Designing Brain-Compatible Learning

`There`s a strong possibility that this will become one of the most used books on the educator`s bookshelf, and that`s all to the good because ultimately it will be the students who benefit.` – Pat Wolfe

Translating vast amounts of research into a teacher-friendly, practical guide to brain-compatible instruction, the authors have taken what is known about how the brain learns, combined it with the best of what is known about teaching, and generated the ultimate brain-compatible teaching kit. This valuable tool covers it all–cognitive research, pedagogical theory, theories of intelligence, cooperative group learning, collaborative skills, thinking skills, graphic organizers, and assessments–in an easy-to-digest format that explains what the key concepts are, why they are important, how they are relevant, and how they can be used. Complete with blackline masters and a list of resources, this is the most thorough guide to brain-compatible learning.

Foreward by Pat Wolfe

"Everyone agrees that what teachers do in the classrooms should be based on what we know about how people learn. However, until recently, we have had few clues to unlock the "black box" that holds the secrets of the brain. New research from the neurosciences is changing this scenario. Our understanding of the neurological underpinnings of the learning process has increased tremendously in the past few decades. We now have a much more solid foundation on which to hase educational decisions. But while the theoretical information is readily available, the translation of this information has not been. How do teachers sift through the enormous amount of available information and determine what applies and what doesn't? What does a brain-compatible classroom look like? Gayle Gregory and Terence Parry have tackled this challenging job of translating the research into classroom practice and provided teachers with what they've been looking for, a guide to brain-compatible instruction. This book begins with a very understandable synthesis of cognitive research, pulling from the work of leading neuroscientists, psychologists, and educators. An introduction to brain organization and architecture, the role of emotion in attention, and memory systems leads to a listing of general principles of how the brain works. This leads to a discussion of pedagogical theory and how pedagogical researchers and other education professionals have identified a number of powerful instructional techniques that enhance learning. Instruction that fits well with how the brain learns best is an admirable goal, but it will be difficult to reach if the way we measure attainment doesn't match the instruction. Gregory and Parry address this issue by including an excellent section on assessment. There's a strong possibility that this will become on e of the most used books on the educator's bookshelf, and that's all to the good because ultimately it will be the students (and their brains) who benefit.