This book provides the means for every teacher to build a base of understanding in three essential learning sciences—neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and educational research—as a foundation that they will use throughout their careers. By combining all three fields of the learning sciences, it puts the pieces together in one volume, makes them relevant to the work of every teacher and learner, and fills a gap in teacher education texts. The brain-based principles presented show how the brain and mind work in relation to what we know of behavior and learning in the classroom. The foundational information is presented in a series of key concepts the authors call The CORE. It’s based on research done expressly for this book by the University of Oregon, College of Education in collaboration with the Columbia University Department of Neuroscience. Using a technique called saturation evaluation to explore a wealth of research-based resources, these groups identified what could reasonably constitute essential understandings of brain science for teachers. The CORE fundamentals are summarized in a framework comprised of seven Guiding Principles, each amplified by a related set of Big Ideas. Concise, accessible, and structured especially for teacher education, Why Neuroscience Matters in the Classroom is understandable and relevant to all teachers, even those who say they are science shy. Learning points introduce the reader to what’s to come and Scenarios summarize the material that’s covered, including such topics as neural plasticity and the basics of physical change; how nutrition, exercise, and sleep may affect learning; the major roles that emotion, attitude, and stress play in brain function; and more.

Table of Contents:
Brief Table of Contents Chapter 1. A CORE of Understanding - 2 Framework of the CORE: Seven Guiding Principles and Their Associated “Big Ideas” - 34 Chapter 2. Neural Plasticity - 36 Chapter 3. Cognition and Instructional Design - 62 Chapter 4. Encoding Strategies and Memory - 90 Chapter 5. Elaborating on Instructional Design - 118 Chapter 6. Sleep, Exercise, and Nutrition - 142 Chapter 7. Emotional Function and Attitude in the Brain - 166 Chapter 8. Stress - 192 Chapter 9. Feedback and Evidence in the Brain - 208 Chapter 10. Sensitive Periods - 232 Chapter 11. Insights across the Curriculum - 248 Chapter 12. Action Plan - 282 Appendix A Technical Report on Development of the CORE - 292 Appendix B Summary of Sampled Resources of the CORE - 308 Index - 315 Detailed Table of Contents Chapter 1. A CORE of Understanding - 2 The Power of Three: Three Learning Sciences Are Better Than One 4 The Power of Three: A Focus on Reading 6 A Word about Neuromyths 7 Organization of This Book 8 Introducing Seven Guiding Principles 10 Establishing a CORE 10 Laying Out the CORE 11 Succeeding in the 21st Century 16 Bringing Cognitive Science into the Classroom 17 Going Beyond the CORE 20 Conclusion 21 Resources 22 References 22 Framework of the CORE: Seven Guiding Principles and Their Associated “Big Ideas” - 34 Chapter 2. Neural Plasticity - 36 Plasticity Defined 39 Importance of Plasticity 39 Building on What is Useful 41 A Tale of Two Signaling Systems 42 Staying Thoroughly Modern 45 Exploring the Capacity to Change 47 Brain Growth Pioneer and Legendary Teacher 49 Pruning’s Surprising Role 51 Does the Brain Make Value Judgments? 55 To Reason Like Einstein 55 What Gets Fired Gets Wired 56 Conclusion 58 Closing Scenario 58 Citations 59 References 59 Chapter 3. Cognition and Instructional Design - 62 Approaching Instructional Design 64 Priming, Elaboration, Extension, Knowledge Integration: An Example 66 The Benefits of Using Your Own Experiences 68 Thinking about . . . Cognition 71 Who’s in Charge: The Mind or the Brain? 71 Executive Function: A CEO of the Brain 74 Brain Power to Spare? No Way 79 Environments in Which We Thrive 80 Allocating Attention: An Example 82 The Flynn Effect in Cognition 83 Patterns in the Brain 85 Conclusion 86 Closing Scenario 87 Citations 88 References 88 Chapter 4. Encoding Strategies and Memory - 90 Why Memory Matters 92 Organization of Memory: Two Processes Defined 92 Working Memory at Work 93 Long-Term Memory Examples and Implications 94 Connecting Memory with Instructional Design 96 Are We Programmed to Forget? 97 Knowledge Integration 99 Memory as an Investment and Commitment of Resources 100 The Three Processes of Memory: Acquiring, Accessing, and Retaining 100 Luke Skywalker and Accessing Our Memories 103 Memory Retrieval and the Importance of Association 104 How Chunking Builds Useful Memory 105 Repeated Exposure Enhances Memory Making 106 Practice (of the Right Kind) Makes Perfect 108 Making Homework Memorable 109 Primacy, Timing, and Memory 110 How Much Can We Remember? 111 Managing Cognitive Load 112 A Word about Skill Acquisition and Memory 113 Reluctant to Give Up Our Associations 114 Conclusion 115 Closing Scenario 116 References 116 Chapter 5. Elaborating on Instructional Design - 118 Approaching Instructional Design 120 Approaches to Not Lose Learning 122 Our “Original” Thinking 123 Tapping into the Perceptual Field 124 Seeing Patterns of Importance 125 Similarity and Difference: The SAD Effect 127 A “Training Set” for the Brain 128 Putting Similarities and Differences to Work 129 How Representations Diagram Our Thinking 130 Making Connections “Conditionalizes” Knowledge 131 Making It “Real” for the Brain 132 Transfer is Introduced 133 Scaffolding and Fading 134 The Social Nature of Cognitive Engagement 137 Conclusion 139 Closing Scenario 139 Citations 140 References 140 Chapter 6. Sleep, Exercise, and Nutrition - 142 Sleep 144 Sleep to Learn Better 144 Research Moves Rapidly Ahead 146 Say “Yes” to Naps 148 The Curse of Too Little Sleep 149 Not All Sleep Is the Same 149 What Information Gets Remembered? 150 Sleep and Brain Plasticity 151 Exercise 151 More Than Child’s Play 151 Fitness Matters to the Brain 152 Run, Mice, Run 152 Looking Specifically at Children 154 How Much and What Kind? 155 Walking to School Gets an A 156 Elite Athletes Excel Off the Court, Too 157 Nutrition 157 Food for Thought 157 Powering the Brain for Learning 158 Nutrition Early in Life Is Key 159 Brain Drain: When You Eat Matters 160 A Is for Apples 161 Conclusion 161 Closing Scenario 162 Citations 163 References 163 Chapter 7. Emotional Function and Attitude in the Brain - 166 The Brain Needs Emotional Input 167 Emotion and Feeling Differ 169 Neurotransmitters’ “All Alert” 171 How Emotion Works in the Brain 173 A Framework for Learning Resistance 177 Resistance as Part of Our Fundamental Makeup 178 The First Plank: Survival of Body and Mind 179 The Second Plank: Emotional Well-Being, the “Hot Button” Lens 180 The Third Plank: The Emotional Impact of Relevance 182 The Telling Response to Challenge 185 Students Motivated by Their Own Brains 186 Brain Awareness Motivates Her Students 187 Conclusion 188 Closing Scenario 189 Citations 190 References 190 Chapter 8. Stress - 192 Stress, Distress, and Anxiety 194 The Stress Response 198 Stress, Up to a Point, Has Benefits 201 Brief Stress Primes Neuron Growth 202 Test-Taking Warriors and Worriers 203 Perception Matters . . . a Lot 205 Conclusion 205 Closing Scenario 206 Citations 206 References 207 Chapter 9. Feedback and Evidence in the Brain - 208 Feedback Abounds in the Classroom 210 Teaching Teachers about Feedback and Evidence as a Brain Concept 210 How Feedback and Evidence Work in the Brain 211 Feedback and Evidence from the View of Teachers 216 Feedback that Works: What Does the Evidence Say? 216 Feedback and Attention 220 Feedback or Instruction? 220 Making Formative Assessment Effective 221 When Going Extinct Is Desirable 222 Feedback and Evidence Traps to Avoid 222 Reflections on Goal Setting and Feedback 224 Prediction and Evidence Accumulating Evidence to Mak225 e Decisions 226 Mindfully Filling Gaps 227 Conclusion 229 Closing Scenario 230 Citations 230 References 231 Chapter 10. Sensitive Periods - 232 Sensitive Periods or Critical Periods? 234 A Preferential Time of Brain Reorganization 236 The Role of Experience and Exposure 236 Early Musical Training and the Brain: An Example 240 Research Frontiers in Sensitive Periods 242 A Caution on Overinterpreting Findings 243 Sensitive or Deprived? 244 Conclusion 245 Closing Scenario 245 Citations 246 References 246 Chapter 11. Insights across the Curriculum - 248 Quantitative Thinking in the Brain 252 Following Cognitive Hunches 253 Our Mental Number Line 254 Some Approaches to Support Mastery 257 Literacy, Reading, and the Representation of Language in the Brain 260 Words and Parsing Language 261 Moving on to Meaning 264 Some Approaches to Support Mastery 266 Reasoning in the Brain 268 The Brain as a Reason Machine 269 Toward Intercultural Competence 272 Some Approaches to Support Mastery 273 Conclusion 276 Closing Scenario 277 Citations 278 References 279 Chapter 12. Action Plan - 282 The Perspective from Scientists 283 The Perspective from Teachers 284 It Takes a Village: Actions That Schools and Educators Can Take 287 Moving Ahead in the 21st Century 289 Conclusion 290 Citations 290 References 291 Appendix A Technical Report on Development of the CORE - 292 Appendix B Summary of Sampled Resources of the CORE - 308 Index - 315