<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Davis College – Jeff Presents</title> <atom:link href="https://jeffpresents.com/index.php/tag/davis-college/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://jeffpresents.com</link> <description>Education - Communication - Transformation</description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 16 Dec 2019 22:09:18 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2</generator> <site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">144472685</site> <item> <title>What was the best thing to happen to you in 2019?</title> <link>https://jeffpresents.com/index.php/2019/12/16/2019-12-3-dec-16/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[bordenj88]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 16 Dec 2019 22:09:18 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[General]]></category> <category><![CDATA[2019]]></category> <category><![CDATA[2020]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Author]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Davis College]]></category> <category><![CDATA[HETL]]></category> <category><![CDATA[OLC Innovate]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Positive]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jeffpresents.com/index.php/2019/12/16/2019-12-3-dec-16/</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">What is your best professional memory from 2019? Here is Executive Director Jeff Borden’s.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">As I flew back from Australia a few days ago, a land I had not visited since I left my post at Pearson, I realized that I missed this kind of travel. Working for a university does not really provide a ton of opportunities for international travel and so, like 99% of academics, I did not leave the US during my time in Florida except for a cruise to Grand Cayman with my family, which just isn’t what I’m getting at here.</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">But as much as I missed seeing new places, experiencing new cultures, and enjoying new foods and sights, <em>it was not the best thing to happen to me this year. </em></p> <div class=" image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline combination-animation-none individual-animation-none individual-text-animation-none " data-test="image-block-inline-outer-wrapper" ></p> <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " style="max-width:2158px;" ></p> <div style="padding-bottom:74.9768295288086%;" class=" image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio " data-animation-role="image" ><br /> <noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1576532998660-MVQUT4DNR43ZUOOGDPUC/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kP6aslqFTvK6MubLXNyCN_Z7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1URs-XSxYGUw2eeqkE0k4C9Jr1kKDaR8Bmk1-FJ_luN4FsMZVQtdrWxaJTE-CAX0Uxw/Akilah%2BSr%2BFaculty.jpg?w=1220&ssl=1" alt="Akilah Sr Faculty.jpg" /></noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="thumb-image" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1576532998660-MVQUT4DNR43ZUOOGDPUC/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kP6aslqFTvK6MubLXNyCN_Z7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1URs-XSxYGUw2eeqkE0k4C9Jr1kKDaR8Bmk1-FJ_luN4FsMZVQtdrWxaJTE-CAX0Uxw/Akilah%2BSr%2BFaculty.jpg?w=1220&ssl=1" data-image="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1576532998660-MVQUT4DNR43ZUOOGDPUC/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kP6aslqFTvK6MubLXNyCN_Z7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1URs-XSxYGUw2eeqkE0k4C9Jr1kKDaR8Bmk1-FJ_luN4FsMZVQtdrWxaJTE-CAX0Uxw/Akilah+Sr+Faculty.jpg" data-image-dimensions="2158x1618" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" alt="Akilah Sr Faculty.jpg" data-load="false" data-image-id="5df7fc04d5e93c008ff50da6" data-type="image" /> </div> </figure></div> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">My mind immediately goes to <strong>Rwanda </strong>and my time spent with the faculty at Davis College’s <a href="https://www.daviscollege.com/akilah" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Akilah </a>campus. As I wrote when I returned, it was the most satisfying professional development experience I have ever undertaken. <em>Those faculty were hungry to learn and anxious to transform their practices for the betterment of their students. </em> It was simply an amazing experience. And that is on top of my first visit to Africa, seeing very new and interesting things along the way. <em>(The genocide museum alone will stand out in my memory for a very long time.)</em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">But I have to say that is <em>not</em> the best thing that happened to me this year. It was right up there, but not at the top.</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Sticking with the international theme, I have to consider three trips to Canada in a single year. While Toronto is always enjoyable, it was the trips to Vancouver that ranked high only my greatest hits list for 2019. Speaking with teachers and staff from a district on the first trip and all of their Principals and administrators on the second one was quite enjoyable. <em>They are well ahead of many places I usually speak in terms of strategic thinking, arguably more authentic assessment and instruction, etc., so challenging them to “go beyond” was really fun. </em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">But again, it did <em>not </em>hit the top target this year. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I am obviously not counting personal life here as it has been fantastic to watch my wife and daughter flourish since returning home to Colorado. To put it in business terms, they are “killing it” in Denver in terms of friends, family, school, and just everyday life.<em> It’s amazing to see them so happy and it warms my heart</em>. But again, I’m talking about professional “bests” here.</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I could mention that both the <a href="http://iceinstitute.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">institute </a>and <a href="https://campus.app" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Campus </a>are taking off. I really believed that would happen, but it is always reassuring to have tangible evidence. We’re building products and services that actually solve needs for educators, so both should be successful. <em>From doubling our conversations at Educause to tripling our partner base to the big contract IICE had in consulting with a university in NY, helping them determine a pathway for eLearning, our efforts are being rewarded. </em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">But still, <em>neither</em> of those successes are my “best” occurrence in 2019. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Perhaps it was being accepted as an author on not one, but two chapters for curated books! Readers of the HETL book,<em> “International Perspectives on the Role of Technology in Humanizing Higher Education” </em>should see my chapter titled,<em> “The Science and Technology of Educational Interconnectedness” </em>come out next Fall. And those who download <em>“Early Warning Systems and Targeted Interventions for Student Success in Online Courses“ </em>should see my chapter regarding <em>“Non-Academic Warning Signals,”</em> which outlines a better way to assemble a learning ecosystem, in the next six months or so. (Of note – I will be presenting some of the findings reported in the book at OETC 2020 and League of Innovation 2020.)</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">But not even those chapters qualify as my first place ribbon this year.</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">So what was the best moment of 2019 for me? Have I held you in suspense long enough? <em>Are you even still reading?</em> Well, if you’ve stuck with me so far, here is the payoff.</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Do you remember a few blogs ago when I mentioned that humans focus largely on the negative? We remember it longer, it gets our attention faster, and we tend to dwell on what did not work, what insult was thrown our way, or what embarrassed us far, far, FAR more than the positives. <em>(This is one reason educators need to double or triple their compliments as criticism is so easy to find and so consistently administered, but that’s another blog.)</em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">The reason I ask is that every once in a while, a positive comes along that is absolutely grandiose. I would imagine it is a similar feeling to a Purple Heart recipient, a National Award winner, or some other merit that only comes when recognized by peers or by leaders. <em>While I cannot compare what I’m about to share with you to heroic acts of bravery or above-and-beyond work, the feeling I got was as significant as any award I have ever won and any recognition I have ever received. </em> I compare it to the letter I received my senior year of college from my father, telling me in explicit detail how proud he was of me. In my mind this likens to being asked to speak to Congressional leaders due to my vision and understanding of holistic education. But you must know, the act itself was very small in comparison to those things. <em>And it relied on a great deal of serendipity.</em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">The best professional moment of 2019 was a picture sent to me by a long time colleague and friend. My colleague <em>(‘almost’ Dr. Jeff Harmon as he has successfully defended his dissertation and now has a few revisions to make it all final – congrats!)</em> was at OLC Innovate this past November and he saw something that made him stop and take a picture, then send that picture to me. Unfortunately I was unable to attend as I was doing some PD for a university. What was it that he had to capture digitally?</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">It was a session’s whiteboard. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I couldn’t tell you what the session was about specifically. <em>But the session seemed to be about creativity or innovation or idea generation or all of the above.</em> And so, the whiteboard contained some thoughts from leaders and/or practitioners specific to tools, techniques, and ideas. But it’s the lower half of the board that really warmed my heart. Like other parts of the board, there is a question. But unlike the other sections, underneath is a single response. The question,<em> “Who or what is inspiring you right now?”</em> was answered by someone with <strong>MY </strong>name. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Man, oh man.</p> <div class=" image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline combination-animation-none individual-animation-none individual-text-animation-none " data-test="image-block-inline-outer-wrapper" ></p> <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " style="max-width:480px;" ></p> <div style="padding-bottom:133.33334350585938%;" class=" image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio " data-animation-role="image" ><br /> <noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1575954537982-74T5NGTZBMB3HHGSCJQU/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kEbpNpz_g84ww2Q11MA-atpZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWEtT5uBSRWt4vQZAgTJucoTqqXjS3CfNDSuuf31e0tVFBtEgj52mM8uXJqXwNJ9DglJgC4wo-TZ2620CX9P9wUp1zDMfxjoXGDCxwz3Y9Vxg/OLC%2B2019%2BPic.JPG?w=1220&ssl=1" alt="OLC 2019 Pic.JPG" /></noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="thumb-image" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1575954537982-74T5NGTZBMB3HHGSCJQU/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kEbpNpz_g84ww2Q11MA-atpZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWEtT5uBSRWt4vQZAgTJucoTqqXjS3CfNDSuuf31e0tVFBtEgj52mM8uXJqXwNJ9DglJgC4wo-TZ2620CX9P9wUp1zDMfxjoXGDCxwz3Y9Vxg/OLC%2B2019%2BPic.JPG?w=1220&ssl=1" data-image="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1575954537982-74T5NGTZBMB3HHGSCJQU/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kEbpNpz_g84ww2Q11MA-atpZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWEtT5uBSRWt4vQZAgTJucoTqqXjS3CfNDSuuf31e0tVFBtEgj52mM8uXJqXwNJ9DglJgC4wo-TZ2620CX9P9wUp1zDMfxjoXGDCxwz3Y9Vxg/OLC+2019+Pic.JPG" data-image-dimensions="480x640" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" alt="OLC 2019 Pic.JPG" data-load="false" data-image-id="5def286999d5d037ef569367" data-type="image" /> </div> </figure></div> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I quickly posted the pic to Twitter, trying to see if anyone could tell me what the session was titled or who posted that answer. <em>I desperately wanted to thank them and perhaps even try to understand better what or why. </em> But I got no answers – only a few other kind words from colleagues. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">But that one whiteboard actually brought tears to my eyes. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I’m guessing you all know what it’s like to wonder if you’re making a difference or doing something positive for the world? <em>But I hope you also know the feeling that comes with some assurance that you are. </em>They don’t come along very often. I have far more moments of doubt and self-loathing than confidence. I get occasional email from haters just as I do from supporters. But usually the work that I do is…well, it’s just there. It moves forward with measures in place, but those measures will likely not be recognized for months and sometimes years. <em>So it’s just work. </em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">So this one little light of recognition, from an anonymous supporter, just made my day. <em>Heck, it made my year.</em> It wasn’t over the top or ornate or obvious. But that is part of what made it special. It was real. And it was not intended for my eyes, making it about as genuine as any professional award I have ever experienced. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I hope that isn’t too anticlimactic. And I also hope it’s not overly self-serving. Yes, I know it’s bragging a bit. But it really did touch me. And I am hoping that whomever wrote it is a reader of this blog.<em> If so, please know that you gave me a much needed shot in the arm. </em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">To everyone else, just as I hope you get a comment like this in your near future, I also encourage you to dole one out. <em>Who has inspired you? Who has made you correct your course or perhaps even blaze an entirely new trail? </em>At the same time, be on the lookout for those little moments that come your way. Maybe it’s a comment from a grateful student. Maybe it’s from your Chair, Dean, or Provost. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Wherever it comes from or whomever shares it, I hope it makes you remember why you do what you do and provides a boost to keep doing it. <em>And may you find more and more of those moments in 2020. </em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Good luck and good learning.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">242</post-id> </item> <item> <title>A Neuroscience Primer: Lessons From Rwanda</title> <link>https://jeffpresents.com/index.php/2019/09/30/2019-9-30-a-neuroscience-primer-lessons-from-rwanda/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[bordenj88]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 30 Sep 2019 18:09:26 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Neuroscience]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Professional Development]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Akilah Institute]]></category> <category><![CDATA[boyd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brain]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cortisol]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Davis College]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dopamine]]></category> <category><![CDATA[endorphins]]></category> <category><![CDATA[fMRI]]></category> <category><![CDATA[glutamate]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Klaff]]></category> <category><![CDATA[learning cocktail]]></category> <category><![CDATA[lieberman]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Medina]]></category> <category><![CDATA[neuroscience]]></category> <category><![CDATA[norepinephrine]]></category> <category><![CDATA[novelty]]></category> <category><![CDATA[O'Mahony]]></category> <category><![CDATA[oxytocin]]></category> <category><![CDATA[professional development]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rwanda]]></category> <category><![CDATA[serotonin]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Zak]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jeffpresents.com/index.php/2019/09/30/2019-9-30-a-neuroscience-primer-lessons-from-rwanda/</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Most educators know little (or nothing) about the brain, which is the single most important organ at use during learning. Here is a primer to start leveraging neuroscience in the classroom.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class=" image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline combination-animation-none individual-animation-none individual-text-animation-none " data-test="image-block-inline-outer-wrapper" ></p> <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " style="max-width:1600px;" ></p> <div style="padding-bottom:75%;" class=" image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio " data-animation-role="image" ><br /> <noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569866150131-PZPMS9B3PS327MGX5ORY/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kCPztTQZpDiZMOuuCfUxiyx7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UYlQ-m0oNUh_9buvyC-f1CSdhG_dNlqULB2ZTz-ses64A-QPhXXvNcU0N8wN7BGx0g/Akilah%2B%281%29.jpg?w=1220&ssl=1" alt="Akilah (1).jpg" /></noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="thumb-image" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569866150131-PZPMS9B3PS327MGX5ORY/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kCPztTQZpDiZMOuuCfUxiyx7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UYlQ-m0oNUh_9buvyC-f1CSdhG_dNlqULB2ZTz-ses64A-QPhXXvNcU0N8wN7BGx0g/Akilah%2B%281%29.jpg?w=1220&ssl=1" data-image="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569866150131-PZPMS9B3PS327MGX5ORY/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kCPztTQZpDiZMOuuCfUxiyx7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UYlQ-m0oNUh_9buvyC-f1CSdhG_dNlqULB2ZTz-ses64A-QPhXXvNcU0N8wN7BGx0g/Akilah+%281%29.jpg" data-image-dimensions="1600x1200" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" alt="Akilah (1).jpg" data-load="false" data-image-id="5d9241a561f2603f03e0546c" data-type="image" /> </div> </figure></div> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">As I wrote in my last piece, I traveled to Rwanda in support of Davis College’s Akilah Campus (for women). I volunteered my time for one week, in country, working with the incredible faculty there to really dig into “best” learning. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Before I unpack that “controversial” statement, I wanted to share a quick story from my journey home. I explained last week that I was asked a question which nearly knocked me out of my seat on the way from Kigali to Brussels. Here is what went down.</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I was seated for one leg of my flight next to a fellow American. He said that he did government and military consulting work and after sharing his current project with me, asked what I do. I explained my work as succinctly as possible (which is not easy, as I feel like an educational Swiss Army Knife of sorts…). He then asked why I was in Rwanda and I told him of the week at Akilah and the professors. <em>I was a bit surprised that he then inquired about how much the consulting / training / workshops made.</em> But when I explained that I had volunteered my time he specifically asked me, <em>“Why on Earth would you do that?”</em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I’m sure my face gave away the shock I was feeling and he quickly countered with, <em>“how much do you usually charge for a day of work?</em>” I stumbled around a bit and said that the institute works on a sliding scale depending on the institution type, but for a day long workshop with 20+ faculty, we would normally charge $5-10,000. So he asked what would cause us to donate $50,000 in time and services, not to mention the lost opportunity cost elsewhere. Then he stopped talking and just looked at me. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I wavered between angry and confused. This sure felt rude to me, but while this guy was American, he had been working in and around Africa for over two decades. Maybe this kind of candid conversation is his new norm. And in fairness, he did not seem condescending as much as inquisitive. <em>So I pressed on. </em> </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><em>I explained that this trip was about much more than money to me. </em> I explained that I have a 12 year old girl at home who should see her dad helping women around the globe find education and transform their lives. I explained the plight of this non-profit organization and their mission which will always be dependent on the generosity of some. <em>And I then added a cherry on top as I explained that the training itself was one of the best I have ever experienced, seeing faculty genuinely change their approach to teaching and learning. </em></p> <div class=" image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline combination-animation-none individual-animation-none individual-text-animation-none " data-test="image-block-inline-outer-wrapper" ></p> <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " style="max-width:259px;" ></p> <div style="padding-bottom:74.90347290039062%;" class=" image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio " data-animation-role="image" ><br /> <noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569951269446-VMALMNHQ8HGN433BL0W0/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kFitVLlCHWWWXBq9M-YKMD9Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWhcwhEtWJXoshNdA9f1qD7Xj1nVWs2aaTtWBneO2WM-tdQO6SS0j2gAmvawSNOjcHhmEoyutdQk94cOMWlYsBQg/MakeItStickQuote.jpg?w=1220&ssl=1" alt="Make It Stick, 2014" /></noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="thumb-image" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569951269446-VMALMNHQ8HGN433BL0W0/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kFitVLlCHWWWXBq9M-YKMD9Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWhcwhEtWJXoshNdA9f1qD7Xj1nVWs2aaTtWBneO2WM-tdQO6SS0j2gAmvawSNOjcHhmEoyutdQk94cOMWlYsBQg/MakeItStickQuote.jpg?w=1220&ssl=1" data-image="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569951269446-VMALMNHQ8HGN433BL0W0/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kFitVLlCHWWWXBq9M-YKMD9Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWhcwhEtWJXoshNdA9f1qD7Xj1nVWs2aaTtWBneO2WM-tdQO6SS0j2gAmvawSNOjcHhmEoyutdQk94cOMWlYsBQg/MakeItStickQuote.jpg" data-image-dimensions="259x194" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" alt="Make It Stick, 2014" data-load="false" data-image-id="5d938e2550e890334396968c" data-type="image" /> </div><figcaption class="image-caption-wrapper"> <div class="image-caption"> <p class="">Make It Stick, 2014</p> </div> </figcaption></figure> </p></div> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">My seatmate contemplated all of this for a moment. He nodded slowly and eventually said, <em>“I see. Fair enough. My only question remaining is about teaching. Is there really a better way to teach? Seems like we have done it the same way forever and nothing has changed…” </em> Which leads me back to my original statement of “best” learning. Know that I did not go into detail with this consultant about everything I will now share with you. He got the Reader’s Digest version…</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">So back to my statement which may be incongruous with what you believe. <em>There is no such thing as “best” learning, some might say.</em> But as my Rwandan professors / friends and I unpacked, while it is not always easy to do, “best” teaching and learning is easy to see. And within some frameworks, such as how the brain works, “best” learning is absolutely possible to map.</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">So with that said, let me share some thoughts, resources, and frameworks by which to guide the search for best learning. <em>And for this blog, the framework we will use is neuroscience.</em> I promised my colleagues in Rwanda that I would create a reminder blog when I returned, so you are about to see the crux of our week long PD. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><em>The brain is the single most important instrument in learning, yet most educators know very little (if anything) about how it works. </em> As always, a primer is just that. This will not…cannot possibly be exhaustive. But hopefully this is a strong place to start your journey whether for research or as a practitioner. We can help students learn…</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">To begin, the caveat that I always start with applies here.<em> Brain scientists do not agree on much of anything. </em> It’s a maddening aspect of trying to follow their lead. But there are a few things that most / all cognitive scientists do agree on and that is where I will try to work for this conversation. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><em>So let’s get to it.</em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">It is important to note the terms and concepts we will discuss. If you’re looking to bolster your lexicon, I recommend starting with Judy Willis’: <a href="https://www.teachthought.com/learning/neuroscience-of-learning-41-terms-every-teacher-should-know/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Neuroscience Of Learning: 41 Terms Every Teacher Should Know</a>. But for our purposes today, we are going to focus on what I call<strong><em> the “learning cocktail” of neurotransmitters</em></strong>. These (mostly) hormones are absolutely a recipe for learning, if used properly. (Please note that after I discuss the 5 key neurotransmitters, I will end with 2 that educators should avoid. These could be seen as more important in some contexts, as they are often very present / created in typical classroom settings! But more on that in a moment…)</p> <hr /> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong><em>1 – Serotonin</em></strong>: In Rwanda, the sun sets every night of the year at around 6:10pm. And sets is a loose term in this case. It’s like someone flipped a switch and turned out the lights! But as a result, when I left Africa at 8pm on a flight through Entebbe to Brussels, the ten and a half hour experience was completely in the dark. Even harder then, was landing in Brussels, which is so far north that the sun does not rise until 8am! <em>So, I was in the dark of night longer than any other time in my life.</em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I tell you this because serotonin is a neurotransmitter used to carry messages between neurons. It’s like grease for your brain’s engine. <em>And serotonin is reliant on sleep, nutrition, and activity to remain not just present, but strong in the human brain.</em> Too little serotonin has been shown to cause depression, lethargy, and inattention. And just as important to learning, memory is dependent on the generation of at least some serotonin, but enhanced greatly during the sixth and eighth hour of sleep (non-REM). </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong>Takeaways</strong>: Tell your students to sleep and tell them why. Encourage them to avoid waking up with an alarm clock, which typically sees a person interrupting a REM cycle. Tell them to eat a healthy diet, particularly avoiding sugar / processed carbohydrates just prior to or during a learning experience. Encourage students to move prior to learning, but also allow them to move DURING a learning experience. Even 15 seconds of vigorous movement can provide benefit.</p> <div class=" image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline combination-animation-none individual-animation-none individual-text-animation-none " data-test="image-block-inline-outer-wrapper" ></p> <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " style="max-width:738px;" ></p> <div style="padding-bottom:23.57723617553711%;" class=" image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio " data-animation-role="image" ><br /> <noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569863969261-XMYFGEAXQ989VZ22116B/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kJ203Cda9BN_6B6qj9eSnGZZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpzer43vNyC3nfCMiQcXJCEFXl4bw-7dbQ_wB60_du8W-cxnB-mGdkEX3TTk4tSbtBE/Sleep.JPG?w=1220&ssl=1" alt="Sleep.JPG" /></noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="thumb-image" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569863969261-XMYFGEAXQ989VZ22116B/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kJ203Cda9BN_6B6qj9eSnGZZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpzer43vNyC3nfCMiQcXJCEFXl4bw-7dbQ_wB60_du8W-cxnB-mGdkEX3TTk4tSbtBE/Sleep.JPG?w=1220&ssl=1" data-image="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569863969261-XMYFGEAXQ989VZ22116B/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kJ203Cda9BN_6B6qj9eSnGZZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpzer43vNyC3nfCMiQcXJCEFXl4bw-7dbQ_wB60_du8W-cxnB-mGdkEX3TTk4tSbtBE/Sleep.JPG" data-image-dimensions="738x174" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" alt="Sleep.JPG" data-load="false" data-image-id="5d9239214400356bc79c6267" data-type="image" /> </div> </figure></div> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong><em>2 – Oxytocin</em></strong>: <a href="https://www-forbes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.forbes.com/sites/robynshulman/2019/09/15/this-is-the-one-critical-piece-were-missing-when-it-comes-to-learning-and-deep-understanding/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Kieran O’Mahony</a>, the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Neural Education and the Founding Principal for the Institute for Connecting Neuroscience with Teaching and Learning, makes a powerful statement when training teachers / professors on the usage (or non-usage) of brain science from a teaching perspective:<em> “Teachers don’t usually plan lessons with norepinephrine or oxytocin in mind, but if they did, learning would be immediate and forever. Planning in this manner is so easy to accomplish, and results are self-evident.”</em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Paul J. Zak and his lab were the first to discover that the neurochemical oxytocin is a key trust and cooperation signal in the brain. <em>“Oxytocin is produced when we are trusted or shown a kindness, and it motivates cooperation with others,”</em> Zak explains. <em>“It does this by enhancing the sense of empathy, our ability to experience others’ emotions.” </em> And when people have empathy, they’re able to understand others’ reactions, including those of other coworkers, clients, or students. But very importantly, Zak’s team discovered that oxytocin produces trust, in addition to producing empathy and other things in the brain of a person. That includes social trust, but it also includes trust for an expert, such as an educator.</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">In fact, these feelings can be generated artificially. In an initial study, Kosfeld et al. (2005) first reported that intranasal oxytocin (a nasal spray containing OXT) could increase trust toward others in terms of being willing to make higher risk investments, such as learning. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong>Takeaways</strong>: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Social-Why-Brains-Wired-Connect/dp/0307889106/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3H1IBAR5K93MQ&keywords=social%20lieberman&qid=1569857153&s=books&sprefix=social%20liebarman%2Cstripbooks%2C174&sr=1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew Lieberman</a> (neuroscientist) and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Its-Complicated-Social-Lives-Networked/dp/0300166311" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Danah Boyd</a> (reporter) have been promoting the importance of socialness for years, but we now understand even more fully that learning should be social whenever possible. <em>Avoid autonomous, heads down, quiet, single-expert experiences (like lectures) or lone-student work sessions (which produce the “bad” cocktails we will talk about in a moment) and encourage interactive, collaborative, shared experiences where peers teach and learn from one another, showcase how assignments were approached, and other social experiences. </em>Rather than setting students up to speak about issues they have not mastered yet (or potentially don’t know anything about whatsoever), find ways for student credibility to be apparent to all, enhancing trust within the learning community. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong><em>3 – Norepinephrine</em></strong>: According to John Medina (Brain Rules, 2008), Klaff (Pitch Anything, 2012), and the Connectome Project, norepinephrine can be seen as the chemical that occurs when a person feels disequilibrium, tension, or conflict. Note, it does not have to be negative emotionally, also seen when a person feels a genuinely compelling question, a challenge, or some other discomfort that simply must be resolved, norepinephrine is at work. If the best definition of learning includes juxtaposition of old versus new, norepinephrine sits in the sweet spot in between, urging someone to wisely choose the best information or answer. </p> <div class=" image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline combination-animation-none individual-animation-none individual-text-animation-none " data-test="image-block-inline-outer-wrapper" ></p> <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " style="max-width:645px;" ></p> <div style="padding-bottom:23.87596893310547%;" class=" image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio " data-animation-role="image" ><br /> <noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569864142849-2X8YEETSKTYLO87R1GCW/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kKMY9SFYa0Q--13gQ5sTL5tZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpx_6cFypdXGdvuXuv-CwRIHEJxyxgVpoW2gNQSwsS_4eYnXug3PtrDfbDzOjDhTLiU/Stress.JPG?w=1220&ssl=1" alt="Stress.JPG" /></noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="thumb-image" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569864142849-2X8YEETSKTYLO87R1GCW/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kKMY9SFYa0Q--13gQ5sTL5tZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpx_6cFypdXGdvuXuv-CwRIHEJxyxgVpoW2gNQSwsS_4eYnXug3PtrDfbDzOjDhTLiU/Stress.JPG?w=1220&ssl=1" data-image="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569864142849-2X8YEETSKTYLO87R1GCW/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kKMY9SFYa0Q--13gQ5sTL5tZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpx_6cFypdXGdvuXuv-CwRIHEJxyxgVpoW2gNQSwsS_4eYnXug3PtrDfbDzOjDhTLiU/Stress.JPG" data-image-dimensions="645x154" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" alt="Stress.JPG" data-load="false" data-image-id="5d9239cea98b0244e788f494" data-type="image" /> </div> </figure></div> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Again, foreshadowing our “bad” formula below, too much norepinephrine creates anxiety, leading to glutamate over-production. Too little norepinephrine creates boredom, leading to cortisol flooding the system. But the Goldilocks notion of norepinephrine is just right for students who continue working toward an answer. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong>Takeaways</strong>: While this particular neurotransmitter can easily be seen as the mindset to finish a degree, the grit needed to graduate, or the determination to overcome a particularly bad class, instructors should leverage disequilibrium as much as possible, spurring students on. When dovetailed with the desirable difficulty of Generative Learning (Make It Stick, 2014) by asking students to do something authentic and compelling before they know how, norepinephrine will be at work. When telling a genuine story (using a legitimate arc plot), norepinephrine will be created in audiences. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong><em>4 – Dopamine</em></strong>: This neurotransmitter might best be described as the “you can do it” hormone. Dopamine is not associated with the excitement of getting a reward, but of anticipating said reward (Medina, 2008). Dopamine’s release feels desirable to people as it associates with feelings of ability or obtainability. This is<em> “the thrill of the hunt,</em>” people describe, but also a belief that the hunt is going to be won. Dopamine is often seen in people exercising as they push toward a goal, time, or finish line.</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><em>The sweet spot between norepinephrine and dopamine might be best seen as novelty. </em> Once again Klaff (Pitch Anything, 2012) illustrates how dopamine and norepinephrine come together in a practical state, surmising that when a person is feeling both desire and tension, that person is paying (genuine) attention. Novelty is seen by the human brain as both desirable and attainable, so long as that novelty is not so overwhelming as to be frightening, which can lead to dopamine creation (Medina, Brain Rules, 2008). The human brain is stimulated by surprise because our world is fundamentally unpredictable. This is why television, gaming, and web surfing is so pleasing. It is minute after minute of motion based, new, and interesting information. Novelty in the form of an unexpected gain gives the brain a blast of dopamine.</p> <div class=" image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline combination-animation-none individual-animation-none individual-text-animation-none " data-test="image-block-inline-outer-wrapper" ></p> <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " style="max-width:673px;" ></p> <div style="padding-bottom:19.910846710205078%;" class=" image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio " data-animation-role="image" ><br /> <noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569864517867-RVFV8Q8798PQ1JEUAZOE/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kIBAJw7gCn9_kSPJ744b9X5Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpyNYRqh_hjUth0Xe-YMd6wZJYYvBqL7m8ar1w12v6L-I7ZDpP1kNVLsBXqOU-0WtV8/Novelty.JPG?w=1220&ssl=1" alt="Novelty.JPG" /></noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="thumb-image" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569864517867-RVFV8Q8798PQ1JEUAZOE/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kIBAJw7gCn9_kSPJ744b9X5Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpyNYRqh_hjUth0Xe-YMd6wZJYYvBqL7m8ar1w12v6L-I7ZDpP1kNVLsBXqOU-0WtV8/Novelty.JPG?w=1220&ssl=1" data-image="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569864517867-RVFV8Q8798PQ1JEUAZOE/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kIBAJw7gCn9_kSPJ744b9X5Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpyNYRqh_hjUth0Xe-YMd6wZJYYvBqL7m8ar1w12v6L-I7ZDpP1kNVLsBXqOU-0WtV8/Novelty.JPG" data-image-dimensions="673x134" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" alt="Novelty.JPG" data-load="false" data-image-id="5d923b457240a96716dc2cec" data-type="image" /> </div> </figure></div> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong>Takeaways</strong>: The reasons gamification of learning works (if done well), is because the learner has a challenge to overcome, but they believe they have the skill necessary to overcome it. <em> No challenge would not create norepinephrine, but likely create cortisol as it would be perceived as boring. Too much skill required would create glutamate in the system, a stressor which actually impairs learning. </em> So dopamine can be easily seen in the context of a game. But it can also be identified as mindset and grit, seeing determination to go on and figure something out. The best instructors create plenty of dopamine in their student’s learning experiences.</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong><em>5 – Endorphins:</em></strong> The cherry on top of this learning cocktail is endorphins. Endorphins (short for “endogenous morphine”) are structurally very similar to opioids (opium, morphine, heroin, etc.) and act similarly in the brain, suggesting that humans are capable of creating ecstatic feelings of our volition. <em> In fact, like opiods, endorphins can reduce pain and increase pleasure (Medina, 2008).</em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">So, in a learning context, endorphins are created when a student feels a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction, or finality. <em> Stated as pragmatically as possible, students who experience this “learning cocktail” capper of positive neurotransmitters will feel great about what they learned, but importantly will desire to do it again. </em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong>Takeaways</strong>: Spikes of endorphin release can be seen when attaining the reward promised (dopamine), through triumph associated with strenuous physical activity, when a challenge has been overcome, or a puzzle has been assembled. In fact, pattern finding (vs problem solving) leads to an almost perfect chemical cocktail (with fMRI and PET scans) illustrating the release of norepinephrine, dopamine, and endorphins all within a single experience (Medina, 2008).</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">There you have the ultimate learning cocktail, which does equate to “best” learning. <strong><em>This recipe for learning encourages participation, attention, motivation, encoding, decoding, connection of ideas, and memory increases. </em></strong></p> <hr /> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">But do not forget, there are some<strong> bad neurochemicals which can disrupt and even prevent learning </strong>from occurring too. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong><em>1 – Glutamate: </em></strong> In an over-simplified description, glutamate is part of the central nervous system and is called an excitatory neuron. As the main excitatory neurotransmitter, glutamate sends signals to the brain supporting cognitive function, memory, learning, and more. So why would we want to avoid glutamate in an educational context?</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">It is not avoidance of glutamate, as much as the avoidance of too much glutamate. <em> This neurotransmitter definitely falls into the category of “too much of a good thing…”</em> Glutamate, during times of crisis or high anxiety, literally launches out of the spinal column so as to “eat” neurons (Klaff, 2011). Why? Most scientists believe this is one way our brains protect us. If a bear is charging in the woods, one does not need their neurons firing around why that is happening. They simply need to run! Glutamate helps a person act, instead of thinking too much.</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">But aside from times of stress or anxiety (such as high stakes testing, bullying, etc.) Lieberman (2014) also showed that another factor leads to the creation of Glutamate. <em> When a person feels socially snubbed, alone, or not friend-worthy, their “social brain” triggers the release of glutamate. </em> In other words, a lonely person generates a neurotransmitter which prevents cognitive function, also known as learning. And students (just as all people) are stating feelings of severe loneliness more and more. Students particularly feel alone in classes, they feel alone in schools, and they feel alone in life. From viral videos like Emery Bergmann’s (Tate, 2017) lack of preparation for being alone to Frank Bruni’s description of college loneliness as the ‘real campus scourge,’ (Bruni, 2017) there is plenty to suggest that students are producing far more glutamate than any other hormone in 2019.</p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong><em>2 – Cortisol:</em></strong> Time (Sifferlin, 2016) and dozens of other commercial periodicals have reported on this “stress” hormone as a significant health risk, potentially leading to premature death. But Sifferlin (2016) even reports that cortisol production is “contagious” in the classroom, with a nod to the institution producing stress overall. <em>Studies have shown that cortisol can be “contagious” as students feel more stress when teachers are burned out, but in education contexts, cortisol can be quickly created by criticism, grades without meaningful feedback, and even boredom, flooding the system with the desire to oversleep / under-sleep, over-eat / under-eat, and other depressed exhibitions.</em></p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Included on most education psychology lists of Higher Education are several stressors outside of the classroom, including (but not limited to) homesickness, building (or not building) new friendships, balancing social life, handling roommate drama, loneliness, bullying, financial pressures, work/life balance, support, and more (Walker, 2018). Again, the point is that the holistic student must be the filter for any student success initiative instead of focusing solely on the cognitive aspect of college.</p> <hr /> <div class=" image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline combination-animation-none individual-animation-none individual-text-animation-none " data-test="image-block-inline-outer-wrapper" ></p> <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " style="max-width:769px;" ></p> <div style="padding-bottom:62.418724060058594%;" class=" image-block-wrapper has-aspect-ratio " data-animation-role="image" ><br /> <noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569866086220-IW3ZXNK5KADP67GN4CGI/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kOkz1wWVyfj6cwhF8VwXaHRZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PIwANsOzgIeweXaKGnahD0nca8hNZLrfBvGJFomRXWBXg/image-asset.png?w=1220&ssl=1" alt="" /></noscript><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="thumb-image" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569866086220-IW3ZXNK5KADP67GN4CGI/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kOkz1wWVyfj6cwhF8VwXaHRZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PIwANsOzgIeweXaKGnahD0nca8hNZLrfBvGJFomRXWBXg/image-asset.png?w=1220&ssl=1" data-image="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a8d040564b05f9d780ecc2f/1569866086220-IW3ZXNK5KADP67GN4CGI/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kOkz1wWVyfj6cwhF8VwXaHRZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PIwANsOzgIeweXaKGnahD0nca8hNZLrfBvGJFomRXWBXg/image-asset.png" data-image-dimensions="769x480" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" alt="" data-load="false" data-image-id="5d924165e6792329cf33d576" data-type="image" /> </div> </figure></div> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">And with that, our primer will end. <em>As I hope you can see, the brain the learning are absolutely joined at the hip.</em> Educators must understand the brain, if they are to genuinely understand learning. That was the crux of my time spent in Rwanda and this is why the professors at the Akilah Institute have radically transformed how they teach and how they architect learning. </p> <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Good luck and good learning.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">220</post-id> </item> </channel> </rss>