Scientists Identify Neurons That Help the Brain Forget
(New York Times)
A new paper, published Thursday in the journal Science, points to a group of neurons in the brain that may be responsible for helping the brain to forget.
Reading Strategies That Work, According to Science
(We Are Teachers)
Get their brains to light up. Literally.
How a Student’s Panic Attack Changed My Approach to Teaching
(Science)
My students were taking midterms when my phone erupted with urgent messages. “Student is having a panic attack,” texted a teaching assistant. I ran out of my office, down a flight of stairs and found the student—a pupil in my 350-person organic chemistry class—lying motionless on the ground outside the exam hall. “I can’t move my fingers, head, or legs,” she cried. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.” My mind raced as she slipped in and out of consciousness. I asked a bystander to call 911 and held the student’s hand, reassuring her that help was on the way. “Did my exam really trigger a panic attack?” I asked myself. “Why am I not prepared to deal with a situation like this?”
Learning Styles: The Fad That Just Won’t Go Away
(Epoch Times)
One of the main reasons this fad persists is because so many people believe in it even though there is no good empirical evidence it exists. According to a recent article published by the American Psychological Association (APA), surveys show that more than 80 percent of people believe in learning styles. As a result, learning styles assessments have become popularized in a variety of professional settings outside of elementary and secondary schools.
The Best Way to Help Children Remember Things? Not “Memorable Experiences”
(Education Next)
The difference between “Episodic Memory” and “Semantic Memory,” and what it means for teaching and learning
These Types of Screen Time May Be Worst for Kids’ Grades, a New Analysis Suggests
(TIME)
When pooling the studies’ results, the authors did not find a strong link between total screen time and academic performance—unlike prior studies on the topic. (The authors hypothesize that the differing results may speak to the myriad reasons and ways that young people use technology, which can be difficult to capture in studies.) The study did, however, find specific effects associated with certain forms of technology use.
Video Experiment Tracking the Lives of Pre-Teens Shows Confidence Dips as Kids Age
(ABC News)
“I feel less confident than five years ago because now there’s a lot more pressure with what you wear, or even academically.”
The Unthinkable: In the Wake of School Shootings and Other Tragic Events, States Beginning to Mandate Mental Health Education
(The Sun Chronicle)
Attleboro High School teacher Nancy Krieger says the school focuses on creating an atmosphere to reduce anxiety, which is one of the characteristics that teenagers nationwide have identified as a “major problem” for their peers. “The culture here supports kids who may be anxious,” Krieger said, noting she too has seen a rise in anxiety. “We do a very good job with that.”
Who Helps the Caregiver? Penn Counselor’s Suicide Highlights How Experts Aren’t Immune From Struggles
(USA Today)
When University of Pennsylvania counseling center director Dr. Gregory Eells died by suicide earlier this month, many expressed shock that the tragedy involved an expert in the field of mental health. But college counseling directors nationwide say they can face a struggle to seek help and support amid mounting pressures in their jobs.
‘I’ve Never Been That Sick’: Some Teachers Are so Overstressed They’re Getting Physically Ill
(Yahoo Lifestyle)
That’s no surprise, according to a 2016 research brief out of Penn State University. Titled Teacher Stress and Health, the report — written by a group of prevention researchers and psychologists — examined the connection between wellness and the high daily stress levels of educators. Forty-six percent of the teachers surveyed reported “high daily stress,” the highest rate of any occupational group but nurses.
Why Your Memory Sucks, and What You Can Do About It
(Lifehacker)
Human memory is as fascinating as it is fallible. You can lose years worth of Spanish lessons, but can still recite the opening scene of Goodfellas. You remember what you were wearing at your best friend’s wedding, but can’t recall what you wore last Wednesday. You are certain you got a 730 Verbal on your SATs, but your actual scores say otherwise.
Youngest in Class Diagnosed More Often With ADHD
(WebMD)
If a child can’t sit still or blurts out random thoughts in kindergarten or first grade, does the child have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Or is the youngster just not mature enough to sit still yet?
1 in 5 California High Schoolers Who Responded to a State Survey Say They Have Considered Suicide, Analysis Shows
(The Mercury News)
About 70% of California’s public school districts give students the California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys
School Discipline Disparities Shown in New Indiana Statistics
(WHTR – NBC Indianapolis)
Research from the American Psychological Association suggests these types of punishments lead students to more academic issues, higher risk for dropping out, and an increased likelihood of getting in trouble with the law.
A College Suicide Prevention Bill Would Put Mental Health Resources On Student IDs
(Bustle)
In the hope of combatting this issue, a bipartisan group of senators and state representatives, including sponsor Republican Senator John Kennedy and co-sponsors Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren and Republican Senator John Cornyn, recently introduced the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act. This bill would require public and nonprofit private colleges and universities to put the Crisis Text Line, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and the number for a campus mental health center on the back of every student ID. The bill in question has the potential to impact the health of 20 million college students on campuses nationwide.
When Teens Are in Violent Relationships, Should Principals Step In?
(Education Week – Subscription Required, Free Trial)
A survey of high school principals reveals that more than half of school leaders say they have dealt with an incident of teen dating violence recently, but many of them aren’t clear what their role should be.
Students in High-Achieving Schools Are Now Named an ‘At-Risk’ Group, Study Says
(The Washington Post)
Communities touting the best-ranked schools are often the most in-demand among families. But this competitive environment can come at a psychological cost to those attending them. Emerging research is finding that students in “high-achieving schools” — public and private schools with high standardized test scores, varied extracurricular and academic offerings, and graduates who head off to top colleges — are experiencing higher rates of behavioral and mental health problems compared with national norms.
Brain-Based Bullocks
(3-Star Learning Experience)
Hold on, something isn’t right…First of all, to put it mildly, using ‘brain-based’ as a term in these contexts is a worthless pleonasm. Have you ever heard someone talk about ‘leg-based walking’, ‘mouth-based eating’ or ‘ear-based listening’? We simply walk with our legs, eat with our mouths, hear with our ears, and learn with our brains.
What Makes a Great Teacher: Pedagogy or Personality?
(Education Week – Subscription Required, Free Trial)
“She’s one of those people who just has a way with kids.” “I think it’s his personality that makes students love his class.” You’ve probably heard comments like these, and I’ve said versions of them myself. Though they affirm the powerful and unique personalities that many teachers bring to their work, these comments also bug me. They diminish the role of pedagogy and all of the decision-making that informs teaching, and this reinforces a view of teaching as less than the professional work it is.
How Collaboration Unlocks Learning and Lessens Student Isolation
(KQED – Mind/Shift)
Over my lifetime I have encountered a small number of fascinating situations, some through research and some through personal experience, in which collaboration and connection produced surprising outcomes. Some of these have related to learning, some to the pursuit of equity, and some to the advancement of ideas, even in the face of severe opposition. These different cases all shed light on something that neuroscience is also showing—when we connect with other people’s ideas there are multiple benefits for our brains and for our lives.
Students Need Ready Allies for Mental Health
(Thrive Global)
The importance of prioritizing mental health is becoming increasingly evident. Recent studies show that 50 percent of us will experience a mental health challenge in our lifetime, and one in five adults has a diagnosable mental illness.
