"A Fresh Look at Brain-Based Education": Info from Eric P. Jensen's article in the Phi Delta Kappan; Dr. Judy Willis

"Brain-Based Education" is a buzz-phrase that educators have been hearing about for a while now. I'm sure that some of us have wondered if the term has been over used in an attempt to sell more educational materials and products.

Connie Weber, a member of HASTAC, posted an interesting message in the HASTAC on Ning forum about an article written by Eric P. Jensen in the February 2008 issue of the Phi Delta Kappan (Vol. 89. No.6)


From Connie Weber--

"This article in Phi Delta Kappan got me thinking a lot. Here's a list of 10 connections for educators; surely these discoveries have relevance for our Cybernetic Age, for planning out how to nurture positive brain development..."

From Jensen:

"Schools present countless opportunities to affect students' brains. Such issues as stress, exercise, nutrition, and social conditions are all relevant, brain-based issues that affect cognition, attention, classroom discipline, attendance, and memory. Our new understanding is that every school day changes the student's brain in some way. Once we make those connections, we can make choices in how we prioritize policies and strategies. Here are some of the powerful connections for educators to make."

...

---

ERIC P. JENSEN is a former middle school teacher and adjunct professor for the University of California, San Diego. He co-founded the Brain Store and the Learning Brain EXPO and has written 21 books on the brain and learning. His most recent book is Enriching the Brain (Jossey-Bass, 2006). He currently is a doctoral student in Media Psychology at Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, Calif. (c)2008, Eric P. Jensen.

FYI

Somewhere in the TechPsych archives is my previous post on this topic, highlighting the work of Dr. Judy Willis. Dr. Willis is a board-certified neurologist who practiced neurology for 20 years. She is now a teacher at Santa Barbara Middle school. She is the author "The Neuroscience of Joyful Education", an article that appeared in the Summer 2007 edition of Educational Leadership.

Dr. Willis is the author of Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning: Insights from a Neurologist/Classroom Teacher and Brain Friendly Strategies for the Inclusion Classroom". (These are two books worth reading!)

Judy Willis (jwillisneuro@aol.com; www.RADTeach.com)