Five Big Ideas for Effective Teaching

Donna Wilson and Marcus Conyers are developers of graduate degrees focused on applied Mind, Brain, and Education science and are founders of the Center for Innovative Education and Prevention. Donna, former chair of Education at University of Detroit Mercy, is faculty with ASCD, and Marcus is a PhD research supervisor with Canterbury Christ Church University.

“Especially now in the pandemic of COVID-19, when educators in schools and colleges are faced with less time to spend with their colleagues, this book may serve well as a resource for continuing to learn about their own learning and their students’ learning. As a framework to launch conversations, this book could be of use for teachers and administrators working together in professional learning communities. The last chapter in particular focuses on the learning that can happen in small communities of educators seeking to exercise their bodies and minds with challenging ideas. For teacher educators, this book could kick off discussions with preservice teachers about how to navigate teacher certification requirements. At a time when life in schools and universities may seem overwhelming, this book offers readers a glimpse into framing this moment as an opportunity to expand and develop.”—Teachers College Record

• Foreword by Robert Calfee  ixAcknowledgments  xiPreface xiiiIntroduction 1Teacher Education and Professional Development: Preparing, Developing, and Supporting Teachers by Providing Them with a Firm Foundation 1Teachers as Learners: Enhancing Mindsets and Methods 4Five Big Ideas from Research to Application 5Prologue: Challenges and Opportunities in 21st Century Schooling 9In Support of a Gold Standard for Educational Professionals: Teachers as Adaptive Experts and Lifelong Learners 11Challenges in the Current System of Teacher Education and Schooling 12Tools for Learning and Teaching in the 21st Century 14Brain, Plasticity, Potential, and Intelligence 15The Body-Brain System 17Metacognition 19The Challenges of Teaching Today 21Opportunities Knock for Lifelong Learners 24Connecting the Science of Learning to the Art of Teaching 271. Big Idea 1: Implications of Neural Plasticity for Learning and Teaching 28Understanding the Science of Neural Plasticity 30Brain Development Over the Life Span 33Plasticity Research and the Classroom 37From Research to Classroom Practice: Plasticity in Action 41What's the Big Idea? 452. Big Idea 2: Recognizing Human Potential 48Misunderstanding Potential: The Fixed Mindset 50Defining Potential in the Classroom 51Teacher Expectations About Their Students' Learning Potential 54Educational Leadership: Beyond the Classroom 59From Research to Classroom Practice: Guiding Students to Actualize Their Learning Potential 61What's the Big Idea? 623. Big Idea 3: Understanding Intelligence 65Conceptions of Intelligence 68Dynamic, Changeable Intelligence 73Malleable Intelligence, Growth Mindsets, and Student Learning 73Malleable Intelligence, Motivation, and Effort  75Rehearsal: Talent vs. Deliberate Practice 79Using Formative Assessment for Intelligence-Building 81Educational Leadership: Beyond the Classroom 82From Research to Classroom Practice: Intelligence and a Growth Mindset for 21st Century Success 82What's the Big Idea? 894. Big Idea 4: The Body-Brain System at Work for Learning 92Social and Emotional Learning 93Modeling and Teaching Practical Optimism 97Managing Stress 99Stronger Bodies, Sharper Minds 100The Search for Causal Connections 103High-Octane Fuel for Learning 105Preparing for Learning with a Good Night's Sleep 107From Research to Classroom Practice: Putting the Body-Brain System to Work 108What's the Big Idea?  1115. Big Idea 5: Metacognition as a Path to Becoming Functionally Smarter 115Metacognition Through the Ages 116Thinking About Thinking: Two Layers of Learning 117Connecting Metacognition and Executive Function 119Teaching and Facilitating the Use of Cognitive Strategies 121Connecting Cognitive Strategies to Current Rigorous Standards 123Gathering Information 124Exploring and Elaborating 128Communicating What You Have Learned 134Teaching Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies by Example 138A Metacognitive Approach to Social and Emotional Learning 140From Research to Classroom Practice: Learning by Teaching and Reflecting on Your Professional Practice 144What's the Big Idea? 1456. Teaching, Learning, and Neuroeducation Myth Busting 148Becoming an "Apprentice" of Effective Education 149There Is More to 21st Century Education Than the 3 Rs—A Lot More 150You Can Get Better at Almost Anything If You Set Your Mind to It 152Your Brain Is a Learning Muscle—Build It 153Early Intensive Reading Instruction Can Open New Worlds 154The Little Engine That Could Had the Right Idea 155Don't Forget: You Can Remember 157Support Physical Activity to Support Learning 160Your Role as a Myth Buster 1617. Your Journey of Learning and Teaching 162The Importance of Learning Together 163Connecting with a Worldwide Professional Learning Community  170The Joy of Informal Learning 172Rising to the Hope and Challenges of Your Professional Practice 173References 176Index 196About the Authors 209