Brief Table of Contents
Chapter 1. A CORE of Understanding - 2
Framework of the CORE: Seven Guiding Principles and Their Associated “Big Ideas” - 34
Chapter 2. Neural Plasticity - 36
Chapter 3. Cognition and Instructional Design - 62
Chapter 4. Encoding Strategies and Memory - 90
Chapter 5. Elaborating on Instructional Design - 118
Chapter 6. Sleep, Exercise, and Nutrition - 142
Chapter 7. Emotional Function and Attitude in the Brain - 166
Chapter 8. Stress - 192
Chapter 9. Feedback and Evidence in the Brain - 208
Chapter 10. Sensitive Periods - 232
Chapter 11. Insights across the Curriculum - 248
Chapter 12. Action Plan - 282
Appendix A Technical Report on Development of the CORE - 292
Appendix B Summary of Sampled Resources of the CORE - 308
Index - 315
Detailed Table of Contents
Chapter 1. A CORE of Understanding - 2
The Power of Three: Three Learning Sciences Are Better Than One 4
The Power of Three: A Focus on Reading 6
A Word about Neuromyths 7
Organization of This Book 8
Introducing Seven Guiding Principles 10
Establishing a CORE 10
Laying Out the CORE 11
Succeeding in the 21st Century 16
Bringing Cognitive Science into the Classroom 17
Going Beyond the CORE 20
Conclusion 21
Resources 22
References 22
Framework of the CORE: Seven Guiding Principles and Their Associated “Big Ideas” - 34
Chapter 2. Neural Plasticity - 36
Plasticity Defined 39
Importance of Plasticity 39
Building on What is Useful 41
A Tale of Two Signaling Systems 42
Staying Thoroughly Modern 45
Exploring the Capacity to Change 47
Brain Growth Pioneer and Legendary Teacher 49
Pruning’s Surprising Role 51
Does the Brain Make Value Judgments? 55
To Reason Like Einstein 55
What Gets Fired Gets Wired 56
Conclusion 58
Closing Scenario 58
Citations 59
References 59
Chapter 3. Cognition and Instructional Design - 62
Approaching Instructional Design 64
Priming, Elaboration, Extension, Knowledge Integration: An Example 66
The Benefits of Using Your Own Experiences 68
Thinking about . . . Cognition 71
Who’s in Charge: The Mind or the Brain? 71
Executive Function: A CEO of the Brain 74
Brain Power to Spare? No Way 79
Environments in Which We Thrive 80
Allocating Attention: An Example 82
The Flynn Effect in Cognition 83
Patterns in the Brain 85
Conclusion 86
Closing Scenario 87
Citations 88
References 88
Chapter 4. Encoding Strategies and Memory - 90
Why Memory Matters 92
Organization of Memory: Two Processes Defined 92
Working Memory at Work 93
Long-Term Memory Examples and Implications 94
Connecting Memory with Instructional Design 96
Are We Programmed to Forget? 97
Knowledge Integration 99
Memory as an Investment and Commitment of Resources 100
The Three Processes of Memory: Acquiring, Accessing, and Retaining 100
Luke Skywalker and Accessing Our Memories 103
Memory Retrieval and the Importance of Association 104
How Chunking Builds Useful Memory 105
Repeated Exposure Enhances Memory Making 106
Practice (of the Right Kind) Makes Perfect 108
Making Homework Memorable 109
Primacy, Timing, and Memory 110
How Much Can We Remember? 111
Managing Cognitive Load 112
A Word about Skill Acquisition and Memory 113
Reluctant to Give Up Our Associations 114
Conclusion 115
Closing Scenario 116
References 116
Chapter 5. Elaborating on Instructional Design - 118
Approaching Instructional Design 120
Approaches to Not Lose Learning 122
Our “Original” Thinking 123
Tapping into the Perceptual Field 124
Seeing Patterns of Importance 125
Similarity and Difference: The SAD Effect 127
A “Training Set” for the Brain 128
Putting Similarities and Differences to Work 129
How Representations Diagram Our Thinking 130
Making Connections “Conditionalizes” Knowledge 131
Making It “Real” for the Brain 132
Transfer is Introduced 133
Scaffolding and Fading 134
The Social Nature of Cognitive Engagement 137
Conclusion 139
Closing Scenario 139
Citations 140
References 140
Chapter 6. Sleep, Exercise, and Nutrition - 142
Sleep 144
Sleep to Learn Better 144
Research Moves Rapidly Ahead 146
Say “Yes” to Naps 148
The Curse of Too Little Sleep 149
Not All Sleep Is the Same 149
What Information Gets Remembered? 150
Sleep and Brain Plasticity 151
Exercise 151
More Than Child’s Play 151
Fitness Matters to the Brain 152
Run, Mice, Run 152
Looking Specifically at Children 154
How Much and What Kind? 155
Walking to School Gets an A 156
Elite Athletes Excel Off the Court, Too 157
Nutrition 157
Food for Thought 157
Powering the Brain for Learning 158
Nutrition Early in Life Is Key 159
Brain Drain: When You Eat Matters 160
A Is for Apples 161
Conclusion 161
Closing Scenario 162
Citations 163
References 163
Chapter 7. Emotional Function and Attitude in the Brain - 166
The Brain Needs Emotional Input 167
Emotion and Feeling Differ 169
Neurotransmitters’ “All Alert” 171
How Emotion Works in the Brain 173
A Framework for Learning Resistance 177
Resistance as Part of Our Fundamental Makeup 178
The First Plank: Survival of Body and Mind 179
The Second Plank: Emotional Well-Being, the “Hot Button” Lens 180
The Third Plank: The Emotional Impact of Relevance 182
The Telling Response to Challenge 185
Students Motivated by Their Own Brains 186
Brain Awareness Motivates Her Students 187
Conclusion 188
Closing Scenario 189
Citations 190
References 190
Chapter 8. Stress - 192
Stress, Distress, and Anxiety 194
The Stress Response 198
Stress, Up to a Point, Has Benefits 201
Brief Stress Primes Neuron Growth 202
Test-Taking Warriors and Worriers 203
Perception Matters . . . a Lot 205
Conclusion 205
Closing Scenario 206
Citations 206
References 207
Chapter 9. Feedback and Evidence in the Brain - 208
Feedback Abounds in the Classroom 210
Teaching Teachers about Feedback and Evidence as a Brain Concept 210
How Feedback and Evidence Work in the Brain 211
Feedback and Evidence from the View of Teachers 216
Feedback that Works: What Does the Evidence Say? 216
Feedback and Attention 220
Feedback or Instruction? 220
Making Formative Assessment Effective 221
When Going Extinct Is Desirable 222
Feedback and Evidence Traps to Avoid 222
Reflections on Goal Setting and Feedback 224
Prediction and Evidence
Accumulating Evidence to Mak225 e Decisions 226
Mindfully Filling Gaps 227
Conclusion 229
Closing Scenario 230
Citations 230
References 231
Chapter 10. Sensitive Periods - 232
Sensitive Periods or Critical Periods? 234
A Preferential Time of Brain Reorganization 236
The Role of Experience and Exposure 236
Early Musical Training and the Brain: An Example 240
Research Frontiers in Sensitive Periods 242
A Caution on Overinterpreting Findings 243
Sensitive or Deprived? 244
Conclusion 245
Closing Scenario 245
Citations 246
References 246
Chapter 11. Insights across the Curriculum - 248
Quantitative Thinking in the Brain 252
Following Cognitive Hunches 253
Our Mental Number Line 254
Some Approaches to Support Mastery 257
Literacy, Reading, and the Representation of Language in the Brain 260
Words and Parsing Language 261
Moving on to Meaning 264
Some Approaches to Support Mastery 266
Reasoning in the Brain 268
The Brain as a Reason Machine 269
Toward Intercultural Competence 272
Some Approaches to Support Mastery 273
Conclusion 276
Closing Scenario 277
Citations 278
References 279
Chapter 12. Action Plan - 282
The Perspective from Scientists 283
The Perspective from Teachers 284
It Takes a Village: Actions That Schools and Educators Can Take 287
Moving Ahead in the 21st Century 289
Conclusion 290
Citations 290
References 291
Appendix A Technical Report on Development of the CORE - 292
Appendix B Summary of Sampled Resources of the CORE - 308
Index - 315
