Institute/Session Summary:

Purpose:

The purpose is to share with participants research about how students experience learning, research about the role of the brain in the learning process, and how to translate these two converging areas of research into brain-based, interactive, student-centered curricula/lessons and pedagogy. When teachers do this, they can help every student become a naturally engaged, empowered, and successful learner. This is the ultimate purpose.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the institute, participants will have increased their understanding of how people learn; how to develop brain-based, student-centered curricula/lessons; and how to use interactive pedagogical strategies in their classrooms.

Outline of Content:

1) Participation in interactive research about how people learn, which participants can then share with their own students
2) Discussion of cutting-edge research about how the brain learns, including how emotions affect the brain’s ability to learn, think, and remember
3) Discussion of the implications of this converging research for developing and teaching curricula/lessons that empower and engage students
4) Demonstration of a classroom-proven, research-based method for developing brain-based, natural-learning curricula/lessons and interactive pedagogy that engage and empower students
5) Hands-on participation, as students, in interactive lessons in different disciplines, e.g., reading, math, grammar, study skills
6) Opportunity for participants to begin work on a learning activity or lesson they can use with their own students.

Current Theoretical Basis:

The presenter’s own research with almost 8,000 students and educators converges with current brain research:

Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., & Cocking, R.R. (Eds.). (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Plomin, R. & Kosslyn, S.M. (2001). Genes, brain and cognition. Nature Neuroscience, 4 (12), 1153-1155.

Ratey, J.J. (2001). A user’s guide to the brain: Perception, attention, and the four theaters of the brain. New York: Pantheon. Rose, S. (2005). The future of the brain: The promise of tomorrow’s neuroscience. New York: Oxford University Press. Sousa, D.A. (2006). How the brain learns (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Smilkstein, R. (2003). We're born to learn: Using the brain's natural learning process to create today's curriculum.

Gunn, A., Richburg, R., & Smilkstein, R. (2007). Igniting student Potential: Teaching with the brain's natural learning process.

Wesson, K. (2002). What everyone should know about the latest brain research. Retrieved April 4, 2002, from http://www.sciencemaster.com/Wasson/home.php.

Zull, J.E. (2002). The art of changing the brain: Enriching the practice of teaching by exploring the biology of learning. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Significance to the Field:

When developmental educators know how students experience learning and the brain’s role in learning, they can translate this knowledge into curricula/lessons and pedagogy that will help their students become engaged, empowered, and successful learners. Since helping our students reach their fullest potential is our field, this research-based approach has a significant contribution to make.

Relevance to CRLA Membership and the Conference Theme:

The theme is “A Focus on Learning.” This institute’s focus is on learning, on how students learn, and on how to teach so that students will be successful learners. When CRLA members have the knowledge of how human beings learn and guidelines for how to put this knowledge into their classrooms, they can help their students be engaged, empowered, successful learners.