For those of you who have been following our coverage of breakthroughs related to the significant connection between mind and body in posts like these; Brain and Body, Dr. Bob Brooks on Spark by Dr. John Ratey, you’ll …
One of the challenges I face as an English teacher is teaching critical thinking skills to my students, as opposed to merely assessing for comprehension. Ultimately, texts are understood through a reader’s interpretation of the larger organization structures signaled by …
Parents especially may find this interesting. A recent article in the New York Times describes some recent studies that point out an apparent connection between sleep disorders and symptoms of ADHD in children. Unlike adults who feel groggy and drowsy …
Both learning disabilities and giftedness are socially constructed paradigms that fail to educate the student to his full potential while treating him or her as a holistic person with strengths and weaknesses. …
We’re still enraptured here at LearningDiversity.org by the Finnish school model, which emphasizes early interventions and individualized support as key components for academic success. …
By now most of us have heard of Dr. John Ratey’s research showing the cognitive benefits that follow physical activity, but it seems there may be an even more immediate body-brain connection. Several recent studies suggest that brain function is …
After reading Dr. John Ratey’s book, Spark1 and hearing his lecture on the relationship of exercise and learning on a visit to our school, I recalled looking into standing desks years ago and determining that they were an interesting idea worth trying.
Someday historians will look back on the generation of today’s “40-somethings” as the last literary generation of American society, the last one to grow up witlessly blessed with the benefit of having to satisfy their curiosity and entertain themselves through …
You may have heard about the intriguing findings of this recent study published in Nature that show that IQ scores among teenagers are quite variable over time and, moreover, that these changes in IQ are related to changes in the physical structure of the brain. That’s right. For many years it was assumed that intelligence, as measured by IQ tests, was fairly set for life. It was thought that IQ scores from testing conducted in childhood were pretty good predictors of future cognitive function, and even of future academic success and earning potential.
It’s a tricky business trying to predict college success. Whose success? Male students? Female? White? Latino? ESL? wealthy? And what kind of success? Finishing college in four years? Getting “good” grades freshman year, all 4 years? Getting a high-paying job …
Findings from the latest American Freshman National Norms survey reflect the same general tug-of-war occurring throughout American education. While these 2010 freshman were optimistic about their college experience, and 2/3 of them judged themselves to be “above average” (much like the gifted children of Lake Wobegone), they also assessed their emotional health at a record low.
Here’s what you may have missed last week at Learning Diversity:
Alfie Kohn and THE HOMEWORK MYTH
A new study demonstrates the discrepancy between teaching credentials and achievement
ONE YEAR OUT: student survey seems to show that students want …
Among my colleagues lately there has been a lot of discussion around the question of “challenge.” Some parents, students, and alum have raised the cry that what students really need is more rigor, tougher classes, higher expectations, harder grading, and …
Author and outspoken education critic Alfie Kohn makes his case against homework while talking about his recent book The Homework Myth.
Some teachers may be surprised to hear that there is very little research that shows any academic benefit to …
“A New Approach to Learning Disabilities: Making bureaucratic systems work for educators rather than limiting their ability to work with students” by Dr. Peter J. McDonald and Dr. Michael Riendeau was originally published at The VincentCurtis Educational Register and has …
Have you ever been so swept up in an activity that you’re totally focused, you’re enjoying doing what you’re doing for it’s own sake, and in the end you realize that you lost all track of time? Then you’ve probably …
Regardless of which paradigm of learning differences and ADHD you subscribe to (medical model or diversity model) you can’t deny that our educational system is inequitable. Some students–regardless of intelligence– will be more successful than others. As a teacher I …
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder affects between 3 and 7% of American children. The APA characterizes this condition as inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactive behaviors. Furthermore, Barkley classifies ADHD as a problem with behavior disinhibition and argues that inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity …
For years I taught Physics the usual way we are all familiar with, chapter by chapter until the year ran out. This certainly seemed to be a logical course of action when I taught in public high school but when …
A recent study headed by Elizabet Spaepen of the University of Chicago brings more evidence indicating that without words people have difficulty conceiving of large numbers. The study was conducted among deaf people in Nicaragua who use an informal form …
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