tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30031123331201412312024-03-04T21:57:34.444-08:00Innovating MindsSharing science and strategies for improving lives through innovations in education, health promotion, psychology, and creative thinking.Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-39040408026052868672020-05-06T11:40:00.000-07:002020-05-06T11:40:00.257-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In our new article in Educational Leadership we share current research and practical strategies for developing growth mindsets and increasing student learning that we have shared with thousands of educators worldwide over the last 22 years. </div>
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http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may20/vol77/num08/toc.aspx</div>
<br />Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-89590849709124075472020-03-29T14:35:00.001-07:002020-03-29T14:35:06.551-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are thrilled to be launching the new edition of our best-seller on connecting the science of learning to the practice of teaching with Columbia University's Teachers College Press. Our book is titled Five Big Ideas for Effective Teaching: Connecting Mind, Brain, and Education Research to Classroom Practice.<br /><br />Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-78399307609308112472019-11-12T06:49:00.003-08:002019-11-12T06:51:43.945-08:00Running the Marine Corps Marathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
It was an honor to run my first Marine Corps Marathon in October. I first started running marathons in January of this year as a way of applying the principles described in our upcoming book on developing growth mindsets.Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-60659876296396518582018-08-26T14:21:00.000-07:002018-08-26T14:21:51.395-07:00Launching in IndiaWe are thrilled that our book <i>Teaching Students to Drive Their Brains </i>has launched in India. We look forward to answering reader questions from that part of the world.<br />
<br />Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-75998474047652307702018-06-19T11:30:00.000-07:002018-08-26T14:22:44.192-07:00Engaging Students With Brain-Based LearningDirect instruction on how the brain learns best is an effective
strategy, as borne out by Kim Poore’s experience in teaching a class of
K-5 students with behavioral and emotional disorders in South Carolina’s
Lancaster County Public School District.<br />
<br />
Ms. Poore, who earned
her M.S. with a major in Brain-Based Teaching, was enrolled in the Ed.S.
program, at the time of her interview with the BrainSMART publication, <i>Effective Teaching, Successful Students</i>. This coincided with her teaching in a Title I school with a diverse population.<br />
<br />
“I
was able to take what I learned in just one lesson and use it in my
class the next day,” said Ms. Poore in the interview. She pointed to
several strategies from the BrainSMART book, <i>60 Strategies for Increasing Student Learning</i>, that had immediate practical use in the classroom.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
One
of the practices she described in her interview: “I love using the Ten
Pegs and the teaching strategies like snowballs where we would ball up
paper and write a test review question, throw it out to the kids, they
open the paper wad, read it, respond, and throw it back to the teacher.
It is a fresh and effective way to reach these kids.”<br />
<br />
Ms. Poore
also described how her class was leading the entire school in
incorporating movement in the classroom to get ready to learn, every
morning over closed-circuit TV. The morning routine was used to awake
children’s brains for a day of learning. In addition, her class created a
character called Nancy Neuron to help the students understand how to
rewire the brain and to illustrate advanced concepts of brain
architecture and functioning. <br />
<br />
According to Ms. Poore, applying
the BrainSMART strategies has improved students’ academic performance as
well as reducing behavioral problems. “I can’t imagine walking into the
classroom without the knowledge and strategies that I’ve learned,” she
concluded. “It makes my teaching and learning experience more rewarding.Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-84031788577769256902018-06-14T11:31:00.003-07:002018-06-14T11:31:58.246-07:00Motivating Middle School MindsImpassioned educator Christina Issac has never shied away from a
challenge—like focusing her talents on tumultuous ’tweens in middle
school.<br />
<br />
Issac’s experience as a middle school teacher
includes teaching sixth-graders at Washington Middle School in Cairo,
Georgia. In an interview with the BrainSMART publication, <i>Effective Teaching, Successful Students</i>,
she explained that BrainSMART retention strategies transformed her
classroom, including inclusion students in special education.<br />
<br />
Her
students were allowed to look up during tests, to activate the visual
part of the brain that is connected to memory. Practical Optimism and
the EFFORT strategy helped get her adolescent students in a receptive
mindset for learning.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Teaching the
middle school grade level is not easy. With students’ hormones in full
fluctuation, Ms. Issac observed that it is easy for this age group to
become moody and pessimistic. But aided by visuals of an ant carrying a
watermelon, Ms. Issac has been able to keep the kids focused on their
brains’ tremendous potential for learning and achievement.<br />
<br />
Ms.
Issac, who earned a M.S. degree with a major in Brain-Based Teaching,
encouraged other educators to look into the graduate degree program,
saying it helps teachers earn the respect and pay increases they
deserve. She also described the program as helping to equip them to
reach more children with diverse needs. “This is a new way to look at
teaching and a new way to reach children,” she concluded.Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-7543546907614591142018-06-06T12:58:00.002-07:002018-06-06T12:58:43.039-07:00BrainSMART in Japan<i>by Guest Blogger Donna Wilson</i><br />
<br />
Future Education Tokyo features several of our ideas and strategies
as a part of a comprehensive and systematic plan to assist Japan as they
seek to provide their young with a foundation for learning and skills
so they can create their future. An article on the Tokyo website
contextualizes the use of our BrainSMART strategies to help guide
students to become metacognitive as a key aspect of active learning.<br />
<br />
Active
learning and metacognition are featured in Japan’s new course of study
to be implemented from 2020 forward. The writer indicates that people
may have heard about metacognition in business seminars and employee
training. However, connecting to insights from our articles, <a href="http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/oct14/vol72/num02/%C2%A3The-Boss-of-My-Brain%C2%A3.aspx" target="_blank">“The Boss of My Brain”</a> and <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/building-metacognitive-classroom" target="_blank">“Building A Metacognitive Classroom,”</a>
it becomes clear that educators and parents can assist students to
learn how to use metacognition too. On a personal note, having recently
returned from a trip to Japan where Marcus Conyers and I had opportunity
to engage with many lovely and forward-thinking Japanese people, we are
greatly pleased for our strategies to be seen as an aspect of the
Japanese vision for education.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
We find it interesting that with regard to the new course of study, the Japanese <a href="https://berd.benesse.jp/english/aboutus" target="_blank">Benesse Education Research Institute</a>
states that “We have decided to focus our research on ‘how the
environments should be, where each child can develop and experience
growth in independent learning.’ We are committed to closely observing
and interacting with children from the viewpoint of parents, guardians
and teachers, incorporating the perspectives of researchers in Japan and
abroad, and examining the processes of ‘learning and growth.’”<br />
<br />
In Japan, the education policy will shift to an emphasis on building
skills that enable dealing with complicated issues through the
application of psychological and social resources; 2020 has been set as
the target year for implementation. How can we foster in children a
foundation for learning and the skills to create a future on their own?
This is the globally relevant question for education today.<br />
<br />
For this reason, we have decided to focus our research on
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“</span>how the environments should be, where each child can develop and experience growth in independent learning.<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">”</span>
We are committed to closely observing and interacting with children
from the viewpoint of parents, guardians, and teachers, incorporating
the perspectives of researchers in Japan and abroad, and examining the
processes of
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“</span>learning and growth.
<br />
<br />
To read more from the Future of Education Tokyo site, see this article [Japanese language]: <a href="http://www.futureedu.tokyo/education-news-blog/2018/3/20brain-based-learnig" target="_blank">http://www.futureedu.tokyo/education-news-blog/2018/3/20brain-based-learnig </a><br />
<br />
To read more about the Benesse Education Research Institute, visit <a href="https://berd.benesse.jp/english/aboutus">https://berd.benesse.jp/english/aboutus</a><br />
<br />Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-66302863561702926772018-05-31T08:40:00.003-07:002018-05-31T08:41:54.170-07:00University College Cork Applies a BrainSMART Strategy <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapDz3bl53N9gO8yF8jCw_8wv5e-umL0F3pY5zlDYPWnBcsqA2ebdVT9ks7XHuod64eZGRgZs0iWyLImgpJeY1M5I_DYvfTvvQQWgjGUfYX90Nmk3coxk3Xm1LJ4K5xtgQGco9I0pTQYI/s1600/cropped-Transparent2-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="126" data-original-width="486" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapDz3bl53N9gO8yF8jCw_8wv5e-umL0F3pY5zlDYPWnBcsqA2ebdVT9ks7XHuod64eZGRgZs0iWyLImgpJeY1M5I_DYvfTvvQQWgjGUfYX90Nmk3coxk3Xm1LJ4K5xtgQGco9I0pTQYI/s400/cropped-Transparent2-1.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>by Guest Blogger Donna Wilson</i></b><br />
<br />
Dr.
Eithne Hunt, registered Occupational Therapist and lecturer in the
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at
University College Cork, Ireland, includes one of Marcus Conyers’ and my
strategies in an article for first-year students. <br />
<br />
I
found this article a good read and imagine that it could be of great
interest for students when they first leave home and go off to college.
In this piece, Dr. Hunt references our BrainSMART strategy “Explain It
to Your Brain” as a way to assist students to become more metacognitive.<br />
<br />
She
summarizes our strategy as follows: “Students who use self-explanation
tell themselves what they are thinking and doing when learning, a
strategy closely related to metacognition, which is a characteristic of
successful student learning and of professional success across careers.”<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><h3>
Our BrainSMART Strategy: Explain It to Your Brain</h3>
<br />
One
creative way for teachers to support to get student engagement in the
process of developing effective learning strategies is to apply a
metaphor Marcus Conyers and I call “explain it to your brain.” Students
who use self-explanation tell themselves what they are thinking and
doing when learning. This strategy is closely related to metacognition, a
characteristic of successful student learning and of professional
success across careers.<br />
<br />
A favorite way to teach this
skill is by modeling self-explanation aloud across contexts in the
classroom. For example, when working at the board in math class, you
might pose a question like, “How might I solve this algebra problem?”
Then you could begin to talk through the problem aloud so that students
can learn from your modeling how to engage in self-dialogue when problem
solving, reading, or performing other learning tasks. After students
have experienced your modeling across various examples, give them
opportunities to use this strategy aloud, too. Over time, the goal is
for students to use this tool silently and independently.<br />
<br />
A
number of key cognitive strategies are involved in the process of
self-explanation, including integrating new information with prior
knowledge, generating inferences when there’s missing information, and
monitoring and fixing faulty knowledge. Students can self-explain when
they problem solve as a way to help them decide how to proceed to a
solution.<br />
<br />
To learn about this strategy, read our article on the topic at <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/blog/smart-strategies-student-success-donna-wilson-marcus-conyers" target="_blank">the Edutopia site</a>. <br />
<br />
To read Dr. Eithne Hunt’s thoughtful article and see her original context for using our strategy, visit <a href="http://skillscentre.ucc.ie/2017/10/25/arriving-atuniversity-college-cork" target="_blank">the University College Cork’s site</a>.<br />
/Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-12166630744970912402018-05-23T10:15:00.002-07:002018-05-23T10:15:31.115-07:00Celebrating BrainSMART's 20-Year Anniversary: Teachers Speak<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Koh
Huey Min, an educator who attended the BrainSMART seminar in Singapore,
uses a number of strategies to improve her outlook on teaching and to
help the well-being of colleagues as well. Here are two of the most
effective:<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Clothes Hanger</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
Being one of the more experienced teachers in the school, I
am often given challenging classes to teach, and this did not change in
2017 (nor has it changed in 2018). In order to avoid bringing negative
emotions into the next class, I made a point to collect myself during
the walk to the next class. If any anger or frustration I was feeling
was not shed by the time that I reached the next class, I made myself
stand at the door, took three deep breaths, smiled, and walked in.<br />
<br />
During
the times that the venue for back-to-back classes was the same, I made
myself walked out of the classroom after dismissing the first class
before the next class came in. Sometimes I went to the washroom, while
other times I walked up and down the short corridor outside the
classroom. The brief detachment from the physical environment helped me
to reset my emotions before the next class comes in.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
The
BrainSMART “clothes hanger” strategy helped me build better
relationships with my students. I think that is because they saw a
teacher who was ready to be with them, instead of an angry or frustrated
teacher who they might not even want to talk to.<br />
<br />
Interestingly,
this strategy reminded me of a Chinese movie about Chinese opera
actresses. The title of this movie is: 虎度门 (pronounced “hu-du-men,” a
Chinese phrase meaning “the stage door”). I am not saying that teachers
are actors/actresses, but the idea is similar. One should leave any
baggage at the door and enter prepared to immerse oneself in his or her
role at that moment. Translating that into teaching, my role is being
the teacher in this class, not the teacher in the previous period.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Sharing is Caring</h3>
<br />
I attended the BrainSMART workshop
with CK, who serves with me on the Staff Well-being Committee. During
the workshop, we identified some strategies which we felt could be
beneficial to our colleagues.<br />
<br />
Together, we did two
sharing sessions: one on sleep and the other on lifelong learning. A few
non-teaching related workshops were organized for our staff on such
subjects as yoga, batik painting, financial planning, and use of
essential oils.<br />
<br />
It is very true that food can be
therapeutic. As part of the school’s initiative towards having a healthy
lifestyle, we had a biweekly Fruity Week program in which different
fruits were served to our colleagues every two weeks. What turned out to
be the greatest hit among my colleagues were the berries! I first tried
this out during a gathering with my friends. Blueberries were
expensive. So, in order to make it more affordable, I added in some
cheaper berries. The effect was nice, as the color combination was
pleasing.<br />
<br />
With some modifications, CK and I rolled out
the Berry Nice Day during our staff meeting. The berries were so popular
that they were gone before some colleagues got a serving. The next day,
we packed some for those who missed out completely. This idea was so
well-received that during our year-end meeting, we had a Berry Funtastic
Day, in which blueberries were still served as the base with other
berries (e.g. cranberries, gooseberries) added in for color.Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-73321733625270865722018-05-14T06:22:00.000-07:002018-05-14T06:22:47.385-07:00"Building a Metacognitive Classroom" Featured in New Zealand MagazineAs Donna and I prepare to present at the HBE Conference, which is
taking place May 18-20 in Melbourne, Australia, we are delighted that
our work has been featured in a leading teachers’ magazine based in New
Zealand.<br />
<br />
Our article, “Building a Metacognitive
Classroom: Engaging Students to Understand Brain Function,” appeared in a
recent issue of <i>Teachers Matter</i>, a 76-page glossy, coffee-table
magazine focusing on professional and personal development for teachers
with circulation in New Zealand, Australia, and other countries.<br />
<br />
Thanks
so much to Karen Tui Boyes, CSP, founder and director of Teachers
Matter magazine, for reaching out to us to publish this piece that
highlights our work in supporting teachers to assist students to become
more metacognitive.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
The article is printed below. (Click on the image to read the article.)<br />
<br />
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Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-11611441144436088812018-05-08T12:30:00.002-07:002018-05-08T12:30:22.795-07:00Respecting Others' Points of View Is Theme of Our Response to Education Week's Classroom Q&AThe ability to understand and respect other individuals' points of
view is a vital skill that students of all ages should learn. That was a
theme that Donna and I stressed in responding to a question posed by <i>Education Week</i> as a
part of the popular Classroom Q&A with Larry Ferlazzo.<br />
<br />
The
question
for this blog post was: "When two or more students are having a
conflict, what are the most effective ways teachers can respond to the
situation?" <br />
<br />
As we pointed out, students can be taught
two valuable skills that will pay significant dividends throughout their
lives—which is to identify, respect, and seek to understand points of
view that differ from their own and to tailor their communications to
their intended audience.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
With the
guidance of a passionate, effective teacher, classroom conflict can be
used to help students develop the necessary skills they need for
academic, personal, and future professional success. We recommend that
teachers use the following strategies to help students achieve those
skills:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Model listening actively to students, paraphrasing what they say to verify understanding.</li>
<li>Highlight examples of different points of view that are relevant in lessons and to students' lives.</li>
<li>Encourage all students to share their thoughts and viewpoints and to listen objectively to others' perspectives. </li>
<li>Teach students the impact of point of view in literary, historical, and political writing. </li>
</ul>
<br />
To learn more about the importance of respecting other points of view, we invite you to read <a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2018/02/response_ways_to_navigate_conflicts_restore_relationships_between_students.html" target="_blank">the entire post</a> at the Education Week blog.Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-90925044261946898192018-05-03T11:07:00.003-07:002018-05-03T11:07:37.470-07:00Strategies to Stimulate Thinking About Learning<i>Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the 20-year anniversary of
BrainSMART, we are sharing some of our educators</i><i><i>’</i> stories. All of the
featured educators earned their Master’s in Brain-based Teaching
curricula and/or the Minor in Brain-based Leadership, co-developed by
Dr. Donna Wilson and Dr. Marcus Conyers, co-founders of BrainSMART. Below is
a synopsis of one of those stories.</i><br />
<br />
During his
time as a special education teacher with Bartow County Public Schools in
Cartersville, Georgia, D’Jon McNair used BrainSMART teaching strategies
supporting the concepts of state, meaning, attention, retention, and
transfer to help students improve their performance in the classroom. <br />
<br />
“I
was excited and stunned to learn that cognitive skills can be learned,”
he said in an interview for the BrainSMART publication, <i>Effective Teaching, Successful Student</i>s.
“Teaching kids cognitive skills has been instrumental in helping them
feel successful in what they’re doing and getting them motivated to
learn.”<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Mr. McNair, who went on to
become an assistant principal at Woodland High School, recalled how
focusing on cognitive assets helped one struggling student improve his
academic performance. The teacher worked one-on-one with the child,
reading to him The More You Do, The More You Can Do to underscore the
importance of hard work and persistence to achieve one’s goals.<br />
<br />
In
addition, Mr. McNair tied the student’s personal interests into
classroom lessons, asking him, for instance, to consider what it would
have been like to fly a prop plane as an explorer in the 1800s during
America’s time of territorial expansion. “I had to allow him some
literary freedom to write about what it would be like to fly over a
covered wagon,” he explained. “He could tie necessary facts to something
more expressive.”<br />
<br />
Because the student didn’t read on
grade level, he was significantly behind. Mr. McNair allowed him to do
verbal lessons. The results of that differentiated instruction were that
the student “went from being reevaluated for a behavioral disability to
learning what he needed to learn and even won an award from a local
civic group in only nine weeks.”<br />
<br />
Mr. McNair has applied
the BrainSMART content in other ways, such as designing an activity to
help students hone their math and living skills by going shopping to
find the best bargains. His class studied advertising flyers from three
stores to compare prices and calculate how much they could save with
coupons and two-for-one offers.<br />
<br />
“My philosophy is this:
Regardless of who the kid is, what their family circumstance, what
issues they bring to the school, positive or negative, once they enter
that door, they’re ours,” Mr. McNair said in his <i>ETSS </i>interview.
“We have to do everything we can possibly do in the five or six hours we
have them to help them achieve to their potential.”Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-11495192018084247942018-04-27T10:00:00.000-07:002018-04-30T10:00:45.814-07:00Teaching Young Children to Be Treasure Hunters<i>Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the 20-year anniversary of
BrainSMART, we are sharing some of our educators</i><i><i>’</i> stories. All of the
featured educators earned their Master’s in Brain-based Teaching
curricula and/or the Minor in Brain-based Leadership, co-developed by
Dr. Donna Wilson and Dr. Marcus Conyers, co-founders of BrainSMART. Below is
a synopsis of one of those stories.</i><br />
<br />
Christena
Nelson’s goal is to create a classroom environment where energetic,
optimistic children are excited to learn, and the BrainSMART strategies
are among her most useful tools in accomplishing that aim. She shared
some of these ideas in an interview for the BrainSMART publication, <i>Effective Teaching, Successful Students</i>.<br />
<br />
At
the time of the interview, she was teaching a year-round kindergarten
class at Copper Canyon Elementary School in West Jordan, Utah. Ms.
Nelson adapted many of the ideas in Donna Wilson and Marcus Conyers’
book, <i>60 Strategies for Increasing Student Learning</i>, for use with her young students.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
For
example, she created a puppet show based on the story of “Treasure
Hunters and Trash Collectors” to illustrate how optimism makes it easier
and more fun to learn new things. Tess the Treasure Hunter has a
positive outlook and collects useful moments—i.e., treasures—to carry
with her throughout the course of her day. Conversely, Gus the Trash
Collector focuses all his time and energy on looking for things that are
wrong and unfair, carrying those thoughts around as a heavy and
unpleasant burden.<br />
<br />
The puppets and their props are
displayed in the front of the classroom “to remind everyone— including
myself— to be positive,” Ms. Nelson explained. The puppets get the
children’s attention and make the lesson about the power of optimistic
learning much more memorable.<br />
<br />
“I ask them, ‘Which one
are you? Are you Tess the Treasure Hunter? Or are you Gus the Grumpy
Garbage Collector?’ They all say, ‘We’re Tess! We’re Tess!’”<br />
<br />
Whenever
someone would start to get negative, Ms. Nelson would tell the class
generally, taking care not to single out any one student, “Uh-oh! It
sounds like we’ve got Gus the Grumpy Garbage Collector in class today.”<br />
<br />
“It’s really helpful to remind students of the power of positive thinking,” she said.Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-32698798651653006962018-04-24T11:53:00.002-07:002018-04-24T11:53:05.290-07:00We Explain in Ed Week Why Brain Plasticity Should Be Taught More in the ClassroomDonna and I had the opportunity to stress the importance of teaching students about brain plasticity in responding to <i>Education Week</i> as a
part of the popular Classroom Q&A with Larry Ferlazzo.<br />
<br />
The
question
for this blog post was: "What is an instructional strategy and/or
teaching concept that you think is under-used/under-appreciated in the
classroom that you think should be practiced more widely?" <br />
<br />
As
we emphasized in our response, teaching students about how their brains
change during learning can have a positively transformative impact in
the classroom. This is something that is not traditionally taught in
schools, but certainly deserves to be. When kids realize they can become
smarter through study and practice, it often helps improve their
dedication to the learning process.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
In
our response, we identified several ways that teachers can inspire
students with basic knowledge about their brains and how they learn.
Among the strategies we suggested in the article:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Teach students about the basic structural elements in the brain,
such as what dendrites, axons, and neurons are, and how connections in
the brain create learning.</li>
<li>Share evidence that brain scientists have uncovered regarding how learning affects the brain.</li>
<li>Remind students that they are in charge of their learning, and teach them valuable learning tools. </li>
</ul>
<br />
To learn more about the importance of teaching brain plasticity, we invite you to read <a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2018/02/response_important_moves_for_teacher_success.html" target="_blank">the entire post</a> at the Education Week blog.Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-78196459604549666222018-04-18T09:37:00.000-07:002018-04-18T09:37:02.773-07:00Students With Learning Disabilities Thrive Using Cognitive Assets<i>Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the 20-year anniversary of
BrainSMART, we are sharing some of our educators</i><i><i>’</i> stories. All of the
featured educators earned their Master’s in Brain-based Teaching
curricula and/or the Minor in Brain-based Leadership, co-developed by
Dr. Donna Wilson and Dr. Marcus Conyers, co-founders of BrainSMART. Below is
a synopsis of one of those stories.</i><br />
<br />
As a veteran
teacher, Paul Farmer appreciated a fundamental principle of the M.S.
program with a major in Brain-Based Teaching—that all students, even
those with learning disabilities, can become functionally smarter when
they are taught how to learn. <br />
<br />
“I am no longer content
to see my job as an educator being limited to that of teaching A, B, C
and 1, 2, 3, and I feel that such a limit is a disservice to the
disabled students in my classroom,” said Mr. Farmer in an interview for
the BrainSMART publication, <i>Effective Teaching, Successful Students</i>.
“I feel that a greater and more profound service is provided by viewing
all students as having the capability not only to develop their bank of
knowledge and skills, but also their capacity to learn and function in
the world in which they live.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
“I am
grateful for the graduate degree program introducing me to the ideas of
individuals such as Reuven Feuerstein, who devoted his life to teaching
cognitive assets and believed and demonstrated that children with
intellectual disabilities can grow in their cognitive capacity,” Mr.
Farmer added.<br />
<br />
Mr. Farmer has taught special education
classes for students with moderate to severe and multiple disabilities
in California for many years. He earned his M.S. degree from NSU in
August 2011, having previously earned an M.A. in Special Education at
California State University, San Bernardino.<br />
<br />
As he
progressed through his graduate studies, Mr. Farmer realized that the
most powerful educational experience he could provide came from merging
the art of teaching with the science of learning. For example, giving
students the power of choice in their learning resulted in a greater
degree of student participation in lessons. And incorporating auditory,
visual, and kinesthetic elements to lessons along with opportunities for
movement and strategies to enhance retention have resulted in learning
gains.<br />
<br />
“All of the strategies and principles discussed
by Wilson and Conyers have revolutionized my lesson planning,” Mr.
Farmer said in the <i>ETSS</i> interview. “I teach cognitive assets
along with curriculum. I ponder and reflect upon how the lessons can
connect and be meaningful to my students, because that is a pathway to
long-term retention. Whenever I plan lessons, I try to keep in mind that
learning is not something I impart to students, but rather it is
something created in the mind of the learner. The lessons must be
focused on and related to what the learner finds meaningful.”<br />
<br />Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-1481948069819315522018-04-13T12:34:00.002-07:002018-04-13T12:34:13.290-07:00Teaching Students How They Learn Best<i>Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the 20-year anniversary of
BrainSMART, we are sharing some of our educators</i><i><i>’</i> stories. All of the
featured educators earned their Master’s in Brain-based Teaching
curricula and/or the Minor in Brain-based Leadership, co-developed by
Dr. Donna Wilson and Dr. Marcus Conyers, co-founders of BrainSMART. Below is
a synopsis of one of those stories.</i><br />
<br />
A productive
learning environment puts the cognitive assets of Clear Intent,
Practical Optimism, and Thoughtful Behavior to work on a daily basis,
according to Theresa Dodge, who has taught in the Greenfield School
District in Greenfield, Massachusetts, for more than 20 years. <br />
<br />
Ms.
Dodge earned her M.S. degree with a major in Brain-Based Teaching from
Nova Southeastern University in 2009. As quoted in the BrainSMART
publication, <i>Effective Teaching, Successful Students</i>, she said
the degree program equipped her “with an incredible arsenal of
instructional strategies to meet just about any challenge I could have
in the classroom.” <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
For example,
brain-based teaching emphasizes the benefits of creating lessons that
engage multiple learning pathways such as visual, auditory, and
kinesthetic. This will help all students connect with new material and
retain and retrieve what they have learned in class discussions and on
tests. <br />
<br />
Ms. Dodge shared in the interview that she
maintained a daily visual reminder of the importance of conveying
Practical Optimism and Clear Intent and using thoughtful words in
teacher-directed strategies. To establish and maintain a positive
learning state, she has employed various BrainSMART strategies such as
acknowledgements; games like Ball Toss and Around the World to review
what was taught the day before; options for choice; working
independently, in pairs, and in groups; humor; and music or singing. <br />
<br />
To
keep students focused on learning, Ms. Dodge also has used such
strategies as posting the daily agenda, state frameworks, and social
goals for the day. “I always go over why we are doing what we are doing
to foster systematic thinking,” she added. “In addition, I have a list
of thoughtful words and phrases to meet certain situations so I am
always reinforcing thinking and positive behavior, and redirecting
negative behavior.” <br />
<br />
Ms. Dodge observed that the
brain-based teaching approach offers an effective antidote to common
complaints in education today that students are not motivated to learn
due to a variety of environmental and neurobiological factors. <br />
<br />
“Once
they learn how to teach to today’s students, they will be more
effective teachers, and their desire and passion for teaching will be
renewed,” she said in the <i>ETSS</i> interview. “The degree program
provides strategies to use that are based on how the brain learns best.
This is incredibly important in today’s classrooms.”Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-60793602305736060862018-04-10T12:33:00.000-07:002018-04-13T12:33:35.193-07:00For Ed Week's Classroom Q&A, We Urge Principals to Promote Teacher Leadership and Purposeful CollaborationIn responding to <i>Education Week</i> as a
part of the popular Classroom Q&A with Larry Ferlazzo, Donna and I
described the school principal's role in emphasizing teacher leadership
and purposeful collaboration among teachers.<br />
<br />
The
question
for this blog post was: "What are the biggest challenges faced by principals, and what are the best ways to respond to them?" <br />
<br />
We
point out in our response how quality of teaching has a significant
impact on students' ability to achieve their full learning potential.
Principals play an important role in elevating the level of teaching by
understanding and emphasizing teacher leadership and purposeful
collaboration among teachers to support effective teaching. <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
By
encouraging and facilitating collaboration, principals are more likely
to enjoy positive and productivity working relationships with their
teachers and to boost student achievement at their schools.<br />
<br />
In
our response, we describe key strategies for principals to use,
including putting an emphasis on purposeful collaboration that has a
focus on the development of effective lessons across the school
curriculum and supporting teachers to develop goals to increasing lesson
effectiveness and developng a concrete action plan to make success
happen.<br />
<br />
To learn more about teacher leadership and purposeful collaboration, we invite you to read <a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2018/02/response_an_important_challenge_for_a_principal_is_prioritizing.html" target="_blank">the entire post</a> at the Education Week blog.Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-31467510210412862672018-04-04T12:31:00.000-07:002018-04-13T12:32:37.342-07:00Guiding Students to Persevere to Achieve Their Potential<i>Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the 20-year anniversary of
BrainSMART, we are sharing some of our educators</i><i><i>’</i> stories. All of the
featured educators earned their Master’s in Brain-based Teaching
curricula and/or the Minor in Brain-based Leadership, co-developed by
Dr. Donna Wilson and Dr. Marcus Conyers, co-founders of BrainSMART. Below is
a synopsis of one of those stories.</i><br />
<br />
Dr. Kelly
Rose’s educational career has been greatly influenced by her studies of
brain-based teaching. While earning her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in
Instructional Leadership, with a Minor in Brain-based Leadership, she
was teaching second year at Sullins Academy in Bristol, Va. She recalls
asking students to write about their most important body part and was
excited that many of them decided to write about their brains.<br />
<br />
Dr.
Rose has sparked interest among her second-graders about the human
brain, based on conversations she had with them describing this amazing
organ that is growing and changing inside them. “Students often get
frustrated when they can’t reach an answer right away,” said Dr. Rose in
an interview for BrainSMART’s publication, <i>Effective Teaching, Successful Students</i>. “Reminding them that their brain is growing when they have to think helps them to persevere.”<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Dr. Rose is currently at adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern
University, where she earned her Ed.D. degree. She also is the Library
Media Specialist at Out-of-Door Academy in Sarasota, Fla., where she
taught second grade for six years.<br />
<br />
Prior to her study
of the implications of mind, brain, and education research for classroom
practice, Dr. Rose often let her students’ individual preferences
dictate her teaching approach. “For example, if my student was
‘musical,’ I turned (his or her) learning into music,” she said.
“However, understanding the potential of the brain and the need to grow
in all areas, I’ve stretched their brains in ways that help them grow
holistically. If you don’t stretch the area, it won’t grow.”<br />
<br />
Or to put it more colloquially: “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”<br />
<br />
“Understanding
the plasticity of our brains helped me to realize the learning
potential in my students,” Dr. Rose said in the interview. “Explaining
brain plasticity and human potential to my students allowed them to
understand how they are in control and how they can drive their own
brains where they want to go.”Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-58739377794337124172018-03-30T11:57:00.000-07:002018-03-30T12:14:02.386-07:00The Power of Music Drives LearningHolly Linder has been known to sing the praises of her elementary
school students in the Kent City School District in Kent, Ohio. She is a
music teacher, after all, so any singing of praise—either literal or
figurative—is highly appropriate.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, when her
students’ voices are raised in song, Ms. Linder simply cannot contain
herself. “I feel so good about them that I shout out the window how
great they’re doing,” she said in an interview for the BrainSMART
publication, <i>Effective Teaching, Successful Students</i>.<br />
<br />
What
causes Ms. Linder to raise the window and her voice in praise is the
effort that students put into improving their performance. As with any
academic pursuit, meaningful musical achievements come primarily through
hard work. This is something that Ms. Linder impresses on her
students—that the work they’re doing in second grade is harder than what
they did in first grade, and that it will be harder still in the third
grade. However, with hard work comes the reward of becoming more
accomplished musically.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Students
may have talent, but Ms. Linder has learned that development of musical
potential occurs largely because learning and practice result in neural
connections forming in the brain. This is part of the understanding she
acquired while earning her Master of Science with a Major in
Brain-Based Teaching (Concentration in Learning and Teaching), which she
completed in 2011.<br />
<br />
“It’s amazing the connections that
can be made in the brain,” reported Ms. Linder. “I’ve been interested in
the process of music therapy, and I know that music does so much for
the brain. This program helped me understand more about the brain and
how it works.”<br />
<br />
Understanding the brain’s amazing
plasticity has helped Ms. Linder appreciate the potential in every
student. “Everyone has the plasticity to grow,” she said. “If you’re
interested in music, you might not become Yo-Yo Ma, but if you start out
as a 1, you can work to become a 2 and then a 3. Plasticity means that
everyone has the potential to achieve. Students can make themselves
smarter by their own effort.”Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-33463109922991364192018-03-27T11:55:00.000-07:002018-03-30T11:55:39.206-07:00Building a Metacognitive ClassroomTeaching students basic knowledge about the brain’s potential can
have a positive impact on their motivation, grit, and achievement. In
particular, explicitly teaching them that learning changes the structure
and function of their brains can be transformational in building a
stronger belief in the value of working hard to master new material.<br />
<br />
Teachers
who explain these findings report that the knowledge has a positive
effect on students’ perceptions of their abilities as well as on their
expectations for success.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Examples from Elementary Classrooms</h3>
<br />
Diane Dahl of
Texas, a participant in our brain-based teaching program, enjoys
teaching her elementary students about the brain and strategies for
learning. Students learn what neurons, dendrites, and axons are and how
connections between neurons created by axons and dendrites create
learning. Dahl emphasizes that each child has an amazing, unique brain
and that through their practice and effort, all students will learn and
remember a lot during the year. (Marcus discusses these brain basics and
classroom implications in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPVxLRHBNMs" target="_blank">short video</a>.)<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Next,
Dahl tells her students that when we learn, it’s important to connect
new information with something we already know. She gives a couple of
examples and then tells students they’ll be using pipe cleaners and
sticky notes to make a model of a brain and what they are thinking and
learning.<br />
<br />
Students each get three pipe cleaners to
twist together in the middle to represent the axon, leaving both ends
untwisted to represent dendrites. They then work together to build the
representational brain structure, connecting all the axons by twisting a
dendrite from one neuron around the axon of another, with guidance from
the teacher. The structure represents the class’s brain at the
beginning of the school year. Throughout the school year, students
create and add new axons to the brain, labeled with sticky notes
describing new concepts they have learned.<br />
<br />
In her own words, here are Dahl’s tips for success:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>As the year progresses, the brain model gets more complicated, and
it’s harder for second graders to add new axons (this might not be an
issue for older students). At some point, I take over connecting the new
axons.</li>
<li>I write the labels myself so we can all keep track of the new learning that is added to the brain.</li>
<li>We suspend the brain from the ceiling, but low enough that students
can interact with it and read the labels. We choose a location away from
busy traffic areas.</li>
<li>Whenever possible, we discuss how new learning relates to other content.</li>
</ul>
Some elementary teachers have students create their own
individual models of a neuron that they can keep at their desk or take
home as a reminder of their vast learning potential.<br />
<br />
Read the entire blog post at the <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/building-metacognitive-classroom" target="_blank">Edutopia.com</a> website.Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-19557610521508505862018-03-20T13:18:00.000-07:002018-03-20T13:18:15.140-07:00Courageous Learners Help Reduce Bullying<i>Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the 20-year anniversary of
BrainSMART, we are sharing some of our educators</i><i><i>’</i> stories. All of the
featured educators earned their Master’s in Brain-based Teaching
curricula and/or the Minor in Brain-based Leadership, co-developed by
Dr. Donna Wilson and Dr. Marcus Conyers, co-founders of BrainSMART. Below is
a synopsis of one of those stories.</i><br />
<br />
Maureen Ryan, known as “Coach Mo” to her students, credits BrainSMART’s <i>Thinking for Results</i> model for helping her to reach the “courageous learners” in her class.<br />
<br />
The <i>Thinking for Results</i>
model emphasizes that there is not a one-size-fits-all strategy when it
comes to teaching and learning. Instead, Coach Mo always reminds her
students to “Never question ability, always improve strategy.”<br />
<br />
“With
a lot of my courageous learners, the challenge has been for them to
learn that there’s somebody who cares and somebody who’s willing to take
the time to listen and work with them and be positive and optimistic,”
Coach Mo said when sharing her story with the BrainSMART publication,<i> Effective Teaching, Successful Students</i>.
“I think too many times our courageous learners are already getting the
sense of defeat before they’ve ever started something. I always want my
students to know that I’m one of their biggest fans.”<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Coach
Mo teaches health and physical education at Jasper County Middle School
in Monticello, Georgia. She has both an M.S. degree with a Major in
Brain-Based Teaching (Concentration in Learning and Teaching) and an
Ed.S. degree with a Concentration in Teacher Leadership. <br />
<br />
One
of Coach Mo’s most meaningful accomplishments, which also was an
accomplishment for her students, occurred when they were challenged to
create positive change within the school by helping to educate their
peers about the effects of bullying behavior.<br />
<br />
“I gave
them the challenge of solving the problem on their own and let them
create a schoolwide presentation,” Coach Mo reported. “All the teachers
and the administrators came and watched, and the students did some
phenomenal work using 21st-century skills. They created videos, wrote
poems, and collaborated. Students who had never been speakers before
talked about their personal experiences with bullying, either from the
point of view of the victim or as the bully, and that was very
empowering for the students to hear.”<br />
<br />
As a result of
the program, many students signed a pledge stating that they wouldn’t
participate in bullying. “We wanted our student body to come together as
a supportive community to inspire greater empathy within the student
population, and they accomplished this goal with the heartfelt work that
they did,” Coach Mo stated.<br />
<br />
The collaboration and
dedication to their work was inspiring at every grade level. “My
courageous students’ work had me choking back tears of pride and joy,”
Coach Mo recalled. “I know this was a memorable learning experience for
all of us.”Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-38942617084565091802018-03-13T10:20:00.003-07:002018-03-13T10:20:21.781-07:00Helping Students Improve Their Performance<i>Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the 20-year anniversary of
BrainSMART, we are sharing some of our educators</i><i><i>’</i> stories. All of the
featured educators earned their Master’s in Brain-based Teaching
curricula and/or the Minor in Brain-based Leadership, co-developed by
Dr. Donna Wilson and Dr. Marcus Conyers, co-founders of BrainSMART. Below is
a synopsis of one of those stories.</i><br />
<br />
For many
underperforming students, the biggest obstacle to success is their own
preconceived notion that they don’t have the ability to excel
academically. Jeremy Green, who has experience as a high school teacher
and football coach, has seen firsthand the power of breaking down that
misconception and giving students the confidence they need to move
improve their performance and their lives.<br />
<br />
“If we have
students who don’t read as well as they need to, then we need to explain
to them that ‘You’re not stupid, you’re not deficient. You can get
better, and here’s what we can do to improve,’” Mr. Green explained in
an interview for the BrainSMART publication, <i>Effective Teaching, Successful Students</i>. “Our role as teachers and coaches is to sell them on the idea that they can get better. If we improve, we win—period.”<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Mr.
Green, who earned his M.S. degree in Brain-Based Teaching, use the
brain-based teaching concepts in his AP Psychology and U.S. History
classes. To drive his students’ performance, he stressed the point that
intelligence is not a fixed asset but something that can be enhanced
through hard work and determination. He focused on teaching cognitive
assets—specifically, such principles as practical optimism, finishing
power and organization skills. <br />
<br />
“I look at those things not as something you’re born with, but as something that can be taught,” Mr. Green explains.<br />
<br />
In
some of his classes, the academic requirements were quite extensive.
However, Mr. Green found that students could learn if they had the right
strategies and were taught effective learning skills.<br />
<br />
“The
biggest thing sometimes is selling them on the fact that they can learn
more than they think can,” he said. “Just because something’s heavy
doesn’t mean they can’t lift it.”Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-50212151683110648422018-03-12T10:19:00.000-07:002018-03-12T10:19:19.850-07:00Ed Week's Classroom Q&A Response Highlights Memory Scaping as a Learning StrategyDonna and I describe memory scaping as a means of helping students retain information about social studies in responding to <i>Education Week</i> as a
part of the popular Classroom Q&A with Larry Ferlazzo.<br />
<br />
The
question
for this blog post was: "Are there curricula or strategies I can use to make social studies exciting to my students?" <br />
<br />
Memory
scaping is one of more than than 100 strategies that we have developed
for use in the classroom. Memory scaping uses the power of location and
movement, as well as episodic and sensory learning systems, to increase
student engagement, attention, and recall of content. <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
In our response, we linked to a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3fMVBeGwjY" target="_blank">video clip</a>,
in which Donna shows the memory scaping strategy in action. She used
this strategy to teach the Battle of Waterloo, physically moving to
various parts of the room as she described the different armies and
aspects of the battle. Not only does this strategy make the presentation
more lively and fun, it also adds students in their recall of the
elements being taught.<br />
<br />
One of the greatest benefits of
this retention tool is that it increases students' confidence since they
are able to recall what they learned in such vivid detail. <br />
<br />
We invite you to read <a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2018/03/response_social_studies_is_about_creating_skilled_inquirers.html" target="_blank">the entire post</a> at the Education Week blog.Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-16430993902479758402018-03-06T10:21:00.002-08:002018-03-06T10:21:12.028-08:00Practical Optimism Links Positive Expectations to Positive Outcomes<i>Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the 20-year anniversary of
BrainSMART, we are sharing some of our educators</i><i><i>’</i> stories. All of the
featured educators earned their Master’s in Brain-based Teaching
curricula and/or the Minor in Brain-based Leadership, co-developed by
Dr. Donna Wilson and Dr. Marcus Conyers, co-founders of BrainSMART. Below is
a synopsis of one of those stories.</i><br />
<br />
When teaching
second-grade at Rockbridge Elementary School in Norcross, Ga., Mary
Driskill discovered that a little bit of optimism can go a long way.
While earning her Ed.S. degree with a major in Brain-Based Teaching, Ms.
Driskill learned the concept of Practical Optimism that links positive
expectations for learning with positive outcomes. She shared that
concept with her students and was pleased to see the children employ
more positive thinking to achieve better results.<br />
<br />
“I
found that it helps to teach those kinds of strategies about how we
learn and how we think,” explained Ms. Driskill, whose story was
featured in the BrainSMART publication, Effective Teaching, Successful
Students. “You can teach children cognitive assets that help them come
up with the right answers.” <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Ms.
Driskill, whose teaching experience includes several years in the
Gwinnett County Public Schools, used the brain-based teaching philosophy
that children can get smarter based on hard work and the drive to
achieve more. <br />
<br />
“I agree with the brain-based teaching
philosophy that it’s important to praise students’ efforts and not just
their results,” Ms. Driskill affirmed. “A lot of times, they need be
told that the work might be difficult, but the effort is worthwhile, and
while it might not bring immediate results, eventually it will.”<br />
<br />
Another
important concept that Ms. Driskill learned was the vastness of human
potential, and she used that in the classroom to help students explore
their ability to excel at whatever they tried to do.<br />
<br />
“Every
human has potential,” she said. “It’s just not quite certain when we’re
going to realize it. It might be at a different stage of life than
other people, but we still have it.”Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003112333120141231.post-27115933366863139362018-02-27T15:57:00.003-08:002018-02-27T15:57:50.902-08:00Never Too Young to Learn About Metacognition<i>Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the 20-year anniversary of
BrainSMART, we are sharing some of our educators' stories. All of the
featured educators earned their Master’s in Brain-based Teaching
curricula and/or the Minor in Brain-based Leadership, co-developed by
Dr. Donna Wilson and Dr. Marcus Conyers co-founders BrainSMART. Below is
a synopsis of one of those stories.</i><br />
<br />
Students are
never too young to learn the value of metacognition. For several years,
Regina Cabadaidis has taught this concept to her pre-K/K students at
S.D. Spady Elementary School, a Montessori Magnet School in Delray
Beach, Florida.<br />
<br />
“We talk about metacognition all the time,” Ms. Cabadaidis said in an interview for the BrainSMART publication, <i>Effective Teaching, Successful Students</i>. “It was one of the first words I taught them.”<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Ms.
Cabadaidis learned the concept of metacognition while earning her M.S.
degree with a major in Brain-Based Teaching and was eager to share it
with her young students, ages 3 to 6. Though it was a big word for such
small students, she was able to explain it to them as “thinking about
your thinking” and introduced the concept by relating it to their daily
routines.<br />
<br />
“One of the first examples I gave them was
that when we wake up in the morning, there are certain things we need to
do, and we need to make sure we know what those things are so we can
get to school on time,” Ms. Cabadaidis explained.<br />
<br />
The
concept of metacognition also comes up when Ms. Cabadaidis reads stories
with her students. She recalls a time, a few years ago, when students
were discussing <i>The Tale of Peter Rabbit</i>. The children realized
that the title character lacked metacognition because he never stopped
to think about the consequences of sneaking into Farmer McGregor’s farm.
“He went there when his mother told him not to, and he got into a lot
of trouble!” they told Ms. Cabadaidis. “He lost the brass buttons to his
new blue coat.”<br />
<br />
Another important BrainSMART concept
that Ms. Cabadaidis uses with her young students is the Three Phases of
Genius—input, processing and output. She has observed that these phases
coincide in many respects with the cognitive development exhibited by
her students. The goal is for the children to continue to use these
methods of learning as they move through their years in school—and
beyond.<br />
<br />
“That’s what we really want—whatever skills
they’ve learned in my classroom to stay with them as they go from year
to year,” Ms. Cabadaidis concluded.<br />
<br />Marcus Conyers, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651348944291092937noreply@blogger.com0