The curriculum of the public school has become bloated, fragmented, mired in trivia, and short on ideas. It does not demand that students connect what they learn with anything else. It does not challenge them to reach beyond their limits. The curriculum stifles curiosity. Although it demands effort, it does not reward deep thought.
Charles Ungerleider, Failing Our Kids (2003)

Created by Michael Wesch in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University.

John Abbott on Critical Periods of Brain Development

Mon, 01/28/2008 - 19:23 -- admin

John 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 [[http://www.21learn.org/|21st Century Learning Initiative]], an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom.

Building on Strengths Through Collaboration

The Learning and Development Initiative (also known as the Learning Inquiry Initiative) is an ongoing initiative in operation at various sites throughout the Vancouver School District. It’s purpose is to uncover and celebrate the knowledge, understandings, principles and skills fundamental to learning. This process includes all associated employee groups, parents, students, and community groups.

adolescence

Although many people have begun to understand the importance of the [[early years]] to human development, achievement and lifelong success, we have been slow to recognize the elephant in our midst—the adolescent learner. Dropout statistics, plummeting rates of school connectedness, declining academic performance and an increased dislike of school are [[signs of trouble]] underlining a disturbing pattern of disengagement as youth enter their teens. It seems that we may be [[getting it wrong]] for adolescents learners more than anyone in our schools.

timing is everything

Evidence is mounting that we arrive into the world with a genetically pre-set timetable for how we go about growing that remaining 60% of our brains – complete with sensitive or critical periods when specific parts of the brain are primed to grow and develop. For example, researchers at McMaster University have found that babies with cataracts who miss fine visual input for the first two months, never develop the ability to recognize faces at a distance1.

Hands-on Trades Courses Get Students Out of Class and On the Job

In an effort to expand upon opportunities for students, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has introduced a new approach called Focus Programs. Focus Programs are designed to provide students with the opportunity to experience a ‘hands-on’ program for one semester. The programs concentrate on a specific trade in a setting that feature in-class and practical on-site experience.

Programs currently offered are:

*…Cabinet-making

*…House-building

•…Landscape and Design

•…Manufacturing – Tool and Die

-Eric Jenson

Fri, 01/18/2008 - 11:10 -- admin
We even know that adolescent brains are not wired to function well early in the day, but we continue to force teens to sit (or sleep) through regularly scheduled morning classes.

-Dr. Jay Giedd

Fri, 01/18/2008 - 11:09 -- admin
If a teen is doing music or sports or academics, those are the cells and connections that will be hardwired. If they're lying on the couch or playing video games or MTV, those are the cells and connections that are going to survive.

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