Five Big Ideas for Effective Teaching

Donna Wilson and Marcus Conyers are developers of graduate degrees focused on applied Mind, Brain, and Education science and are founders of the Center for Innovative Education and Prevention. Donna, former chair of Education at University of Detroit Mercy, is faculty with ASCD, and Marcus is a PhD research supervisor with Canterbury Christ Church University.

Foreword by Robert Calfee  ix
Acknowledgments  xi
Preface xiii
Introduction 1
Teacher Education and Professional Development: Preparing, Developing, and Supporting Teachers by Providing Them with a Firm Foundation 1
Teachers as Learners: Enhancing Mindsets and Methods 4
Five Big Ideas from Research to Application 5
Prologue: Challenges and Opportunities in 21st Century Schooling 9
In Support of a Gold Standard for Educational Professionals: Teachers as Adaptive Experts and Lifelong Learners 11
Challenges in the Current System of Teacher Education and Schooling 12
Tools for Learning and Teaching in the 21st Century 14
Brain, Plasticity, Potential, and Intelligence 15
The Body-Brain System 17
Metacognition 19
The Challenges of Teaching Today 21
Opportunities Knock for Lifelong Learners 24
Connecting the Science of Learning to the Art of Teaching 27
1. Big Idea 1: Implications of Neural Plasticity for Learning and Teaching 28
Understanding the Science of Neural Plasticity 30
Brain Development Over the Life Span 33
Plasticity Research and the Classroom 37
From Research to Classroom Practice: Plasticity in Action 41
What's the Big Idea? 45
2. Big Idea 2: Recognizing Human Potential 48
Misunderstanding Potential: The Fixed Mindset 50
Defining Potential in the Classroom 51
Teacher Expectations About Their Students' Learning Potential 54
Educational Leadership: Beyond the Classroom 59
From Research to Classroom Practice: Guiding Students to Actualize Their Learning Potential 61
What's the Big Idea? 62
3. Big Idea 3: Understanding Intelligence 65
Conceptions of Intelligence 68
Dynamic, Changeable Intelligence 73
Malleable Intelligence, Growth Mindsets, and Student Learning 73
Malleable Intelligence, Motivation, and Effort  75
Rehearsal: Talent vs. Deliberate Practice 79
Using Formative Assessment for Intelligence-Building 81
Educational Leadership: Beyond the Classroom 82
From Research to Classroom Practice: Intelligence and a Growth Mindset for 21st Century Success 82
What's the Big Idea? 89
4. Big Idea 4: The Body-Brain System at Work for Learning 92
Social and Emotional Learning 93
Modeling and Teaching Practical Optimism 97
Managing Stress 99
Stronger Bodies, Sharper Minds 100
The Search for Causal Connections 103
High-Octane Fuel for Learning 105
Preparing for Learning with a Good Night's Sleep 107
From Research to Classroom Practice: Putting the Body-Brain System to Work 108
What's the Big Idea?  111
5. Big Idea 5: Metacognition as a Path to Becoming Functionally Smarter 115
Metacognition Through the Ages 116
Thinking About Thinking: Two Layers of Learning 117
Connecting Metacognition and Executive Function 119
Teaching and Facilitating the Use of Cognitive Strategies 121
Connecting Cognitive Strategies to Current Rigorous Standards 123
Gathering Information 124
Exploring and Elaborating 128
Communicating What You Have Learned 134
Teaching Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies by Example 138
A Metacognitive Approach to Social and Emotional Learning 140
From Research to Classroom Practice: Learning by Teaching and Reflecting on Your Professional Practice 144
What's the Big Idea? 145
6. Teaching, Learning, and Neuroeducation Myth Busting 148
Becoming an "Apprentice" of Effective Education 149
There Is More to 21st Century Education Than the 3 Rs—A Lot More 150
You Can Get Better at Almost Anything If You Set Your Mind to It 152
Your Brain Is a Learning Muscle—Build It 153
Early Intensive Reading Instruction Can Open New Worlds 154
The Little Engine That Could Had the Right Idea 155
Don't Forget: You Can Remember 157
Support Physical Activity to Support Learning 160
Your Role as a Myth Buster 161
7. Your Journey of Learning and Teaching 162
The Importance of Learning Together 163
Connecting with a Worldwide Professional Learning Community  170
The Joy of Informal Learning 172
Rising to the Hope and Challenges of Your Professional Practice 173
References 176
Index 196
About the Authors 209