health
a critical evolutionary adaptationWe have all witnessed the apparent ‘craziness’ of adolescence. Typically, the rebelliousness, risk-taking and contrary behaviour has been chalked up to raging hormones. It seems however, that there may be method in the madness – and that teenagers are, in fact ,‘crazy by design1’. John Abbott on Biological Adaptation vs. Cultural ChangeThu, 01/31/2008 - 12:31 -- admin John Abbott speaks on the ways that biological adaptation interacts with human culture. 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. The changelearning website project emerged from the collaboration of John Abbott and Heather MacTaggart, the Executive Director of [[http://classroomconnections.ca/|Classroom Connections]], a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to optimizing student learning. Are Teenagers Key to Human Progress?: John Abbott Re-examines AdolescenceWed, 01/30/2008 - 18:54 -- admin John 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 [[http://www.21learn.org/|21st Century Learning Initiative]], an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom. Evolution and Learning in the Early Years: John Abbot SpeaksMon, 01/28/2008 - 19:30 -- admin John 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 [[http://www.21learn.org/|21st Century Learning Initiative]], an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom. John Abbott on Learning With the Grain of the BrainMon, 01/28/2008 - 18:53 -- admin John 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 [[http://www.21learn.org/|21st Century Learning Initiative]], an initiative to facilitate the emergence of new approaches to learning in the United Kingdom. Heather MacTaggart Speaks About Students Losing the Love of LearningMon, 01/28/2008 - 17:57 -- admin Heather 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 [[http://classroomconnections.ca/|Classroom Connections]], a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to optimizing student learning. adolescenceAlthough 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. A Policy Paper: The Strategic and Resource Implications of a New Model of LearningThis 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. Learning with the Grain of the BrainIf 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. Constructing Knowledge, Reconstructing SchoolingRather 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 ofEducational Leadership. can the learning species fit into schools?Education 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.) Crazy By Design: Adolescence, a Critical Evolutionary AdaptationThe 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. Evolutionary Principles of Human AdolescenceMon, 01/07/2008 - 14:46 -- adminAn exploration of human adolescence, unique due to its ethological perspective. Psychologist Glenn Weisfeld presents a comprehensive treatment of adolescent development from a functional, evolutionary point of view, providing a research-based description of human adolescence. He also offers a comparative perspective, describing adolescence in other species, human cultures, and historical periods. Not by Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human EvolutionMon, 01/07/2008 - 14:36 -- adminHumans are a striking anomaly in the natural world. While we are similar to other mammals in many ways, our behavior sets us apart. Our unparalleled ability to adapt has allowed us to occupy virtually every habitat on earth using an incredible variety of tools and subsistence techniques. Our societies are larger, more complex, and more cooperative than any other mammal’s. In this stunning exploration of human adaptation, Peter J. Richerson and Robert Boyd argue that only a Darwinian theory of cultural evolution can explain these unique characteristics. understanding human learningWe now know more about how humans learn than we ever have before. Research in everything from evolutionary biology to cognitive science to neurobiology has contributed to our current understanding. Some information is very new, like the amazing insights only recently available through brain-imaging technology. Other pieces of information are not so new, but they paint a new picture when they are put together with different pieces of the puzzle. |
Enter quote here
Programs at WorkFeatured Video |
|
|
