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We share evidence-based K-12 learning strategies that empower you to improve education.

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School Transformation Through Arts Integration at Bates Middle School

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Five Keys to Successful Social and Emotional Learning

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Blogs on Brain-Based Learning

Brain-Based Learning

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Understand how the brain works and how educators and parents can improve the learning process.

Teenagers and Abstract Thinking: Unclear on the Concept?

Shawn CornallyMarch 5, 2013

Tags Brain Research, Multiple Intelligences, Middle (6-8), High (9-12), Math

The frustrations teenagers experience with school are more a case of statistics and lack of experience than that of work ethic or "attitude" problems. These statistics are not tied to socioeconomic status, weight or time spent in a seat; they're genetic and experiential. We have a bell curve of abstraction and experience, and we're only beginning to think about how to honor that.

How Technology Can Improve Post-Secondary Outcomes for Students with Autism

Dana ReineckeJanuary 24, 2013

Tags Brain Research, Career and Technical Education, College Readiness, , Special Education

The challenges associated with autism are costly to the affected individuals, their families, and society. Individuals with autism face difficulties in communication and socialization, as well as increased risk of behavior problems that can severely impact their ability to participate in everyday activities.

Young Kids and Technology at Home

Douglas RushkoffJanuary 4, 2013

Tags Brain Research, Parental Involvement, Primary (K-2), Technology Integration

When I was a kid, the main reason my mom limited our television time was x-rays. Back in 1968, when I was seven years old, the same age my daughter is now, a big study on radioactive emissions from cathode ray tubes had just come out, and so our new color Philco had become the enemy. My brother and I had to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas and the NY Jets win the Super Bowl from 15 feet away, in the corner of the room diagonally opposite from the set.

A Joyful, Brain-Friendly Classroom

Elaine KennedyDecember 17, 2012

Tags Primary (K-2), Project-Based Learning, Student Engagement, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8)

I took my handicapped dog of 15 years for a walk in the grass. Maddie has gone from not being able to walk on her hind legs (a neurological problem) to gradually being able to walk with an awkward, back-legs-don't-really-know-where-they're-landing gait. Let me relate Maddie’s experience to brain-compatible elements that my teachers implement at New Morning School every day.

Accelerating Students Along Neural Superhighways

Tony BorashNovember 6, 2012

Tags Best Practices, Brain Research, All Grades

In our brains, upwards of one hundred billion neurons form a vast network of information pathways, intersecting at nearly one hundred trillion unique synapses. To put that number into context, consider New York City and its thousands of street crossings: the estimated number of intersections in this U.S. megalopolis still represent less than one millionth of the number of a brain's neural intersections.

Four Things All Educators Should Understand About the Dyslexic Brain

Patrick WilsonOctober 26, 2012

Tags Brain Research, Special Education, English Language Arts

What do you think of when you hear the word dyslexic? All too often the reflex reaction is a stream of negative associations -- "slow reader," "under performance," "extra time on exams," "difficulty spelling." While it is true that these are common symptoms in students with dyslexia, they are surmountable problems. For any educator, the key to unleashing academic success in dyslexic students lies in understanding how their brains work.

A Neurologist Makes the Case for Teaching Teachers About the Brain

Judy Willis MDJuly 27, 2012

Tags Biology, Brain Research, Mental Health, Professional Development, Teacher Development

"Neuroscience should be required for all students [of education] . . . to familiarize them with the orienting concepts [of] the field, the culture of scientific inquiry, and the special demands of what qualifies as scientifically based education research." - Eisenhart & DeHaan, 2005

Do you recall some of your college professors who knew their subject matter but had zero teaching skills? Staying awake in their one-way-directed lecture classes required Herculean strength (or lots of coffee). They were never trained to develop the skillset of engagement strategies.

Bad for the Brain: Goodbye to Unsustainable Education Models

Judy Willis MDJune 13, 2012

Tags Brain Research, Comprehensive Assessment, Education Reform, Standardized Testing, All Grades

My Prediction: Within five to ten years in some countries, open Internet access for information acquisition will be available on standardized tests. This access will significantly reduce the quantity of data designated for rote memorization.

How Do We Help Kids Make Better Choices? Let Them Practice

Matt LevinsonJune 7, 2012

Tags Brain Research, Expeditionary Learning, Parental Involvement, , Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

In her Wall Street Journal editorial, What's Wrong With the Teenage Mind?, University of California at Berkeley psychology professor Alison Gopnik highlights two key areas of the brain that dictate adolescent and human development: (1) emotion and motivation and (2) control.

She cites Berkeley pediatrician and developmental psychologist Ronald Dahl who uses the perfect metaphor to describe adolescence: "Today's adolescents develop an accelerator a long time before they can steer and brake."

How to Rewire Your Burned-Out Brain: Tips from a Neurologist

Judy Willis MDMay 22, 2012

Tags Brain Research, Mental Health, Professional Development, , Teacher Burnout, Teacher Development, All Grades

For many of you in the northern hemisphere, the school year is coming to a close, and with it comes a likely drop in the stressors that build up and promote teacher (and administrator) burnout. It therefore may not seem timely to suggest interventions to prevent or reduce burnout. However, it is often not until we are away from a high-stress situation for a while that the brain can move out of reactive survival mode and into a relaxed state where it can ponder the big picture.