus, in my opinion.
Students have a very hard time laying down long-term memories. I think the most they can handle in any class period is 7 objects (repeated often!). I also think homework is not for knowledge acquisition, but for rehearsing what was learned in class before sleep (and consolidation).
Textbooks are linear learning tools. Read chapter one in September, take a state test on the chapter in April. Instead, I think a form of scaffolding is better suited. Teach the basics of biology (cradle to grave), then sweep back with more detail. Do this 4 times throughout the year.
The prefrontal cortex is a huge problem for educators. There is an expectation of critical thinking, but the executive function is very immature. I think, at best, teachers can lay long-term memories and see critical thinking as a bonus at this age. Poor kid is barely hanging in there on a good day!
Finally, the lesson material has to sizzle... like a script from a Top Ten sitcom on TV. Holding attention while the hippocampus does it's work is an incredible challenge today. Facebook, video gaming, texting, etc... creates a ton of competition for the teacher's message.
I also think teacher's are having to handle special needs cases with more frequency. Administrators resist large populations of special needs because it messes with their budgets (lower teacher/student ratios). The only thing I can see working here is lot's of structure. The class is sequenced from start to finish and it's that way every single day - everyone knows exactly what to expect.
PS: I think my other links to image maps (blueprints) stopped working. Here they are in case someone wants to download a full copy...
I never got to thank you for your math charts. Truly excellent work. How is school adoption going thus far?
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Cognitive Engineering
