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Constructing Knowledge, Reconstructing Schooling
Posted January 17th, 2008 by carrieannRather than thinking of the brain as a computer, cognitive scientists now utilize a far more flexible, biological analogy, where the brain is seen as a unique, ever-changing organism that grows and reshapes itself in response to use. In this article, John Abbott and Terence Ryan discuss how emerging brain research that supports constructivist learning collides head-on with many of our institutional arrangements for learning.
The article first appeared in the November 1999 issue of Educational Leadership.
How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School
When do infants begin to learn? How do experts learn and how is this different from non-experts? What can teachers and schools do to help children learn most effectively? This book offers exciting new research about the mind and the brain that provides answers to these and other questions.
Enriching Communities: Concepts of Communities in the Future
Posted January 17th, 2008 by carrieann“Enriching Communities” was the theme of the first International Baccalaureate Organization Worldwide Electronic Conference in 2004. John Abbott, as a contributor/leader, noted that the theme suggested that “right now, many people fear that communities are not what they once were, or indeed might be in the future, and that somehow they have to be enriched.” He contributed four papers to the conference, all on the topic of community (attached as one document, below).
The Growth of the Mind: And the Endangered Origins of Intelligence
A strong argument for the emotional origins of intellectual development, this important book synthesizes current theories of developmental psychology with new insights derived from genetics and brain physiology.
Learning with the Grain of the Brain
Posted January 17th, 2008 by carrieannIf young people are to be equipped effectively to meet the challenges of the 21st century it is surely prudent to seek out the very best understandings from current scientific research into the nature of how humans learn before considering further reform of the current system.
This article by John Abbott and Terence Ryan appeared in the Spring, 1999 issue of Education Canada.
Punished By Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes
The basic strategy we use for raising children, teaching students, and managing workers can be summarized in six words: Do this and you’ll get that. Drawing on a wealth of psychological research, Alfie Kohn points the way to a more successful strategy based on working with people instead of doing things to them.
A Policy Paper: The Strategic and Resource Implications of a New Model of Learning
Posted January 17th, 2008 by carrieannThis Policy Proposal, from the 21st Century Learning Initiative in the UK, is written to assist those in positions of influence to initiate powerful changes to current educational arrangements. The circumstantial evidence for such a transformation of learning is drawn from the best in research and practice from around the world. The paper shows that better informed, and more effective, models of learning could be organised through a redistribution of expenditures and responsibilities, at a total cost no greater than current levels of expenditure.
Education is Inside Out, Upside Down: John Abbott Speaks
Posted December 19th, 2007 by carrieannJohn Abbott speaks about how schools have it wrong.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.
The changelearning website project emerged from the collaboration of John Abbott and Heather MacTaggart, the Executive Director of Classroom Connections, a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to optimizing student learning.
modern society’s failure to understand adolescents
Posted January 17th, 2008 by carrieannIn this paper John Abbott investigates the life of explorer of Peter Puget for clues as to how adolescents in the past learned the skills they need to survive and thrive in adult society.
Do Schools Kill Creativity?: Ken Robinson speaks
Posted December 20th, 2007 by carrieannSir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining (and profoundly moving) case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it. With ample anecdotes and witty asides, Robinson points out the many ways our schools fail to recognize — much less cultivate — the talents of many brilliant people. “We are educating people out of their creativity,” Robinson says. The universality of his message is evidenced by its rampant popularity online. Watch it now.
(Description from ted.com)
(Runtime: 19:29)
We Are a Small Group Species
Posted March 12th, 2008 by carrieannHuman beings are communal by nature and living together – in communities – is our most common and most natural state of life. John Abbott discusses the fact that communities must be created and sustained by the conscious intentions and actions of their members, and that we must attend to health and vitality of our communities in order to thrive – and to learn! – as a species.
About this paper
Students' View of Intelligence Can Help Grades: Carol Dweck Speaks
Posted December 27th, 2007 by carrieannA 2007 study by psychologist Carol Dweck from Stanford University shows that if you teach students that their intelligence can grow and increase, they do better in school.
This video captures a conversation between Stanford Report writer Lisa Trei and psychologist Carol Dweck about the ways in which people’s self-theories about intelligence have a profound influence on their motivation to learn.
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Listen to an interview with study author psychologist Carol Dweck on the National Public Radio website.
Howard Gardner - questioning the nature of intelligence and the purpose of education
Posted March 12th, 2008 by carrieannHoward Gardner is the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The author of over twenty books translated into twenty-four languages, and several hundred articles, Gardner is best known in educational circles for his
theory of multiple intelligences, a critique of the notion that there exists but a single human intelligence that can be assessed by standard psychometric instruments.
Heather MacTaggart Speaks About Students Losing the Love of Learning
Posted January 28th, 2008 by carrieannHeather McTaggart speaks about the fact that although human beings are inquisitive by nature, for many children learning becomes something that is viewed as ‘not fun’.
Featured in this video:
Heather MacTaggart is the Executive Director of Classroom Connections, a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to optimizing student learning.
John Abbott on Learning With the Grain of the Brain
Posted January 28th, 2008 by carrieannJohn Abbott discusses the nature of the human brain and critical periods for learning in a person’s development.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.
Audio file: Gordon Neufield on adolescence, peer-orientation and education
Posted March 12th, 2008 by carrieannDr. Gordon Neufeld discusses adolescence and the current context of education at the Canadian Education Association’s 2006 Symposium Getting it Right for Adolescent Learners.
Listen to Dr. Neufeld’s presentation
Featured in this talk
John Abbott on Brain Development: Windows of Opportunity for Learning
Posted January 28th, 2008 by carrieannJohn Abbott speaks about the nature of the human brain and the existence of developmental ‘windows of opportunity’ for learning.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.
get informed
Before we can take action towards improving education in Canada, we need to be sure we understand the problems at hand. We must take the time to re-examine the big picture: the history of education, the social changes of the past 100 years, the roles of community and family in schools, and what research has shown about how humans learn best. When we understand where we are and how we got here, we can begin to re-envision our schools and work to transform education to meet the needs of today and the challenges of tomorrow.
John Abbott on Critical Periods of Brain Development
Posted January 28th, 2008 by carrieannJohn Abbott discusses the need for us to understand critical ‘windows of opportunity’ in human development in order to maximize learning. In particular, he discusses very key – and very different – opportunities afforded by the early years and the period of adolescence.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.
born to learn
Humans are a learning species designed to learn, Each of us is born with everything we need to ‘grow our own brains’ – but only if we get the right kind of interaction with the world around us, especially during critical periods of brain growth.
Evolution and Learning in the Early Years: John Abbot Speaks
Posted January 28th, 2008 by carrieannJohn Abbott discusses human evolution and the incredible amount of brain development that takes place in our earliest years.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.
timing is everything
Human brains come with a genetic timetable for growth. Certain periods like the early years and adolescence are key to optimal development.
Are Teenagers Key to Human Progress?: John Abbott Re-examines Adolescence
Posted January 30th, 2008 by carrieannJohn Abbott explores the idea that the stage of adolescence may be one of the core driving forces of human evolution.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.
early years
What happens in the early years is critical to a person’s lifelong development. It is not nature or nurture, but both. What happens (or does not happen) in a child’s life before the age of six literally shapes – to a remarkable extent – who they will become, how they learn, their abilities and their emotional capacities. Optimal development during this critical period relies on competent and loving parenting, active community support, effective early childhood education and an understanding of the importance of play.
Battery Hens or Free-range Chickens?: John Abbott on the Goals of Education
Posted January 30th, 2008 by carrieannJohn Abbott asks what kind of people our education system is aiming to produce.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.
The changelearning website project emerged from the collaboration of John Abbott and Heather MacTaggart, the Executive Director of Classroom Connections, a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to optimizing student learning.
adolescence
Adolescence is a critical period of development when crucial skills are either developed or abandoned. It may also be an important evolutionary adaptation that has helped the progression of our species. Are we getting learning right for teens?
Let Me Do and I Understand: John Abbott on Cognitive Apprenticeship
Posted January 31st, 2008 by carrieannJohn Abbott speaks about how an expert can lead the novice (student) through the stages of learning.
Featured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.
a critical evolutionary adaptation
Perhaps the craziness of adolescence is really an evolutionary adaptation that is critical to the advancement of the human species.
Building Knowledge, Not Accumulating Facts: John Abbott Speaks
Posted January 31st, 2008 by carrieannFeatured in this video:
John Abbott is the President of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.
The changelearning website project emerged from the collaboration of John Abbott and Heather MacTaggart, the Executive Director of Classroom Connections, a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to optimizing student learning.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Dweck explains how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area of life.
Learning About Learning Boosts Student Motivation and Success
Posted February 11th, 2008 by carrieannFor over 30 years, Carol Dweck has studied students’ motivation and she says: “Here is the most important thing I have learned: The most motivated and resilient students are not the ones who think they have a lot of fixed or innate intelligence. Instead, the most motivated and resilient students are the ones who believe that their abilities can be developed through their effort and learning”.
The Primal Teen: What the New Discoveries about the Teenage Brain Tell Us about Our Kids
For anyone who has ever puzzled over the mysterious and often infuriating behavior of a teenager comes a groundbreaking look at the teenage brain written by the medical science and health editor for The New York Times.
Students' View of Intelligence Can Help Grades
Posted December 27th, 2007 by carrieannIf you teach students that their intelligence can grow and increase, they do better in school says a 2007 study by psychologist Carol Dweck from Stanford University.
Related items
Read a brief report from the Stanford University news service on the implications of Carol Dweck’s research in this area.
View Mindset: the New Psychology of Success,Dweck’s book on the topic.
Not by Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human Evolution
Not by Genes Alone offers a radical interpretation of human evolution, arguing that culture is essential to human adaptation, as much a part of human biology as bipedal locomotion.
Redefining How Success is Measured in First Nations, Inuit and Métis Learning
Posted January 10th, 2008 by carrieannIncreasingly, Aboriginal communities are administering educational programs and services formerly delivered by non-Aboriginal governments. They are developing culturally relevant curricula and community-based language and culture programs, and creating their own educational institutions. As Aboriginal people work to improve community wellbeing through lifelong learning, they recognize the need to identify appropriate measurement tools that will help them assess what is working and what is not.
(Source: Canadian Council on Learning)
How the Brain Learns
How the Brain Learns examines remarkable new research and developments in brain functioning and translates this information into effective classroom strategies and activities.
battery hens or free-range chickens: what kind of education for what kind of world?
Posted January 17th, 2008 by carrieannThere is more material now about the nature of human learning than at any previous time in history. Why, therefore, do we have a “crisis” in education? John Abbott, discusses what is known about how humans learn and develop from birth through adulthood and how our education systems have it “inside out and upside down”.
How People Learn: Bridging Research and Practice
This book offers exciting new research about the mind and the brain and examines the implications for what we teach, how we teach it, and how we assess what our children learn.
Crazy By Design: Adolescence, a Critical Evolutionary Adaptation
Posted January 17th, 2008 by carrieannThe latest research and theories from evolutionary psychology, neurobiology and cognitive science demonstrate the various ways that humans have evolved over time to be extremely effective learners. John Abbott discusses what current research from various fields can tell us about how the adolescent brain works and how educators can work with adolescent learners to maximize their potential.
The Case Against Adolescence: Rediscovering the Adult in Every Teen
This groundbreaking book argues that adolescence is an unnecessary period of life that people are better off without.
can the learning species fit into schools?
Posted January 17th, 2008 by carrieannEducation critic John Abbott quotes Bill Gates who states unequivocally; “High schools are obsolete… by that, I mean that even when they are working exactly as designed (they) cannot teach our kids what they need to know today”. Abbott explores what we know about our species that might help us understand better how humans learn and how to provide young people with the learning experiences they need.
(This paper was delivered to The Campaign for Learning, 10th June 2005, Kensington Town Hall, UK.)
The Primal Teen: What the New Discoveries about the Teenage Brain Tell Us about Our Kids
For anyone who has ever puzzled over the mysterious and often infuriating behavior of a teenager comes a groundbreaking look at the teenage brain written by the medical science and health editor for The New York Times.
