Brain matters : translating research into classroom practice / Patricia Wolfe.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wolfe, Pat.

Contributor:

Kathryn Faul and Joseph A. Wallace Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Learning, Psychology of.

Learning--Physiological aspects.

Learning.

Brain.

Physical Description:

xiv, 247 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 23 cm

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Alexandria, Va. : Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, [2010]

Summary:

Everyone agrees that what we do in schools should be based on what we know about how the brain learns. Until recently, however, we have had few clues to unlock the secrets of the brain. Now, research from the neurosciences has greatly improved our understanding of the learning process, and we have a much more solid foundation on which to base educational decisions. In this completely revised and updated second edition, Patricia Wolfe clarifies how we can effectively match teaching practice with brain functioning. Encompassing the most recent and relevant research and knowledge, this edition also includes three entirely new chapters that examine brain development from birth through adolescence and identify the impact of exercise, sleep, nutrition, and technology on the brain. Brain Matters begins with a "mini-textbook" on brain anatomy and physiology, bringing the biology of the brain into context with teaching and learning. Wolfe describes how the brain encodes, manipulates, and stores information, and she proposes implications that recent research has for practice--why meaning is essential for attention, how emotion can enhance or impede learning, and how different types of rehearsal are necessary for different types of learning. Finally, Wolfe introduces and examines practical classroom applications and brain-compatible teaching strategies that take advantage of simulations, projects, problem-based learning, graphic organizers, music, active engagement, and mnemonics. These strategies are accompanied by actual classroom scenarios--spanning the content areas and grade levels from lower elementary to high school--that help teachers connect theory with practice.

Contents:

pt. 1. The structure and function of the human brain. Opening the black box of the brain. Brain anatomy

A short course : Neurons and subcortical structures. Brain anatomy

A short course : the cortex. How neurons communicate

pt. 2. Brain development from birth through adolescence. The early and middle years. The adolescent brain: a work in progress. The role of exercise, sleep, nutrition, and technology

pt. 3. From sensory input to information storage. Sensory memory : getting information into the brain. Working memory : the conscious processing of information. Long-term memory : the brain's storage system

pt. 3. Matching instruction to how the brain learns best. Making curriculum meaningful through problems, projects, and simulations. Using the visual and auditory senses to enhance learning. A toolkit of brain-compatible strategies. A final note on brain-compatible teaching and learning.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Kathryn Faul and Joseph A. Wallace Fund.

ISBN:

9781416610670

1416610677

OCLC:

639521147

Publisher Number:

99942594419