Department of Curriculum and Instruction s5

Jeff Goodman Department of Curriculum and Instruction Appalachian State University Boone, NC 28608 828.262.2176 [email protected]

Technology, Teaching and the Brain

At its core, teaching is simply the process of helping people change their brains. In recent years, developments in neuroscience have given us an expanded understanding of what is actually happening in the brain when we learn, and this understanding has led to a revolution in ‘brain-based’ teaching. In this session, we will look at the relationship between technology, teaching, and the brain, assessing how, in light of brain science, technology can be used effectively in the classroom. We will also look at the impact of an increasingly technological society on all our brains and discuss how we can prepare brains to thrive in a technologically complex workplace and society.

Suggested Reading

Ariely, D. (2008). Predictably irrational: The hidden forces that shape our decisions. New York, NY: Harper. An evaluation of the sources of illogical decisions explores the reasons why irrational thought often overcomes level-headed practices, offering insight into the structural patterns that cause people to make the same mistakes repeatedly.

Gallagher, Winifred (2009). Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life. New York, NY: Penguin Press Looks at the neuroscience and psychology of attention, focusing on the overarching theme that our lives are the sum of what we focus on. Offers practical tips for dealing with the many media vying for our attention in the modern world.

Jensen, E., & Jensen, E. (2008). Brain-based learning: The new paradigm of teaching. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Corwin Press. Discusses specific learning approaches tuned to the brain’s natural way of learning. These strategies help reduce discipline problems, overcome learning difficulties, and increase graduation rates. Jossey-Bass Inc. (2008). The Jossey-Bass reader on the brain and learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Combines pieces directly from scientific research with those written for the classroom teacher. The book demystifies recent neuroscience findings, and offers valuable insights into how students learn, and how we should teach them.

Lehrer, J. (2009). How we decide. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Offers a fascinating look at the new science of decision-making--and how it can help us make better choices.

Pink, D. H. (2006). A whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. New York: Riverhead Books. Uses the two sides of the human brain as a metaphor for understanding how the information age came about throughout the course of the past generation, counseling readers on how to survive and find a place in the information society.

Zull, J. E. (2002). The art of changing the brain: Enriching teaching by exploring the biology of learning. Sterling, Va: Stylus Pub. Explores the underlying truth that learning actually alters the brain by changing the number and strength of synapses and offers a powerful foundation for rethinking teaching practice and one's philosophy of teaching.