Teaching With the Brain in Mind, 2nd Edition by Eric Jensen
Publisher: ASCD 30.05.2005 | ISBN: 1-4166-0030-2 | PDF (searchable) | 7 Mb | 202 pages
For most of human history, the model for learning was simple: if you wanted to learn something new, you either had to figure it out on your own or apprentice yourself to someone who could show you how to do it.Watch, listen, and try out the new skill; this worked for peasants and royalty, parents and children, blacksmiths and monks.
So what changed all that? Massive increases in population began the first change, and the shift from plowshares to factories during the Industrial Revolution brought new models of learning....
When the first edition of Teaching with the Brain in Mind was published in 1998, it quickly became a bestseller, and it's gone on to inspire thousands of educators to apply the latest brain research in their classroom teaching. Now, author Eric Jensen is back with a completely revised and updated edition of his classic work.
In easy to understand, engaging language, Jensen provides a basic orientation to the brain and its various systems and explains how they affect learning. After discussing what parents and educators can do to get children's brains in good shape for school, Jensen goes on to explore topics such as motivation, critical thinking skills, environmental factors, the "social brain," emotions, and memory and recall.
He offers fascinating insights on a number of specific issue, including
* How to tap into the brain's natural reward system.
* The critical link between movement and cognition.
* The impact on learning of environmental factors such as lighting, temperature, and noise.
* The value of feedback.
* The importance of prior knowledge and mental models.
* Why stress impedes learning.
* How social interaction affects the brain.
* How to help students improve their ability to encode, maintain, and retrieve learning.
The repeated message to educators is simple: You have far more influence on students' brains than you realize. And you have an obligation to learn as much as you can to take advantage of the incredible revelations that science is providing. The revised and updated Teaching with the Brain in Mind, 2nd edition helps you do just that.
Every year, millions of parents trust that the professionals who teach their children know something about the brain and processes of learning. But most schools of education offer psychology, not neurology, courses. At best, these psychology courses provide indirect information about the brain and how children actually learn. Teaching with the Brain in Mind fills this gap with the latest practical, easy-to-understand research on learning and the brain. Consider important questions such as
* Biologically, can you truly expect to get and hold students' attention for long periods of time?
* Is there really such a thing as an "unmotivated student"?
* How has research on rewards been misinterpreted?
* Do students actually "forget" what we teach them, or do we ask them to recall information in the wrong way?
* What are the surprising benefits for learning across the board when students participate in some sort of physical education or movement?
Teaching with the Brain in Mind balances the research and theory of the brain with successful tips and techniques for using that information in classrooms. From its primer on brain biology to in-depth discussions of emotion, memory, and recall, Teaching with the Brain in Mind is an invaluable tool for any educator looking to better reach students through truly brain-compatible teaching and learning.
