As I have blogged in the past, a resolved conflict requires learning, so I pay attention to the neuroscience of learning (even attending a several-day Learning & the Brain Summer Institute in August). Therefore I found this new article of interest.
From "Time for teachers to take another look at neuroscience" (New Scientist):
In recent years, a wide range of research has been used to inform education policy and practice. Arguably it could go further. In this issue we explore a few of the brain-boosting techniques currently under study, from meditation to music. Some of them could be useful as educational tools (see "Mental muscle: six ways to boost your brain").
Such research raises a much wider question. Wouldn't it be handy if we found out how the brain really works - and how children learn best - and then apply these insights to everyday teaching practice?
Over a decade ago, John Bruer of the James S. McDonnell Foundation in St Louis, Missouri, argued that it was possible to bridge the gap between neuroscience and cognitive science, and also the gap between cognitive science and education. But he concluded that the overall gap between the domains of neuroscience and education was "a bridge too far".
Even today, a grand theory of learning that can exert a direct influence on education looks a distant prospect.
There has been important progress, though. ...
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