Brain Based Learning

Planning for Success in the 1st 20 Days - This post discusses the importance of establishing and teaching routines during the first 20 days of school. The takeaway here is that one should not assume that students know how or remember how to exercise executive functioning skills necessary for success in the class and the school. 

Why Don’t Students Like School, Daniel Willingham, Jossey-Bass, 2009. - This book, a copy of which is in the PTHS library, is an excellent resource for understanding why students struggle with engagement, recalling information, and applying information. This book is strongly recommended for everyone who interacts with students!

• PDF of the book - (Does not conform to copyright laws, but that wasn’t our doing!)

• PDF - Summary and mini-passages

Remember: The Science of Remembering and the Art of Forgetting, Lisa Genova, Harmony, 2023. - Lisa Genova, the author of Still Alice, addresses what it is that makes us remember information and events and discusses the factors that influence our memory of the information and events. Consider how other’s recollection of events and retelling of that event triggers and taints your recollection and memory!  This is perfectly normal. This book talks about how very common it is that we don’t remember most of what we see and experience and what we do remember, may not be 100% accurate. A very interesting read. 

How to Engage Students’ Memory Processes to Improve Learning. EduTopia. - This brief article discusses much of what the other articles do but in a different manner. Emphasizes working memory from long-term memory and rote memory. Strategies are suggested to help move the information or events from working memory to long term memory to retrieval.