Raising Bright Sparks: Book 3 -Brain-based Learning

Recent research in neuroscience, using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), has shown that the brain has the ability to change, growing new neurons, developing new synaptic connections, thus building capacity and skills. Known as neurogenesis or neural plasticity, the changes taking place in the brain highlight the capacity of the brain to grow and develop new skills. A large body of research shows that at any age, the brain has the capacity to develop and we should not regard levels of intelligence as static or fixed at birth.
A synthesis and understanding of this knowledge about the brain can guide each of us to maximize intellectual potential.
Dr Beverly Sher maintains that scientists who conduct experiments develop an understanding of how they know what they know. Dr Sher, writing in the Systems Newsletter of the Centre for Gifted Education at The College of William and Mary, states: “A student who has grappled with the limitations of his or her own data will approach data from other sources more skeptically than a student who has only assimilated “facts” from a textbook possibly could.” Students who undertake research may learn as much about the process of research and about themselves as scholars as they do about the topic they are researching.
To become lifelong learners, we have to develop research strategies which allow us to handle the incredible volume of information that is available through multiple sources. The ability to access, select and understand information; utilize data appropriately; know how to formulate an argument and communicate it effectively are valuable life skills. The ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate the material is a critical aspect of making informed decisions throughout career and personal life. All of this requires an understanding of the optimal function of the brain.