Neuroscience and the Child: Implications for Educators

When

4 Jun 2009 - 5 Jun 2009
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Asia/Singapore

Where

Melbourne - ether Conference Centre
265 - 281 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC

Event Tag

There are five areas of neuroscience research educators need to know to plan effectively: the mechanics of brain growth and development, educational implications of brain research, using neuroscience findings to plan classroom environments, and supporting motivation and higher level thinking skills in the classroom.

Objectives
This workshop will help participants understand neuroscience research and how to plan classroom environments, activities, and interactions that support brain function and school success through:

  • Reviewing brain development, critical periods and learning styles.
  • Supporting learning though emotion regulation, and stress moderation.
  • Arranging environments for learning.
  • Understanding and planning for social development to encourage and support classroom interactions necessary for attention, memory and reducing aggression
  • Planning for memory formation, motivation and higher level thinking skills

Outline
Day 1:

  • Ten facts about brain research findings every educator should know
  • Overview of brain development, critical periods and learning style
    • meet the brain; how the brain learns
    • brain development in children, birth through adolescence
    • using the brain’s critical growth periods to enhance learning
    • assessing and planning for differing learning styles*
  • Maximizing Learning through Emotions
    • how sensori-motor development is the foundation for learning
    • supporting emotions to enhance and inhibiting emotions that prevent learning
    • how positive emotions to prime the brain for learning
    • teaching emotional regulation to inhibiting aggression and model problem solving developing memorable learning activities*

Day 2:

  • Arranging environments to facilitate learning
    • planning for seating, temperature, lighting, noise to promote learning*
    • role of physical movement in learning and memory formation, and helping children with learning disabilities
    • why the brain needs for play and physical movement to learn
  • Understanding how the social brain supports or inhibits learning
    • the physiology of social support in the classroom and its role in brain function
    • supporting sensitive periods of social development to enhance learning, including the ability to inhibit aggression*
    • the role of stress and stress hormones in learning and how classroom activities can increase helpful stress and decrease harmful stress
  • Memory formation, motivation and higher level thinking skills
    • memory formation and how to develop activities to support children’s long term memory formation*
    • motivation and how teachers can motivate children*
    • encouraging higher level thinking skills, revisiting Bloom’s taxonomy*

Trainer’s Profile
Dr. N.E is currently a tenured professor of Early Childhood Education at Aquinas College. She has taught at various levels of early childhood classrooms, serves as Adult and Parent Educator and Early Childhood Education Consultant. For the past 10 years, she has conducted many professional development courses for teachers and parents and is often a guest speaker at school in-services, education conferences and she conducts professional development trainings and workshops throughout the United States of America, Asia and Australia.

She completed M.Ed at Grand Valley State University, and Ed.D in Child and Youth Studies with specialization in Curriculum Development and Systemic Change from Nova Southeastern University.

She was one of the US delegates to Reggio Emilia, Italy in 2001 and a panelist on the 2004 Oxford University Early Literacy Round Table. Her research interests include curriculum development, teacher’s professional development, culture & literacy development and brain development.

Methodology
The workshop includes lectures, audiovisual presentations, interesting group projects, fun demonstrations and exciting activities. Laughter, communication, sharing is a part of all of my workshops and will be encouraged. Starred activities (*) denote group projects and activities.

Target Audience
Preschool teachers, lower elementary teachers, special educators and administrators

Duration: 2 days, 12 hours
Closing Date: 1 May 09 15 May 09



Other Available Sessions
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