To learn important lessons for all parents and educators, we
interview today Eric Jensen, a former middle school teacher and former
adjunct professor for several universities including the University of
California, San Diego. Mr. Jensen co-founded the Learning Brain Expo, a
conference for educators, and has written 21 books on the brain and
learning. His most recent book, Enriching the Brain: How to Maximize
Every Learner's Potential (Jossey-Bass, 2006), is highly recommended for
educators and parents alike.
Alvaro Fernandez (AF): Eric, thank you for your time. Can you explain the role that you and your organization play?
Eric
Jensen (EJ): We act as translators between the neuroscience and
education fields, helping to build a Brain-Based Education movement. We
launched the first conference that attempted to bridge these two worlds
in 1998. The goal of the conference, called Learning Expo, was for
teachers to speak to scientists, and, equally important, for scientists
to speak to educators.
Critics say that neuroscience research can
add little to educational practices. What we say is that, whereas it is
true that much needs to be clarified, there are already clear
implications from brain research that educators should be aware of. For
example, four important elements that are often neglected by educators,
given the obsessive focus on academic scores, are nutrition, physical
exercise, stress management, and overall mental enrichment.
AF: Since 1998? How would you characterize the progress so far?
EJ:
The good news is that today many educators, more than ever, are
learning about how the brain works. There is a growing number of
academic programs such as Harvard's masters program in Mind, Brain, and
Education, and peer-reviewed journals such as the Mind, Brain and
Education Journal.
Still, there are clear areas for improvement.
Too many staff developers are weak on the science. I see too many books
saying "brain" in the title that are not grounded in any brain research.
Something I always recommend when shopping for books is to check the
References section, making sure the book references specific studies in
credible journals from 2000 on.
AF: Now, those are mostly
awareness-related initiatives. What, if any, are the implications in
daily teaching and learning in schools?
EJ: You are right, this is
still an emerging field. A number of private, independent,
forward-thinking public schools and charter schools are implementing
specific initiatives, mostly around brain-based teaching strategies,
nutrition and exercise. But these are tougher for some public schools,
which have limited resources and flexibility. to implement. We also see
an growing number of enlightened parents learning about the principles
we discuss and applying them at home.
AF: Have you seen any impact
at the policy level? specifically, what do you think about the current
debate about the merits or demerits of No Child Left Behind?
EJ: I
agree with the move towards accountability. Now, the question is,
accountability for what? for creating narrow, specific test scores? or
for helping nourish better human beings. I have seen very little policy
activity in the US; some in Asian countries such as Singapore and China,
that are evaluating how to refine the curriculum for 5-10 year olds. In
the US, there was a major push for music enrichment programs, that was
somehow misguided, in the late 90s. The problem is that, whereas it is
clear that enrichment has an impact, it is tough to measure specifically
what type of enrichment, since much of the benefit develops over time.
The short term "stock-market" mentality that measures student growth
over a few weeks or months has to be tempered by long-term measures,
too.
For example, it seems clear that there are important skills
that can be trained, that make for a better and more successful human
being - such as the ability to defer gratification, sequencing,
emotional intelligence, improved working memory, vocabulary, and
processing skills. However, the type of assessments used today to
measure schools' performance don't focus on these. We would need broader
assessments to allow educators to focus on those important long-term
skills, beyond the immediate pressures.
A specific area going from
bad to worse is the level of stress in the system, and the lack of
resources and knowledge to regulate it.
AF: You mention processing
skills, as well as other cognitive skills. In your recent column you
highlight Scientific Learning's computer program that can train auditory
processing. What's your view on the role of computer-based programs?
EJ:
It is encouraging to see programs based on extensive research, such as
Scientific Learning's. I appreciate the value of such programs to tailor
individualized interventions to the needs of specific kids. So I
believe these programs present a huge potential.
Now, we must not
confuse what is just one narrow tool with a whole enrichment program.
Brain-based education also must take into account other important
factors such as nutrition, physical exercise, the arts, stress
management, social interactions...
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