Five Big Ideas for Effective Teaching: Connecting Mind, Brain, and Education Research to Classroom Practice

As the 21st century ushers in the era of Common Core State Standards, the goal of teaching expands from a basic transmission of facts to the development of cognitive skills that equip students to achieve more of their unique potential. This seminal book focuses on five essential concepts from neuroeducation that should underlie all teaching decisions: (1) neuroplasticity, findings that the structure and function of the brain change in response to learning; (2) potential, the capacity for all students to make learning gains; (3) malleable intelligence, which stands in opposition to traditional views of fixed intellect; (4) the Body-Brain System, the role of physical fitness, healthy nutrition, and positive emotions in facilitating learning; and (5) metacognition, teaching students to think about their thinking. To support classroom implementation, these discussions include vignettes, examples, teaching strategies, reflective questions, and connections between brain-based learning principles and the Common Core. The text concludes by unmasking myths and misconceptions that may obscure these core concepts.