Brain based education is the focus of the Teachers.Net Gazette cover article for October 2008. Written by Eric P. Jensen, prolific author and acknowledged leader in the field of brain-based education, the headliner in the popular web-based magazine is “A Fresh Look at Brain-Based Education.” The article makes the case that the principles behind brain-based education (BBE) have stood the test of time during the 20 years the theory has been the subject of high interest and fierce scrutiny. Readers may access the article at http://teachers.net/
More than 20 years since it was first suggested that there could be connections between brain function and educational practice, and in the face of all the evidence that has now accumulated to support this notion, BBE guru Eric Jensen urges educators to take full advantage of the relevant knowledge from a variety of scientific disciplines to improve instruction.
Jensen states a simple but essential premise: the brain is intimately involved in and connected with everything educators and students do at school. “Any disconnect is a recipe for frustration and potential disaster,” he says.
According to the author, “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.”
“Today, 10 years after the mudslinging criticism of brain-based education, it's appropriate to say, ‘We were right.’”
Eric Jensen is a former teacher and current member of the Society for Neuroscience and New York Academy of Sciences. He has taught at all levels, from elementary through university level and is currently completing his PhD in human development. In 1981, Jensen cofounded SuperCamp, the nation’s first and largest brain-compatible learning program, now with over 50,000 graduates. He has since written Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Brain-Based Learning, Deeper Learning, Arts with the Brain in Mind, Enriching the Brain, and 21 other books on learning and the brain. A leader in the brain-based movement, Jensen has made over 45 visits to neuroscience labs and interacts with countless neuroscientists. He was the founder of the Learning Brain EXPO and has trained educators and trainers for 25 years worldwide in this field. Corwin Press states that Jensen is deeply committed to making a positive, significant, lasting difference in the way we learn.
The Jensen article is one of more than 30 features in the Teachers.Net Gazette, all of which are linked from the attractive and easy to navigate cover. Back issues are archived at http://teachers.net/
