Over the course of a generation, what we know about the brain has grown exponentially. As a result of our improved understanding of our minds, we now have more insight into how children—and adults—learn best. Cognitive science has yielded some paradoxical findings, including that play may be the best way for children to learn the self-control needed for hard work; that rote memorization can be a stepping stone to using higher-order critical thinking and problem-solving skills; and that integrating arts into the curriculum can improve students’ long-term memory of what is taught.
Unfortunately, this research has often been slow to make its way into schools or is used in haphazard ways. Please join the Center for American Progress for this event, at which we will discuss ways in which findings from cognitive science can be applied in the classroom to improve teaching and learning. Implications for federal, state, and local policy will be discussed.
Panelists:
Benedict Carey, Science Reporter for The New York Times, author of How We Learn
Dr. Mariale Hardiman, Professor of Clinical Education at Johns Hopkins University and Co-founder and Director of the School of Education’s Neuro-Education Initiative
Maya Shankar, Senior Policy Advisor for the Social and Behavioral Sciences, White House Office of Science & Technology Policy
Glenn Whitman, Director, Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
Moderator:
Carmel Martin, Executive Vice President for Policy, Center for American Progress