The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning
by James E. Zull
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Book Summary Information
Author: James E. ZullEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-10-03
ISBN: 1579220541
Number of pages: 263
Publisher: Stylus Publishing
Book Reviews of The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning
Book Review: The best book on educational neuroscience I've read!
Summary: 5 Stars
For whatever it's worth, I just received my PhD in Educational Neuropsychology and have been looking closely to see what's recently been published in this nascent field. One key statement in my dissertation was a comment by a neuroscientist that teachers spend all day trying to change the brain while knowing practically nothing about it. Enter James Zull's excellent book.
There's not much available on brain-based learning, educational neuropsychology, neuroeducation--or whatever one chooses to call it--and what there is just doesn't quite cut it for educators--many of whom have at least some degree of technophobia. Neuroscience feels especially daunting and inaccessible to most educators. This book, on the other hand, leads teachers gently by the hand into what was formerly scary territory in a warm, non-threatening way.
After each neural function is described, Dr. Zull, (who I'm guessing wrote the book while on sabbatical at Harvard--specifically at their Center for the Mind, Brain, and Education), immediately discusses the implications that particular function has for teaching and learning. To his credit, he never loses sight of his primary audience--teachers.
The other excellent tactic he uses which is quite novel is to relate neuroscience findings to learning theory--specifically Kolb's. If anyone knows of any other neuroscientist who's done this, please leave a comment as I'd certainly like to know. This is currently a huge gap between neuroscience, cognitive psych, and education.
My only concern is that Dr. Zull may have sacrificed a bit of clarity in the effort to make a dense scientific subject accessible for a non-scientific (primarily) audience. I'd like to see some reviews of the book by other neuroscientists--many of whom are teachers (if in higher ed), themselves. Can we really talk meaningfully about the frontal and rear cortex? I've never heard that division before and would feel more secure with an explanation of which structures compose the front and rear and why this division can be made. Perhaps he's right but I'd like more evidence that this is not as overly simplistic as the "right-brain" and "left brain" divisions that so many non-scientists have glommed onto.
I am submitting an outline for a course in "brain-based learning" at a university and will propose using this book as the primary text. It's that good!
More The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning reviews:
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1 2 3 4
Summary of The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning
Neuroscience tells us that the products of the mind--thought, emotions, artistic creation--are the result of the interactions of the biological brain with our senses and the physical world: in short, that thinking and learning are the products of a biological process.This realization, that learning actually alters the brain by changing the number and strength of synapses, offers a powerful foundation for rethinking teaching practice and one's philosophy of teaching.
James Zull invites teachers in higher education or any other setting to accompany him in his exploration of what scientists can tell us about the brain and to discover how this knowledge can influence the practice of teaching. He describes the brain in clear non-technical language and an engaging conversational tone, highlighting its functions and parts and how they interact, and always relating them to the real world of the classroom and his own evolution as a teacher.
"The Art of Changing the Brain" is grounded in the practicalities and challenges of creating effective opportunities for deep and lasting learning, and of dealing with students as unique learners.
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